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| 116th L.A.A Btty 26th L.A.A Reg RA - George on back row, 1st right, big grin. |
May 1st 1943
Gun drill in gun park. 3 hrs on gun neck, drills etc. Afternoon spent on beach at settlement swimming. Great. Night - go with Gil to Carmelia club. Great walk back to camp. We move out of here tomorrow. Cheers.
May 2nd 1943
(Low Sunday - 1st after Easter - Evacuation of Imperial Troops from Greece completed, 1941 - Sunrise, 4.32 a.m. ; Sunset, 7.22 p.m)
See chuck (could be a chicken or a man) in dining hall. Pack hits etc and join convoy on road. Arrive back to B.H.Q settlement. Unpacking etc. Afternoon off. Stay in reading, writing etc. Turn in early.
May 3rd 1943
(Bank Holiday , Scotland - 2nd Battle of Verdun began 1916 ; Bullecourt 1917.)
Mobile scheme start out in morning. Weather great. We protect an armoured Division on the move, in and out of action with gun. Good fun.
May 4th 1943
(Easter Law Sittings begin - New Moon, 11.45 a.m)
Cleaning gun all morning as it certainly needed it. Mobile showers visit us in afternoon. Rest of the day off. Stay in and write.
May 5th 1943
Another mobile scheme, leave early in the morning. Some kind of exchange in different surroundings. See some great sights.Colonel gives us another commie speech.
May 6th 1943
Give in some of our blankets leaving us with two. Mobile visit. El Bassa again. Back to camp and a good night sleep.
May 7th 1943
Pay day. Getting guns ready for road. Moving soon to new gun sites in Beirut. Looking forward to it.
May 8th 1943
Tommy Summers goes to Bone today, go out on mobile do again. Sleep out at night. Rig up a sheet by the side of lorry - makes a good tent. Natives in a village a few miles away banging drums howling etc. We have to keep a sharp lookout on guard as this is an unhealthy spot.
"The small city of Bone was quite attractive. The war had bypassed her wide tree-lined boulevards and street cafes, where the speciality was fried egg on a bun washed down by the interminable muscatel. Bone boasted a cinema, where we endured many a brigade lecture without nodding off. It was also where Wee Wully Fenn, from Glasgow, learnt not to place a Cadbury's dairy-milk bar in his KD uniform shirt while watching Mutiny on the Bounty for the seventh time." (Trooper Tom Canning)
May 9th 1943
(2nd after Easter - Battle of Aubers Ridge, 1915 - Sunrise, 4.20 a.m ; Sunset. 7.34pm)
Stop by a native village and witness a funeral. They carry the body in an open frame. Howling all the while, enough to give you the jitters.
May 10th 1943
(Germany invaded Belgium Holland and Luxembourg, 1949 - Indian Mutiny began, 1857.)
Back to camp and start packing up for our journey up north. Start tomorrow morning.
May 11th 1943
Start out at seven o'clock and have first stop at Saida where a free friendly plane drops leaflets telling that the North Africa war is over. A step nearer home.
May 12th 1943
(Coronation of H.M. King George VI, 1937 - Moon First Qtr ., 9.52 a.m.)
We are in a pretty good place by a native market in centre of town. Good billets and good food.
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| Good billets and pals - George is crouched in the middle, big grin. |
Plenty of guards and air sentries to be done here. 2 1/2 hrs at night. Have some good laughs with the local kids. We are near a carpenters shop. Ancient ways.
May 14th 1943
(Home Guard established, 1940.)
Cleaning ammo in dump in morning. Laying with Predictor on planes over the harbour. Great view of town and rainbow from our gun pit.
May 15th 1943
(Battle of Festubert, 1915 ; Vimy Ridge, 1916 - Surrender of the Netherlands Army, 1940.)
Day leave. Go for a walk around town in morning and do a bit of shopping. Afternoon go to British swimming club. Have a very nice time there. Swimming free. Stay there all afternoon. Go to pictures and see Billy the Kid. Have a drink in cafe and have an early night in bed. Good day.
May 16th 1943
(3rd after Easter - Sunrise, 4.8 a.m ; Sunset, 7.45 p.m)
Easy day today. I am able to get cracking on my mail to Gwen and Mother as I have not had much time lately with moves.
May 17th 1943
Watching the people at the market from our gun post, you can see it all. Always something of interest going on. Tons of fruit about, we get plenty.
