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

May
STILL IN SAME POSN A
QUIET NIGHT L.H.Q IN  
[[R...]] ONE SANTO
ATTACKED ANOTHER KILLING
HIM WITH BUTT OF BREN
GUN — BN PROGRESS NOT
GOING 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 SEC SLICED THE TOP
OF L/CPL MURPHY'S HEAD
OFF THE JAP WAS
FOUND AT DAYBREAK 

Sykes_
WOUNDED [[?]]
- HE WAS INSTANTLY KILLED
LT. J. COLLINS
PATROL RAN INTO [[?]]
& ANOTHER [[?]]
BUCKLEY'S SUFFERED [[?]]
& REILLY WOUNDED
1^ST MAY

5 PLA
 CIL OVERNIGHT [[?]]
OUT AT DAWN ALONG
SAME TRACK, REACHED
POSN WE HAD YESTERDAY
REMAINDER OF C Coy
MOVED WITH THE TANK
AROUND LEFT FLANK: WE
EASED FWD ALONG EVANS
RAZOR BACK UNTIL OVERLOOKING
NTH OF TARAKAN
& RD CUTTING. GUNS &
OTWAY. − Coy PUSHING ON
TO OTWAY −
THE PL PASSED JIM TRANTER
& STAN AKERS, THE BREN
HAD BEEN TAKEN THE
OWEN LEFT. — TRANTER
WAS DEFINITELY SHOT By
AKERS. — 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 CAMDR
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 RIDGE
AN AIR STRIKE THAT 

WAS TO BE LAUNCHED
AT 1200, ARRIVED BACK
AT 1150 HRS.
C.Coy HAVING A STIFF
FIGHT, TOJO WAS BLOWN
THE ROAD TANKS [[?]]
TEMPORARILY HELD? UP.
— 1400 HRS. C Coy HAVE 
MADE 3 ATTEMPTS TO 
TAKE SYKES - PL A Coy
ARE IN WITH STRIKING UP
THRU-OUT THE OUR
THE AFTERNOON FIRE
WAS HEAVY, OUR CASUALTIES
WERE MANY, BY 1,700 HRS
THE SHOW HAD QUIETENED
DOWN SOMEWHAT. - 8 PL
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 relieved by C
B formed up along
RD and pump station
at 1730 marched back to
Collins Ridge to take a
short spell.
MAY 8 A DAY  OF REST.
SNIPERS ACTIVE ON SYKES
MAY 9 MOVED AT 0700
TO A FEATURE N.E OF
PART SNAGS TRACK
[*9^th [PA Tanks*]
  

MAY 10^TH  8 PL PATROL

Commander & [[?]]
Reinforcement coming
in to Coy 21 OR.
11^TH 7 PL PATROL TO [[?]]
50 ml JAP
12^TH  9 PL MOV OUT INTO ESMIE
7 PL [[?]]
13 9 PL - STILL ON ESMIE HAVE
KILLED - 5 JAPS. (Coy ?)
14  I MOVED Coy OUT TO
ESMIE. 8^TH PL FWD TO CONTACT
O'ROURKES PL ON 
DORRY. TOOK OVER FROM
HIM. — 8 PL TO FLORI'S
DAISY DUE IN BETWEEN  3.

15^TH  8 PL PATROL IN TROUBLE
TEX RICHARDS WOUNDED
IN GROIN TOOK 7 HOURS
TO CARRY HIM TO R.A.P.
8PL WITHDREW.
CPL OCONNELL SEC PATROL TO
DAISYLORRIE ENEMY POSN.
1 PL MOVE UP OCCUPY FLORIS
800 YDS. FROM DAISY.
CPL RYANS SEC PATROL 2000 YDS
ON BEARING GOT TO FIND
ENEMY. — RET 1630 N.E.S.
CPL OCONNELL RET 1715.
REMAIN ON DAISY FOR
NIGHT.
9PL SITTING ON FLORIS
7 "        "            "  DORRY
Coy      "            "   67
   8       "             "  ESMIE 

[[?]]
[[?]] ON
[[?]]
[[?]] WAS [[?]]
[[?]]
Coy [[?]]
[[?]] TAKING OFF
[[?]] STRUCK [[?]]
[[?]] WE A [[?]]
[[?]]
[[?]] CPL [[?]]
KILLED [[?]]
8 [[?]] A RIGHT [[?]]
FLANK [[?]]
MOVE [[?]]
[[?]] LATELY [[?]]
[[?]] ONE
[[?]]
CRAWLING AWAY [[?]]
STUCK UNTIL THE [[?]]
[[7 PL?]] MOVED [[?]]
PR8Z/190

ONLY FOR YOU A 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 AGNES
AGAIN AT 1615 —
21/  STILL ON AGNES

17 MC
18 RC
19 L
20 L

PR 82/190
(5)

^AUSTRALIAN 

^{WAR MEMORIAL}

[[?]]
1 TIME TO REACH OBJ
2 IS 'IT' SUITABLE FOR
(A) PLATOON
(B) Coy
(C) AMBUSH POSN
3 NATURE OF KINGS TRACK
4WHAT TRAFFIC SINCE
PAST RAINS
5  PUT S TO DUCK 463669
6 TIME IN BEFORE
"LAST L" 

77   950 }
165  400 }
202  500 }
463669  }
456670 JAP FOOT PRINTS
SINCE RAIN — NOISE OF
TINS HEARD DOWN [[SRR?]]