大象传媒

Victory Diary 1943

7918404 Trooper Walter Law 4th Queen鈥檚 Own Hussars-

APRIL

Wednesday 7
Up at 4.30am packed up by 5.00am Breakfast at 5.15am feeling out of sorts everything all mixed up in the dark loaded all the officers baggage besides looking after my own what a lousy inconsiderate lot these officers are went by lighter to ship got fixed up with all the boys in the hold astern left \port Said at 9.00am lovely calm sea but felt a little queer at first very hungry what a comparison between Officers food and ours which is always the same on a boat slept a few hours in the daytime thinking of Alice a lot and looking forward to some mail

JUNE

Wednesday 2
Feeling very down in the mouth today at the news of only men who had six years out here could go Home What more do they expect of us and we were promised we would go Home after North Africa was clear proper browned off today

Saturday 19
Reveille 5.30am breakfast 6.30am after breakfast pack up and stand by moved off at 2.00pm left K.T. at 3.30pm arrived Famagusta at 9.00pm what a ride 32 in a small goods wagon got on board ship M at 2.00am and arrived Beirut at 8.00am no sleep

Tuesday 22
Standing by all day to move left B station 11.45pm

Thursday 24
Woke up just as we got to Tell el Kebir and got out of the train at Giza after travelling for 36 hours walked to the train and got in camp I had a slitting headache and we had to put up our own tent had no food today yet

SEPTEMBER

Wednesday 8
Working on Crewsader water pump very hot 鈥淚taly surrenders鈥�

Thursday 9
Still working on a Crewsader water pump another one this time whish I knew when we were going Home working on Sherman diesel all afternoon

Friday 10
Working on Sherman diesel clutches went out after dinner to test it across the desert but got it stuck and cast a track decided to leave it till tomorrow and get a winch from L.A.D. Slept by tank all night

Saturday 11
Worked like a * all day to get both tracks on tank and finished at 6.00pm what a day I will never forget it

Sunday 12
Working for an hour on towing Sherman tank to L.A.D.

OCTOBER

Sunday 3
Went to Church this morning after I went down on a truck to the Pyramids and Sphinx it was the hottest day of the year 120 degrees in the sun and 107 in the shade climbed to the top boy what a height

Saturday 9
Spent day in Transit camp up to noon got Tanks on railway at midnight spent the night in a Tell el Kebir siding

Sunday 10
Spent today in a siding moving on at tea time spent the night at Zag a Zig food no good

Monday 11
Spent the day at Zag a Zig moved off and travelled all night

Tuesday 12
Arrived Cairo this morning food run out and no tea tired and dirty Browned off arrived Giza siding for unloading tanks at dark had a meal cooked at Midnight steak and onions

Wednesday 13
Got the Tanks off the railway flats this morning and I drove one to Beni Yusef but we are not welcome because we are dirty and Anthony Eden is due to arrive any minute we are told to make ourselves scarce as everyone else is so clean what sort of war is this here we are doing a real job of work and we must not be seen by him

DECEMBER

Friday 3
We leave Beni Yusef for the desert with all tanks and armoured cars for parade Mr. Churchill, Sarah Churchill and Randolf Churchill with a lot of big wigs came and inspected us told us that 1944 would see the end of Germany He looked tired out

Sunday 5
Up at 5.15am and standing too with rifle in case Gerry decided to drop parachuters to capture Mr. Churchill the boys think a lot of him

Monday 6
Worked on a Sherman clutches readjusting Squadron Leader asked me to see to his car what a job leaking all over

Tuesday 7
Working on Squadron Leader鈥檚 car 15 year old Chrysler took head off it today had some good laughs over it

Wednesday 8
Could have had an afternoon off today but worked instead on car Tanks patrolling for conference still on at Mena House

Thursday 9
Went to Cairo with George tonight but could not get in anywhere as it was Bairam holiday for the Egyptians went to forces cinema in the end not even time to have a feed disappointing night but got a pile of mail on my return

Friday 10
Finished car but radiator leaked I go in search of another find an old Renault at Mena to collect it tomorrow

Saturday 11
Moved from Mena to Beni Yusef with the 鈥淏lue peril鈥� on tow took Renault radiator off Put radiator on Chrysler running O.K.

Sunday 12
Squadron Leader pleased with his car

Saturday 18
All the boys wished me many happy returns and said that next year I will be Home

Saturday 25
Xmas dinner worst I have had in the army but best time I have had abroad at Xmas

Friday 31
Had dinner at 5.30pm Concert was a huge success over by 10.10pm after that I got really tight so Good night and good shutness to 1943 what a rotten year you have been to the world

7918404 Trooper Walter Law had already served in South Africa. After Egypt and Cyprus he went on the Italy and Austria and didn鈥檛 return home until after the finish of the War in September 1945. He was away from home for over 4 years. In May 1948 Walter and Alice who married in September 1937 had their first and only child, a daughter Ailsa.

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