1941 - A Year in North Africa, Palestine and Iraq
Extracts from the Diary of Peter Hodkinson, 1941, covering the period from January 1941 to January 1942.
Background - 1941
45 Squadron had returned to the western desert in December 1940 and operated at Fuka and in eastern Libya. In June 1941 the squadron was sent to Palestine for operations against the Vichy French Forces in Syria. From there it moved on to RAF Habbaniyah in Iraq where trouble was expected from the German instigated uprising led by Raschid Ali in Persia but operations were largely restricted to leaflet dropping and demonstration flights. The Squadron returned to Libya in September 1941 and recommenced operations against the Axis until January 1942 when it was withdrawn in preparation for transfer to the Far East where war had broken out against the Japanese.
A few photographs have been added, but only those apparently relating to 1941. Peter's photographic efforts seem to have been in inverse proportion to the extent of the war effort which is not really very surprising.
Dates with hyperlinks connect to a number of footnotes at the end of the document with supporting information and other links.
January 1st to 8th, Fuka, Egypt
January 1st - Squadron raided Bardia, all aircraft returned. Finished servicing the aircraft at 1800hrs. Hope we get somewhere this year.
January 2nd - Very busy day. Aircraft raided Bardia AM & PM. All aircraft returned. Bardia is getting a real pounding at the moment. Roll on the boat.
January 3rd - Early take off again, two aircraft. 81 returned safely but 79 was lost, went down in flames, all lost. Bardia due to fall anytime at all. Wrote to Madge and Jack. Roll on the end of the war.
January 4th - Raids again today. Gave the dog a bath. Big feed of fried tomato and chips. Cooked them myself and felt full for the first time in ages. Off to bed.
January 5th - Early turn this morning. Aircraft took off at 7.30am. Raid on Tobruk. All aircraft returned safely and we prepared them for a night raid on Tobruk which took off at 19.30pm. Back to the tent, made a cup of Oxo and soon dropped off to sleep.
January 6th - No operations today. Squadron stood down. Bardia has fallen and Tobruk is as good as surrounded. Played chess in the evening. No raids tonight.
January 7th - No raids today. Played chess in the evening.
January 8th - Another quiet day. No action of any sort. In the evening told to be ready to move next morning. Myself and three others. Slept in the open.
January 9th to 13th, On the Move
January 9th - We are advancing. Left camp at 7.30am but kept on stopping. Abandoned Italian camps and war material all over the place. Managed to pick up a few souvenirs. Passed hundreds of Italian prisoners making their way back towards Egypt and POW camps. Slept in the open in an old Italian camp.
January 10th - Our forces still advancing and driving the Italians out of Egyptian territory. We passed Sidi Barrani and got on to General Graziana's Victory Road. Mussolini ordered this very rocky road to be built to celebrate his triumphal entry into Egypt at the start of the war and he built a miniature marble arch over the road in the middle of nowhere. We suffered a flat tyre and a busted gear box and had to pass another night asleep under the stars. Still hundreds heading east towards Cairo on foot to become POWs.
January 11th - Still advancing towards Sollum and the border. Made camp at the foot of the escarpment for the night. Walked over to have a look at the abandoned Italian Camp known as Halfway House. Picked up a few souvenirs and found some excellent tins of soup left by the Wops in their haste to get away. We enjoyed it. Made a brew and turned in once more under the stars.
January 12th - Iron rations for breakfast. Wandered round the old Italian camp. Got a few souvenirs and got some fleas on me, in fact we all did. Managed to get an abandoned Moto Guzzi motorbike and an Italian tractor going and kept them as squadron runabouts. We are moving into Libya tomorrow.
January 13th - Moved up Hellfire Pass. Quite a heart stopping experience along a very narrow rocky road consisting of a series of zig-zags with a steep drop on one side. Entered Libya about 2000 hours. Passed Fort Capuzzo. Couple of wrecked CR 42s alongside the road and arrived at Menastir at 2230 hours. Squadron dog kept me company while I slept in the open.
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A handful of photos possibly taken during the advance into Libya in early 1941. Left, fresh from a souvenir hunting trip are three members of 45 Squadron 'C' Flight, from the left, Cpl. R. Anderson, Cpl. P. Hodkinson and LAC J. Starr. Centre, the motley ground crew of 45 Squadron 'C' Flight, at Menastir, near Bardia. Right, three disconsolate Italian prisoners, possibly taken in early 1941. |
January 14th - February 11th, Menastir
January 14th - We are the most advanced Squadron in the Middle East. Woke up soaking from a very heavy dew. Got servicing gear organised. Took the Italian lorry up to the abandoned Italian camp for a look see. A colossal place with dozens of abandoned transports of all sorts and numerous dead Italians. Indescribable evidence of panic. Nearly got lost. Land mines all over the place. Put up some tents.
