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, FORTUNATLY

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

HE POOL. - WON THE DAY WITH

INTS?  56. 2/48 — 30 BDE  H.Q. - 17

/23 BN. 6 2/24 Bde

WED FEB 2^ND

WORKING PARTIES &

TILL KILLING TIME, CANT BE

ING NOW. WEATHER FINE &

TEAMY

THURS FEB 3^RD

WENT HITCH HIKING

DOWN NEAR FINSCHAFEN, JUST 

OOK ABOUT. FOUND EVERYTHING

WELL FURTHER DEVELOPED THAN

ANTICIPATED. - ROAD'S IN PERFECT

NDITION, WHARVES, AIR STRIPS,

PPLY SHEDS, AMERICAN CAMPS, EVERYTHING
REQUIRED TO SUPPORT OUR

EXT 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.

1100 HRS A MESSAGE NO MOVE

BEFORE 0600 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 HRS, 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 HO'S — 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

AND 1700 HRS, AT 1900 WAS JUST

OUT FROM CAIRNS, DID NOT STOP

THURS FEB 17^TH

TOWNSVILLE IN SIGHT

DAYBREAK, PULLED IN & DROPPED

CHOR 0800 HRS.

LETTERS WRITTEN
1943

APRIL	9TH	BERYL	8 9	MARGARET LOTTE
	11TH	BERYL	12 13	BERYL BERYL
	14TH	BERYL	14 15	BERYL BERYL    (36)
	16TH 16TH	MARGARET TED GREG	19	BERYL
	19TH	BERYL	20	BERYL     37
	XX	xxxxx	22	BERYL     38
	20TH	BERYL	24 24	BERYL      8 TED
	23RD	BERYL	25	BERYL
	25TH	[[BE?[[	27	BERYL 41
	26	BERYL	27	MARGARET
	26	VIC	29	BERYL
	26 29 30	BERYL BERYL BERYL	JULY 1	BERYL 43
	1ST	BERYL	2	BERYL
	2	BERYL	5	BERYL
	4 5	BERYL BERYL	5	LILIAN
	6	BERYL	NOT KEPT
	7	BERYL	24	TED
	10	BERYL	AUG 26}
	11	MARGARET	27         }
	12	BERYL	28         }	BERYL
	14	BERYL	29         }
	15	BERYL	29	MAVIS
	16	BERYL	"	MARGARET
	16	BERYL
	18	BERYL
	21	BERYL
	[[?]]	BERYL
	[[?]]	BERYL
	[[?]]	BERYL
	[[?]]	BERYL
	[[?]]	BERYL
	[[?]]	BERYL
	[[?]]	BERYL

LETTERS RECIEVED

APRIL 25   BERYL    1            29    BERYL  3

26              BERYL   (3)            1    BERYL 2

MAY    3    BERYL    (1)   JULY 2     BERYL  3

4                BERYL     1              5   BERYL   7

5                BERYL     1              5   LILIAN   1

7                BERYL     1    NOT KEPT

9                BERYL     1          

10              MARGARET   Aug 26   BERYL  3 

10              VIC                         27        "       2

12              BERYL    2             28        "       1 

12              ROSE                     29        "       1

17              MARGARET           29    TED   

17              TED                                 MAVIS

19              BERYL                             ROSE

23              BERYL     3                      MARGARET

23            ECHARLIE

"                LOTTE

"                ERIC

25             BERYL       

27             BERYL

29             BERYL     2    

30             BERYL

JUNE 2     BERYL

4               BERYL

6               BERYL

6               MARGARET

6               ROSIE

6               LOTTE

8               BERYL

11              BERYL

13              BERYL   (2)

19              BERYL   (2)

21              BERYL    2

22              BERYL     1

25              BERYL     1

5) 27          BERYL     2

27              MARGARET

SGT  A. SHEPHERD [[?]]

C. Coy 1^ST  A. BLACK
M & T

[[?]]   SHEPHERD

[[?/6]] [[?]] SHEPHERD 59 [[?]] A BALLARAT

KIRKCALDY  FIFESHIRE  SCOTLAND.

