´óÏó´«Ã½

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.

1944
Friday 1st back across the river in old gun position Jerry had the old one taped very quite day..

Saturday 2nd a very quite night slept minus any trousers for the first time, our tanks went out on a 5 mile rece supported by our artillery from where we are we can see our shells bursting on Jerry and his bursting near our artillery guns , there was also plenty of ack ack fire at our planes…

Sunday 3rd nothing at all today some post arrived..

Monday 4th another quite day a few of our planes flew over also some rain…..

Tuesday 5th a very cold morning also fairly quite..

Wednesday 6th another quite day a few shells flying about none our way for a change, moved back to Beja 30 miles back reason unknown..

Thursday 7th arrived new place travelled all night no sleep, but a very quite day, very nice not having any shells whizzing around…

Friday 8th nothing to write about eggs more plentiful got a couple of chickens from the Arabs…

Saturday 9th another cold day still no action , had chicken for tea, the Arabs come selling eggs, they think we are millionaires they ask 5 francs but we knock them down a bit….

Sunday 10th more rain still no action makes a welcome change …

Monday 11th a bit better today guns in action in the afternoon had FFI in morning nothing to report, rain in evening….

Tuesday 12th not a bad morning the guns open up on two meshasmits in the afternoon, thunderstorm in the night the rain was terrific ….

Wednesday 13th raining pretty hard today nothing doing…

Thursday 14th weather quite good but cold , had some mail, the boys had a bit of fun with the Arab overseer of the farm he pinched some dinner so they fired some blanks at him which made him run…

Friday 15th weather about the same no more action , the boys get the old Arab to dance for a cigarette which makes a good laugh….

Saturday 16th still cold and showery have just heard that some of our third party are missing some of the boats got sunk, about 8 survivors out of fifty……

Sunday 17th jan lovely day today had a bath in the morning and did some washing , saw a plane crash in the hills do not know yet what it was, quite a lot of Jerry planes over in the morning…

Monday 18th another lovely day a bit foggy at this time , had a game of football, the plane that crashed yesterday was a messasmit …

Tuesday 19th another lovely day, had a identification parade in the morning for one Arab was found with an army great coat he said he bought it from one of our lads he picked out two fellows so nothing came of it,,, he got a good bashing from the Arab chief of police….

Wednesday 20th another lovely day a bit misty but cleared ,had the colonel round no complaints…..

Thursday 21st not a bad day a bit foggy in the morning nothing to report..

Friday 22nd a very hot and quite day..

Saturday 23rd another hot day 25 fortresses came over in the morning and five messasmit attacked them right above our position saw rear gunners in the fortresses open fire it was lovely to watch our guns opened up on one messasmit as it came back , do not know if any are down . heard that Tripoli was in our hands….

Sunday 24th not so hot today heard some Bombers during the night think some bombs dropped about Souk E.L .Kherist nothing else to report…..

Monday 25th colder today a lot of shelling in the distance think most of it is ours, one or two fire in the night, rain in the evening…

Tuesday 26th a nice morning showers in the afternoon…..

Wednesday 27th a very cold day rain all day on and off….

Thursday 28th nothing to write about weather a bit better….

Friday 29th a lovely day some fortresses, Marauders, and Lightning’s, over this morning coming back home some FW and messasmit on there tails saw one FW come very low smoking a lot and heard the crash, one lightning dropped spare petrol tank not far from site , got a bit of a fright seeing it come down……

Saturday 30th another hot day plenty of air activity mostly ours ,26 Fortresses ,23 Lightning’s, some more Marauders coming back + FW+ messasmit attacked good watching the fight no loss to us…..

Sunday 31st another lovely day plenty of air activity saw some FW attack lightning’s but found they were more than they could handle so streaked of for home….

Monday February 1st another lovely day , had a bath did some washing , some of our aircraft flew over…

Tuesday 2nd another lovely day guns opened up on 6 messasmit some good shooting nothing else to report…

Wednesday 3rd not so good today very windy quite day for us ….

Thursday 4th a bit better today no action , one or two FW and Fortresses flying very high could see there smoke trails , moving back to Meagy EL Bob, arrived just before midnight lorries parked in cactus copse…

Friday 5th not a very good morning but brightened up , two FW in distance Bofer boys opened up on them which woke me up from my afternoon nap, rain in the evening….

Saturday 6th a bit better this morning cloudy but the sun is warm, no action yet today there have been some FW about but to far from us..

Sunday 7th very cold morning but warm during day fairly quite…

Monday 8th another cold morning but getting warmer , plenty of artillery fire during last night…

Tuesday 9th weather OK ,shelling still going on but we are back out of range so that is OK , some action FW….

Wednesday 10th a cold day plenty of planes about but very high…..

Thursday 11th a very wet and cold day nothing doing……

Friday 12th wet and cold again some planes came over and some action , shelling still
going on …..

Saturday 13th fairly dry so far nothing to report….

Sunday 14th very windy but sunny , relieved one of the boys of the gun while he went for a bath, and had a bit of action, moved back to the south of Meagy about seven miles…..

Monday 15th arrived at new place up in the hills only the Northants no mans land between us and Jerry…..

Tuesday 16th a very cold day not much action…….

Wednesday 17th left this morning for new position at Testour and arrived only a few yards from Arab village should have some fun , moved again to new position nearer town…

Thursday 18th a very cold day we are away from the guns , have our own rations very nice…..

Friday 19th very cold and wet thunder storms evening and night …….

Saturday 20th a bit better today but very quite…..

Sunday 21st a bit better today no action , have just heard Alexander has taken over , Jerry broke through yanks again , moved again four miles down the road…

Monday 22nd a lovely day also plenty of action ,post arrived ….

Tuesday 23rd not to bad a bit of action , artillery fire near us..

Wednesday 24th very stormy day nothing to report….

Thursday 25th nice in the morning few planes over fairly quite , bulk rations…

Friday 26th some action today Jerry broke through , action stations all day . my job is op . patrol supposed to be cut off 500 dead + prisoners makes a change to eat bread, thunder storm ….

Saturday 27th plenty of action during last night , two messasmit came over early still in op , 4 STUKA raids just over the hills behind us messasmit dive bombed the bridge down the road , 2 Stukas shot down thunder storm…

Sunday 28th foggy morning sunny afternoon pretty quite , just heard Jerry made 4 attacks mostly held , one still a bit dangerous ….

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.