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The following story has been added to the website by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Cornwall CSV Producer Nina Davey, on behalf of the author David Robins, who understands the site's terms and conditions.

Thursday 19th Still in action getting a bit more organised no trouble yet but pouring with rain.

Friday 20th still just outside Phelipperill quite day and better weather had a small raid during the night..

Saturday 21st nothing exciting went for a shower but it was cold water so had to brave it..

Sunday 22nd everything quite plenty of rain and oranges..

Monday 23rd just another day no rain.

Tuesday 24th same as Monday but plenty of rain.

Wednesday 25th small raid last night which started a fire in the town a little damage weather dull.

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Thursday 26th went to the docks for gun towing took a trailer to the aerodrome in the evening got lost asked Arab the way, Scrounging beggar wanted biscuits, bully , and everything he saw.
Exchanged a spanner for a loaf of bread with the engineer from the Berlidi sold a coat for 70 francs free from raids..

Friday 27th worked at the docks all day did practically nothing small raid at night..

Saturday 28th nothing at all weather OK..

Sunday 29th took up new gun position old one to muddy.
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Monday 20th left at 7oclock for the front passing through Bone, South Acras, Ghardima, South El Arab, South El Khemis, Berga and many small villages stopped at South Aharas a few hours…

Tuesday 1st December .left again at 0100 ,Plenty of burnt out lorries and a few dead horses but was not attacked arrived at Beja 30 miles from front at dinner time..

Wednesday 2nd left for position nearer the front which was about 30 miles from Tunis which meant that the infantry was about 10 miles in front of us and nearer in places..

Thursday 3rd Still in same place, the village nearby is Medyez El Bab one or two Me`s, flying around spotting, some infantry back from the front stopped at the farm for a rest after having a rough time lost half the battalion through snipping and dive bombing had to fall back through lack of reinforcements apparently we have pushed forward quicker than was expected so I think the front will be around here for some time while the main body arrives, had a chat with some yanks very interesting to talk to..

Friday 4th pretty hectic last night some Jerry tanks broke through not far away by the sound of the battle every body had to be up but the panic died about four in the morning.
Some more infantry back same tales as the others one of the men got behind a Jerry sniper and strangled him in temper, they say they have killed plenty and knocked a lot of tanks also taken plenty of prisoners but were dive bombed out through lack of support but our planes are arriving now..

Saturday 5th a few Me`s over plenty of rumblings from the front sounds like the stukas are dive bombing..

Sunday 6th some Jerry tanks reported breaking through on the flank about 8 miles away went out to help lay a mine field after dark with the rest of the drivers but all we did was load the lorries in Medyez El Bab the paratroopers did the job, got to bed 4 o’clock Monday morning…
Monday 7th up again a 6 o’clock for guard duty went back to bed After breakfast but called out again after half hour to direct our stuff through the mine field if they retreated but Jerry did not break through..

Tuesday 8th everything still about the same Jerry still held, quite day for a change rain started , another panicky night paratroopers reported dropping after being up all night they turned out to be anti personnel mines dropped by chute..

Wednesday 9th very quite nothing happened day or night.

Thursday 10th Jerry tank broke through on the right flank And started shelling the town and roads and there artillery helped and of course ours replied so it was quite noisy while it lasted , one or two of the shells went the wrong way, and came our way at the farm and it is not nice to hear shells whistling towards you, still the tanks were driven back , three were knocked out and five damaged , we had to shift from the farm because a French General wanted it so we had to park the lorries in the same field as the guns ..

Friday 11th Tanks broke through the other flank and there was quite a battle one and half miles away shells and machine gun fire all over the place then some Me`s came and bombed the town shelling all afternoon and evening (Me`s carry one bomb)..

Saturday 12th Jerry guns again shelling the town and round about , might move to the other side of the river, nearer to the right flank and a bit nearer town artillery on both sides having a bash we seem to be between bad things….

Sunday 13th arrived other side of river gun position in olive grove, quit night nothing interesting except shelling, just heard that two of our baggage party left behind at Algiers with the kit bags were killed and three injured and during the shelling two days ago the other section up here with us but a bit nearer town got a lot of shells around them had one shell burst near the gun putting it out of action, lucky no one injured another burst near the matador blew the driver out but just shook him up a sergeant got a bit dazed and is still missing..

Monday 14th supposed to be the 10th panzer division against us with 200 hundred tanks but they say we have 300 between us, one good thing there are plenty of our aircraft about and few Jerry.. 2 of the MT are delousing they went into a Arab hut and reckon they got them there any way they had a sleepless night they are running around in there birthday suits having sprinkled there cloths and blankets with powder..

Tuesday 15th still quite except for the French 75`s send over a shell now and again and followed by our 25lb shell which is answered by Jerry , we are by the way about 200 yards from the 75`s moved the wagon lines 200yrds down the road into a track leading to a farm weather perfect…

Wednesday 16th a bit awkward only five of us to do guard over five lorries but it was organised OK and we are by ourselves, had a bit of a laugh with a guards officer he was riding a bike down the road to the farm and kept grinding his gears and our mechanic in a very la di da voice took the Mickey and blew a raspberry which made him look at his rear wheel . Jerry started a bit of shell heard them whistling to our right.
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Thursday 17th a few Jerry aircraft about but plenty of our bombers going over towards Tunis, plenty of Jerry shells falling around the town, did some washing in cold water what a job..

Friday 18th Jerry started the day well with a dawn attack by junkers 88`s on the town started about seven watched the explosions from my bed in the lorry could just see the planes , half hour later two me`s dive bomb the town they must be after the bridge which is in the town , quite a number of fortresses going over one brought down by messasmit (me `s) on the way back over the hills as my mate and me were walking up the road with the dinner a messasmit seem to come straight for us but sheered of our artillery started some fireworks going , post arrived all old stuff naffi issue..

Saturday 19th a quite day not bad weather a bit windy just an occasional shell coming over a very crafty bit of work by Jerry in the late afternoon some junkers FW 190 and Me`s went right over and every body thought they were bombing further but the four me`s saved there bombs till they came back and dive bombed the bridge.
Got paid sent cablegram home..

Sunday 20th a bit showery while we having breakfast 2 fokers came hedge hopping could see the crosses quite plain but they just flew right over, they must have been taking photos because just after two of the boys went for dinner we have to go to the gun park for our meals they started shelling and how, all around the other two boys and myself we were down in a trench and there was a complete ring of shell holes round us at various distances , the shrapnel was flying about like hornets…

Sunday 20th the boys on the gun park scattered to the river bank for cover two shells burst a couple of yards away the guns destroying five boxes of ammo and another on one of the tents .
I was a bit jumpy at first as they came whistling towards us and bursting quite near,
but got used to it , the mechanic and I made a joke of it because five minutes before it all started we were wishing for two me`s to see us to have some fun so we got more than we bargained for..

Monday 21st a fairly quite day not much activity some of our spitfires were flying around in circles what for I do not know , a different tale at night plenty of our stuff moving up also the yanks and Jerry started shelling the town at10.30 and carried on at intervals through the night , but it was to cold to get out of bed…

Tuesday 22nd fairly quite so far a few shells coming over, sorry spoke to soon 24 stukas and dive bombed at the back of the farm were the tanks and some Yankee stuff are parked killed three yanks and injured two missed everything, saw the two injured plenty of blood but not to bad one had a cut below the eye and the other had a gash in the leg, the yanks have taken over the farm from the guards ,weather wet..

Wednesday 23rd still raining nothing much doing..

Thursday 24th still raining Heinkal hedge hopping in morning , few shells few of ours going, had some yanks sleeping in lorry last night going today…..

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