MRS G SHRIVE
49 VICTORIA ST QUEENSTOWN

X 8031 l/CPL G M THORPE

2 Coy 2/2 AUST S.P.  D.A.P. Coy

A.S. C.  A  I F  AUSTRALIA

MR F JOHNS

18 MACLAYAN AVE
ALLENBY GARDENS S.' AUS
MISS L. DERRICK 58  TORRENS RD
CHELTENHAM STH AUS

PR 92/190
(4)
AUSTRALIAN
WAR MEMORIAL

[*(4)  29 MARCH  1943 - Feb 17 1944*]

SX7964

SGT T.C. DERRICK

9.Coy 2/48 BN

A.I.F.

MY DIARY FROM EXPIRATION

OF LEAVE MARCH 29^TH 1943

WOULD ANY FINDER KINDLY
POST TO MRS T. C. DERRICK

26 MANSFIELD ST

NORTH ADELAIDE

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

MON MARCH 29^TH
Having my last night at
home we are moving tomorrow,

destination unknown.
TUES MARCH 30^th

Arrived back
in camp at 0645 and 
was ready to move at
1030 hrs, proceeded to Mitcham

per M9. Train left

at 1230 hrs, myself and 9 OR
not being able to get on,

returned to camp awaiting

a later train tomorrow 
- Immediately

made for home.

WED MARCH 31^st
Back in camp
at 2400 hrs, three hours

[*(5)  May 1945
TARAKAN
ISLAND*]
PW CALICO 24 HRS FROM 1200

[[Booby?]] TRAPS BOFORe Gun

JUST RIGHT FORE KNOLL
[[?]] LIGHT [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]
[[?]] By [[?]] [[H?]]
[[13838?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]
48 [?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]
23 [[?]]
K/M12 IN
2/4 [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]
2/4 ARRD [[R?]] WTP FA
BN - BTy, ARTy [[?]] EA BN
2/13 RePAIR BRIDGE IF
[[?]] 2/2 MG PC[[?]] C 2/26 [[?]]
[[?]] RIDGE [[?]] [[?]]
1 Coy [[?]] Ech ALONG [[?]] [[?]]
[[?]] 445 620
[[ENLISTS?]]  2000  1000 ARMy
[[?]] Bat COMPLETE
1000 NAVAL -
[[?]] TO FIGHT TO LAST

[[?]] ALONG HIGH SNA
TRACK.
[[?]] ALONG 54008 TRACK
WITHDRAW UNDER [[?]]
2 Coy LNS
2 [[?]] [[?]] SHORE AMN.
CAPE DJOSTA
LARGE [[?]] [[?]]
CAPE DJOGTA 2 LT GUNS
POSS NAVAL POSS AT PENINCKI
JOINT COMD AT Q [[AM?]].
P/2  6  6
1      8  6   2 - 1 00
2      8  4   2 - 1
3      9  4   3 - 1

8 PL [[?]] night TO KNOLL (4)

 7    [[?]] follow TO KNOLL (1)

[[?]] 2 [[?]] from west along

[[SYKES?]] also N W W

to KNOLL (4)

CHQ 912 AGNES.

132°  270 P

304° 230 P  TO LK

Hm   [[?]] RALLY  H2  H 2  [[H?]]

4 TH May

NOTHING THRU NIGHT -
ORDER READY TO MOVE

SAT 1030 - MIDDAY MEAL

PL COMDR BRIEFED - OBJECT
IX OTTWAY FEATURE  2 MILE

AWAY.
MON  [[?]] 1315 ORDER OF MARCH

TO CHQ 9 - 8. [[12?]]  PATROL TO

EVANS. - MADE GOOD  PROGRESS.

FOR 800x CPL BROWN

[[?]]  MET TROUBLE ON EVANS

FEATURE - FURTHER  PROBING

COST 2 DEAD PTE TRANTER

R.S. SCOUT & PTE AKERS

BREN GUNNER - TRANTER ENDEAVOURING
TO GET OUT
JUMPED UP IN FRONT OF

AKARS WAS SHOT THRU THE

HEAD - AKERS  ROSE [[?]]

[[?]] TO TELL US WHAT

HAPPENED [[?]] [[?]]

[[HIM?]] THAN [[?]] [[?]]

COULD GET [[?]] [[?]]

BODIES [[?]] [[?]]

WITHDREW [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

DUSK [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

[[EVER ?]] [[?]]
NIGHT - PL [[?]] [[?]]

[[En?]] 1 [[?]] [[?]]
CPL [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

[[?]] work [[?]] [[?]]