Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942-1945 - Part 8

May
STILL IN SAME POSN [[?]]
[[?]] NIGHT C H Q IN
[[?]] ONE SANTO
ATTACKED ANOTHER KILLING
HIM WITH BUTT OF BREN
GUN — BN PROGRESS NOT
[[?]] AS WELL AS
EXPECTED - NOR BDE -
2^ND MAY
HAD A REMARKABLY QUIET
NIGHT. WAS NOT ATTACKED
REMAINING IN THIS POSN
UNTIL FURTHER ORDERS.
9 PL MET TROUBLE DURING
NIGHT. JAPS STALKED

8 [[?]] SLICED THE TOP
OF L/CPL M [[?]] HEAD
OFF THE JAP WAS
FOUND AT DAYBREAK
WOUND [[?]]
- HE WAS [[?]]
LT. J. [[?]]
[[?]]
BUCKLEY'S [[?]]
7 REILLY
1^ST MAY
 

5 PLA
[[?]]
OUT AT DAWN ]]?]]
SAME TRACK, REACHED
POSN WE HAD YESTERDAY
[[?]] [[?]]
MOVED WITH [[?]]
AROUND LEFT FLANK: WE
EASED FWD ALONG EVANS
RAZOR BACK UNTIL OVERLOOKING
NTH OF [[?]]
O RD CUTTING. [[?]]
OTTWAY.— COY PUSHING ON
TO OTWAY —
THE PL PASSED JIM TROTTER
& STAN [[?]] THE BREN
HAD BEEN TAKEN THE
OWEN LEFT. — TRANTER
WAS DEFINITELY SHOT BY
[[?]]. — THE JAP WAS
IN A PERFECT POSN.
 

HAD THE DROP ON US ALL
THE TIME.
RELIEVED BY BOURKES PL.
AT 1330, MOVED UP, TO
COY & THRU THEM TO
OCCUPY OTTWAY — COY CMMDR
NOT MAKE FURTHER PROGRESS
CONSOLIDATED FOR NIGHT, —
HARDLY THINK IT POSSIBLE
FOR US TO BE PUSHED OFF
THIS FEATURE — MAIL
ARRIVED JUST BEFORE DARK.
MAY 6^TH
C. COY MOVING
THRU TO TAKE SYKES.
I TOOK A 2 SEC PATROL
TO SNAGS TRACK, ENCOUNTERED
NO ENEMY, HAD
TO RETURN TO [[?]]
AN AIR STRIKE [[?]]
WAS TO BE LAUNCHED
AT 1200, ARRIVED BN
AT 1150 HRS.
C.COY HAVING [[?]]
FIGHT, [[?]]
THE ROAD [[?]]
TEMPORARILY HELD UP.
— 1400 HRS [[?]]
MADE 3 [[?]]
[[?]] SYKES [[?]]
ARE IN [[?]]
THRU-OUT [[?]]
THE AFTERNOON FIRE
WAS HEAVY, OUR CASUALTIES
WERE MANY, BY 1700 HRS
THE SHOW HAD QUIETENED
DOWN SOMEWHAT. - 8
HAVE HAD 4 CAS. SJT
MACKAY HAS BEEN TAKEN
FROM ME TO COMMAND
8 PL, THEIR SJT HAVING
 

BEEN WOUNDED. — WE ARE
TO RELIEVE C.COY TONIGHT
SOMETIME.
MAY 7 [[?]] by C
B formed up along
[[???]] station
at 1730 marched back to
[[?]] Ridge to take a
short spell.
MAY 8 A [[?]] OF [[[?]]
SNIPERS ACTIVE ON SYLKS
MAY 9 MOVED ON 0700
TO A FEATURE N E OF
[[?]] SNACS TRACK
9th [[?]]
MAY 10^TH [[??]]
Reinforcement coming
in to  [[?]]
11^TH 7 PL PATROL TO [[?]]
50 [[?]]
12TH 9 PL [[?]] OUT[[??]]
7 PL [[?]]
13 9 PL STILL ON ESMIE [[?]]
KILLED 5 JAPS. (COY [[?]])
14  I MOVED COY OUT TO
ESMIE. [[?]] FWD TO CONTACT
OROURKES PL ON 
DORRY. TOOK OVER FROM
HIM. — 8 PL TO FLORI'S
DAISY DUE IN BETWEEN
 

15  [[?]] PATROL IN TROUBLE
TEX RICHARDS WOUNDED
IN GROIN TOOK 7 HOURS
TO CARRY HIM TO R.A.P.
8PL WITHDRAWN.
CPL OCONNELL [[?]] PATROL TO
DAISY [[?]] ENEMY POSN.
1 PL MOVE UP OCCUPY [[?]]
800 YDS. FROM DAISY.
CPL RYANS [[?]] PATROL 2000 YDS
ON [[?]] GO TO FIND
ENEMY.— RET 1630 N.E.S.
CPL OCONNELL RET 1.15
REMAIN ON DAISY FOR
NIGHT.
[[?]] 9PL SITTING FLORIS
[[?]]              "           DORRY
Coy              "                67
   8                 "           ESMIE
 

ONLY [[?]] [[YOUR?]] REPORT
COULD GO NO FURTHER
SOMETHING WRONG IN
THIS PL IT IS A BAD
SHOW — MY PL DEFINITELY
ARE WELL AHEAD
OF THE OTHER TWO 
COY RETIRED TO [[?]]
[[?]] AT 1615 —
21/  STILL ON AGNES
 

[[?]]
TIME TO REACH OBJ
IS IS SUITABLE FOR
(A) PLATOON
(B) COY
(C) AMBUSH POSN
NATURE OF KINGS TRACK
WHAT TRAFFIC SINCE
PAST RAINS
PUT [[??/]] 463669
TIME IN BEFORE
LOST [[L?]]
77   950
165  400
202  500
463669  
456670 JAP FOOT PRINTS
SINCE RAIN — NOISE OF
TINS HEARD DOWN [[?]]