May 18th 1943
Nobody wants to go on leave today so I go again. Pictures. Great American Broadcast. Go with a chap called George. Nice kid. He treats me to the pictures.
May 19th 1943
(Full Moon, 9.13 p.m.)
Cleaning ammo. Weather today is cloudy but very muggy. Stop work in afternoon as weather is too hot. New bloke Oakley comes on.
May 20th 1943
(Germany invaded Crete, 1941.)
Making a bit of through George my pal. I become a master layer. F.A.S all gun drills change again. Always changing.
May 21st 1943
Paid by Mr Gennings. Paid 14 pounds sixpence? Sounds a lot of money but it's worth about £1..10.0 sterling. I see some nice material in a shop for Mother and Gwen. Padre visits gun site and gives us a service.
May 22nd 1943
Another chap out of our battery gets drowned at Kaem? M??? two in about a year. I am getting plenty of mail from mom and Gwennie. Also plenty of reading matter. Only getting about 5 hours sleep a night on this gun post.
May 23rd 1943
(4th after Easter - Sunrise, 3.58 a.m ; Sunset, 7.55 p.m.)
Day of Rest. We do twice as much as any other day. Weather very nice, not too warm. Bloke in minaret curtain does his stuff today calling the faithful to pray.
May 24th 1943
Taffy and I go to the firing range. Funny place, we fire across the road. Five rounds snap. Five grouping. Five in own time. Five for Bull. Twenty rounds with ? I score well and come second to our firing line.
May 25th 1943
Hear we are leaving this place to go to new gun post. Sorry in a way because it is okay here.
May 26th 1943
(H.M. Queen Mary born, 1867 - Last Qtr., 1.33p.m.)
Just routine: - Reading a decent book. 'East of the Giants.'
May 27th 1943
(Battle of the Aisne began,1918 - 'Bismark' sunk, 1941.)
Pack our kits. I go on advance party. Gunpost on building about hundred foot high. Very good class billets. Good bunks. Wash places etc. We are going to be very comfortable here.
May 28th 1943
(Surrender of the Belgian Army, 1940.)
We are going to be visited by a major General. Tons of cleaning up etc. He comes in about a weeks time. Things are getting bad with training program.
May 29th 1943
Major gives us a gun drill. I go down ??? for material for Gwen's dress. Good feed. Pictures at night. Desert Victory. Native in ??? over the road from us starts howling and moaning all the hour. I am on guard. Great night, makes you feel kind of homesick. Been about two years since I was home.
May 30th 1943
(Rogation Sunday - Sunrise, 3.51 a.m ; Sunset, 8.4 p.m.)
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May 31st 1943
(Battle of Jutland, 1916 - Boer War ended, 1902 - Union Day, South Africa, 1910.)
Major visits us again, asks me questions on Q.E and ? I answer them all. He says I am the first chap he has asked which knows them all. I get twenty Players cigs.
June 1st 1943
(British evacuated Crete, 1941.)
Still cleaning webbing and equipment. Weather very warm. Plenty of ships come into the harbour getting ready for the big do.
June 2nd 1943
(Battle of Mount Sorrel, 1916 - New Moon, 10.33 p.m.)
We start double guard. Two hours on six off. Not bad. Proper scare on, we start practicing barrage. 2 hrs guard at night now.
June 3rd 1943
(Ascension Day - Evacuation of British Army from Dunkirk completed, 1940.)
Start on gun drill F.A.S and Predictor. Also barrage drill as we are having a practice shoot in about a weeks time.
June 4th 1943
Weather very hot today, especially when we are on top of the roof. Starting new gun drills for Turkish mission. Crikey what a life.
Major General Pollack and his staff are visiting us tomorrow. All our officers are sweating up the top line. Still 6 leaning and messing about. I shall be glad when this 'do' is over.
June 6th 1943
(Sunday after Ascension - Sunrise, 3.46 a.m ; Sunset, 8.11 p.m.)
Officers start learning us semaphone. Major General Pollock visits us with about twenty officers, none of them below Major. He gives us a great speech in the garrison theatre.
June 7th 1943
(Battle of Messimes began, 1917.)
Cleaning up now for the Turkish mission. I shall be glad when all these inspections are over.
June 8th 1943
(British Advance into Syria began, 1941.)
