Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942-1945 - Part 7

SUN JAN 30^TH

CHURCH PARADE IN MORNING, 

REMAINDER OF DAY FREE.

HAVE BEEN OFF COLOUR

THESE LAST SIX DAYS, SEVERE HEADACHES

& FEELING OF DEPRESSION, FORTUNATELY

NO TEMPERATURE.

MON JAN 31^ST 

AM IN THE BN SIDE TO

COMPETE IN BDE SWIMMING CONTEST,
MEDLEY & TEAMS RACE.

SPENT MORNING PRACTICING.

NOT SO BRIGHT IN ARVO SO 

REMAINED ON THE COT

TUES FEB 1^ST

NOTHING TO DO IN

THE MORNING. OUR BN TEAM

WILL TAKE A LOT OF BEATING.

[[DID?]] NOT SWIM IN THE MEDLEY,

MY SUBSTITUTE WON IT NICELY, 

I COULDN'T HAVE.

SWAM IN THE RELAY WHICH WE

WON BY A LENGTH & HALF OF OF 

[[THE?]] POOL. WON THE DAY WITH

[[PONTS?]]  56.[[2/48 — 30 BDE 47/7?]]

/23 BN. 6 [[2/24?]]

WED FEB 2^ND

WORKING PARTIES

[[STILL?]] KILLING TIME, CANT BE

[[ING?]] NOW. WEATHER FINE &

[[STEAMY?]]

THURS FEB 3^RD

WENT HITCH HIKING

DOWN NEAR FINSCHAFEN, JUST 

[[FOOL?]] ABOUT. FOUND EVERYTHING

[[?]] FURTHER DEVELOPED THAN

ANTICIPATED. ROAD'S IN PERFECT

[[CONDITION?]], WHARVES, AIR STRIPS,

[[SUPPLY?]] [[SHOWS?]], AMERICAN CAMPS,

EVERYTHING REQUIRED TO SUPPORT OUR

NEXT STEP.

FRID FEB 4^TH

MORE KILLING TIME,

HAVE RECOVERED FROM MY AILMENT

AFTER 7 DAYS, PROBABLY WAS A MILD

CASE OF [[DANGI?]] OR MALARIA

SAT FEB 5^TH

RECEIVED WORD LATE

LAST NIGHT, READY TO MOVE

BY 1200 HRS TODAY. ALL SPIRITS

ROSE, THE MEN SEEM FULL OF

LIFE, SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN

MISSING THESE LAST FEW WEEKS.

11OO HRS A MESSAGE NO MOVE

BEFORE 0400 HRS 7^TH FEB, WOULDNT

IT.— RECEIVED 14 LETTERS IN THE
LAST 2 DAYS

SUN FEB 6^TH

STILL WAITING, BUT ITS

NOT SO BAD NOW, WE KNOW

WHEN.

MON FEB 7^TH

NO MISTAKE THIS TIME, 

LEFT AREA AT 0900 HRS, PER TRUCK

TO FINSCHABOUR. EMBARKED ON LIBERTY

SHIP "EDWARD N WESTCOTT"  AT 1115 HRS

PULLED OUT AT 1600 HRS

TUES FEB 8^TH

EVERYTHING PERFECT, MUCH

MORE COMFORTABLE THAN WE ANTICIPATED.

— WEATHER FINE, SEA CALM.

ARRIVED BUNA 1700 HR, PULLED INTO

WHARF FOR THE NIGHT. I HAVE A

NASTY RASH ON MY FACE.  FEEL

ANYTHING BUT WELL.

WED FEB 9^TH

LEFT BUNA 1200 HRS, THIS

IS MORE TO OUR LIKING, SHOULD BE

HOME ABOUT 22^ND FEB.

THURS FEB 10^TH

GOOD TRIP TO MILNE

BAY ARRIVING AT 1400 HRS

FRID FEB 11^TH

THROUGH NOT BEING

INFORMED OUR SHIP MISSED THE

CONVOY  MUST NOW AWAIT THE

NEXT ONE WHICH SAILS ON MONDAY.

SAT 12^TH & SUN 13^TH FEB

STILL ANCHORED

IN MILNE BAY, VERY BORING 

+ DISHEARTENING.

HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON DECK &  IT

IS QUITE DECENT

MON 14^TH FEB

AFTER A LOT OF FURPHIES

WHICH PROVED FALSE WE PULLED

OUT AT 1600 HRS TO A HOWLING

OF HO HOS — WEATHER OKAY — MY RASH

CLEARING UP NICELY.

TUES 15^TH FEB

SEA A BIT CHOPPY

TODAY, MANY ARE SICK. I WAS

CLOSE.

WED FEB 16^TH

TRIP STILL OKAY,

MUCH CALMER TODAY. SIGHTED

[[LAND?]] 1700 HRS, AT 1900 WAS JUST

OUT FROM CAIRNS, DID NOT STOP

THURS FEB 17^TH

TOWNSVILLE IN SIGHT

DAYBREAK, PULLED IN & DROPPED

[[ANCHOR?]] 0800 HRS

LETTERS WRITTEN
1943