大象传媒

We left George in hospital at Tobruk...

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Apr 7th

Left hospital, posted to RB but only for a few hours, found own Section just before the left for Sullum. Here for a few days, went bathing, nothing much to do.

Apr 11th

Left Sullum 2am for Mersa Matru, travelled all night and next day through terrible sand storms, road blocked with sand and trucks.

Apr 13th

Left Mersa Matru for Bagush, had much more peaceful time.

Apr 16th

Thunderstorms

May 2nd

Wiring route into the desert, weather very hot and hot winds. Many of the lads are in hospital.

May 15th

Moved up to Sullum, a lot of bombing and shelling, drinking salt water

May 17th

Moved back to Bug Bug, working on Sullum line. Much aircraft here, I saw first plane brought down, one of our own pilots killed.

Jun 3rd / 4th

Had 48 hours leave in Alexandria, had a good time but a very bad air raid, Sister Street badly damaged and many killed.

Jun 5th

Moved from Bogush on to road to Rome, built 24 miles of route in 11 days but no rest.

Jul 7th

Went on 5 days leave in Cairo, 15 hours train journey. Had a good time, weather very hot. Strange to see shops, pictures, trams etc. after so long in the desert.

Jul 13th

Road to Rome for more work, putting more wires on the Shibah route.

Jul 28th

Started on a 200 mile trip over the desert to Siwa, this place is about 400 feet below sea level, heat up to 140 degrees in the shade and no shade. Very old place, plenty of date palms, oranges and pomegranetes and several swimming pools; one that Cleopatra has been in and is supposed to be 160 feet deep.

Jul 30th

Work started this morning, building a "17.A.L." route to Giarubub, plenty of mosquitos and malaria about. Had a daily dose of quinine.

Aug 7th

28 miles of route up now and getting very hard going. Escorted now by Indians against patrols and aircraft, these fellows are fine men and good soldiers, very clean and would give us anything.

Aug 20th

Left Siera for Fords way, first part of 90 miles completed. We were "prisoners" here as no wagons or troops have been this way before. Lot of soft sand and very hilly, most of our time now spent digging out the wagons. Going very hard now as there is little or no shade and a temperature of 130 degrees. Working from daybreak to sunset, I have felt like passing out many times. Slept in the open, did not need blankets and my desert sores are very bad. No mail now for 13 weeks.

Sep 20th

Finished 48 miles of route, meet 20 Line Section and very pleased as we could not have gone on much longer.

Sep 21st

27 men have had to go sick, Section in a very bad way: tired and weary.

Sep 25th

Six of us going to Giarabub on maintenance to give us a rest, not a bad place, not much activity but still no rest; now we have to put up another 26 miles of wire, bad water and the flies here are terrible, they have about finished us. Letter from home at last.

To be continued....

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