We start manning gun. Five men at a time. Four hours on, four hours off. Plenty of ships come into harbour.
June 9th 1943
Four parcels of paper from Gwen. The two parcels go today.
June 10th 1943
(Italy declared War on Great Britain and France, 1940 - Withdrawal of British Troops from Norway, 1940.)
War news very good these days. Our leave is stopped as there is a bit of a scare on practice barrages.
June 11th 1943
(Easter Law Sittings end - First Quarter., 2.35 a.m)
Routine all day. 2 o'clock - zero for barrage. Master gun fires first and then we fire fifteen rounds. About sixty A4 guns take part.
June 12th 1943
Good barrage. I am three on F.A.S. A piece of shrapnel misses my head and hit one officer in foot. Cleaning gun right down most of the day. Four hours on, four hours off.
June 13th 1943
(Whit Sunday - Sunrise, 3.43 a.m ; Sunset.)
We are gettting very little leave here, we get one afternoon in nine starting today. Ronnie jokes about going to Malta, North Africa and even England. What a life.
June 14th 1943
(Whit Monday - Fall of Paris, 1940.)
Making a bit of money off the canteen. Getting utterly fed up with this life, day in day out, everything the same.
June 15th 1943
(Battle of Piave began, 1918.)
Gil and I drop washing down to the chaps in the street. One bundle hits Jeff on the head and nearly knocked him out, 100 foot drop!
June 16th 1943
(Freshwater fishing begins in England and Wales.)
Hear of a move coming off soon. Cheers as everyone is pretty fed up with this site, although food and billets are ok.
June 17th 1943
Hear from Gwen that she received her parcel okay.
June 18th 1943
(Battle of Waterloo, 1815 - Full Moon, 5.14 a.m.)
Go to Sgt Good's site with the rest of the boys.Get the gun and go outside. Boy with gun fitted with new sights called 'Stiffkey-Stick.' Proper comical.
June 19th 1943
Payday. By Captain Simpson. I draw fourteen PS - two weeks money. Hear we are going to firing camp and on manoeuvres again in a day or so's time. So I guess we will be going back in Palestine again. I certainly am not sorry to get away from this lot.
June 20th 1943
(Trinity Sunday - Sunrise, 3.42 a.m ; Sunset, 8.20 p.m.)
Get the gun. We leave on Tuesday for Palestine. Still wild rumours going about that we will soon be going back to Blighty.
June 21st 1943
Packing kits at night, ready for moving out on the morrow. New Battery 80th taking over. Not long from England.
June 22nd 1943
(French sign German Armistice Terms, 1940 - Summer Solstice, 7 a.m - Trinity Law Sittings begin - Germany attacked Russia, 1941.)
The creases on this diary was done while I threw my kit bag over the side of the 100 foot building. Leave Beyrouth for Palestine.
June 23rd 1943
(H.R.H The Duke of Windsor born, 1894.)
Reveille 5 o'clock, manoeuvres for two days. Guns and tractors. CTPOOD? No slack at night on the move.
June 24th 1943
(Midsummer Day - Quarter Day - French sign Italian Armistice Terms, 1940 - Last Quarter., 8.8 p.m.)
In and out of action. Everyone fed up with lack of sleep. Riding in the seats all day and night. Plenty of bumps. Two hours sleep and move on.
June 25th 1943
Scares around El Bassee? See Andy. O.C.T.U. After noon we make our way back to firing camp at miaent? A guard to be done. Three hours sleep.
June 26th 1943
Firing in the morning F.A.S and Stiffkey Stick. I am layer for elevation - swimming in afternoon, moving to new camp tomorrow, packing kits etc. Leave guns on park?
June 27th 1943
(1st after Trinity - Sunrise, 3.44 a.m ; Sunset, 8.21 p.m.)
Arrive at new camp at dinner time some point. Pretty good tents though. Camp near Binyamina.
June 28th 1943
(Peace signed at Versailles, 1919.)
Physical training and gun drill. March drill on road in the afternoon. Weather very hot. One training for assault gun? Loading guns on flat ??? roofs.
June 29th 1943
Commander course all morning. Gun drill in afternoon. Three hours in the boiling heat. Two hours guard at night.
June 30th 1943
(Channel Islands occupied by Germany, 1940.)
Payday. Duty all day long now and everyone is fed up with this place, supposed to be a next camp. No REST.