January 15th - Woke up to find a strong sand storm blowing. Storm lasted all day. Visibility nil. No food or water available. Storm cleared around tea time. Erected the tent which had blown down. Got some water and made some tea and fried some meat roll. Shook the sand out of our blankets and went to kip. Had game of nap. What a day.
January 16th - Up early. Sand everywhere. Everything clogged up after the storm. Worked all day cleaning down the aircraft and servicing. Made more tea after pack up and went to the cookhouse truck to get some bully beef and biscuits. Played nap and won another 90 piastres.
January 17th - Still cleaning down aircraft and servicing until mid-afternoon. Air tests carried out by the crews and all serviceable. Must write to mother.
January 18th - Work at 2.30am. Aircraft took off at 3.30am for a raid on Tobruk. All back safely and refuelled and serviced. Bad dust storm blew up. Got lost, couldn't see an inch in front of my face. Found tent after about eight hours. Sand storm still blowing . Didn't feel too good so got my head down.
January 19th - Woke up to find severe sandstorm still blowing worse than yesterday. No work possible. Couldn't see so stuck it out as best as we could. Cooked our own rations, couldn't find the cookhouse truck. God, what a country ! and climate. Libya for the Libyans. Bed early, pains in the chest, must have lungs half full of sand.
January 20th - Weather better today. Cleared sand away for aircraft and got them tested. Lofty Grant and Bob Harley, a couple of Sergeant Pilots, blew themselves up on a land mine while charging around on a captured motor bike. Bob lost a leg, an eye and some fingers. He was riding pillion. Lofty had an injured leg but will be O.K. I had flown hundreds of miles with Lofty in the old Wellesleys before Mussolini started his capers. Got all aircraft on top line ready for multiple raids on Tobruk tomorrow. Our flight is scheduled to do 22 sorties tomorrow. Busy day ahead.
January 21st - Tobruk bombed constantly all day. It really got a pasting. Someone blew himself up with a Thermos bomb at L.G.81. This whole area is covered in booby traps left by the Wops. Must watch my step. Tired out after a very busy day. No aircraft lost. Moving further into Libya shortly.
January 22nd - More early morning raids against Tobruk. Not much sand blowing about today just for a change. Tobruk surrendered at dusk. We are winning our share of the war anyway. Goodnight all. R.O.T.B.
January 23rd - Busy this morning. New engine fitted to one of the aircraft went duff. Removed three cylinders. Worked all afternoon until dusk. Believe we are moving up towards Benghazi tomorrow.
January 24th - Still working on the duff engine. Sand blowing into everywhere. Advance party leaving today for ? What water we can get is salty and does not make good tea. Game of cards.
January 25th - Andy is going home. Birchall is posted. Only another 12 months and I'll be following Andy. Still working on Blenheim 667 taking the engine to pieces. I'm dying for a spot of home life.
January 26th - Still working on 67. Job getting me down. Finished the pots. Taking the carburettor off. I'll find the trouble before I finish. Cookhouse truck still out of action so we are still cooking our own grub. Some lucky chaps leaving to return to the U.K. Had a few drinks and said farewell to them.
January 27th - Still haven't finished work on 667. Another sand storm blew up after lunch. Work impossible. Packed up. C.O. says no more rations to be cooked in the tent. Not sleeping too well these days.
January 28th - Nearly finished the major job on 667. Had to stop work because another sand storm blew up. These storms are enough to drive anyone round the bend. Nose, eyes and ears get completely clogged with sand and hair gets all matted like rope.
January 29th - Just about finished 667. Advance party leaving today and moving up towards Derna. We'll be on our way any time at all. Libya will soon be ours. Went down to the YMCA truck after work.
January 30th - Got 67 ready for a test flight at last. Another sand storm blew up. Test flight abandoned. Bloody annoying. Borrowed a lorry and went into Bardia on the scrounge. Got some more beans at the YMCA truck. Had a game of cards and went to bed.
January 31st - Sent 67 off on a test flight at last. It returned after a very short flight. Trimmers jammed with sand. Fixed them and 67 took off again. Landed after test with problems on the original duff engine. Another three pots u/s. Down to the YMCA again on the scrounge. Every aircraft in the squadron is unserviceable. Bags of work. Rumours of a move forward tomorrow.
February 1st - Managed to get one serviceable aircraft off on a raid at midday. Returned with no air pressure. Fixed the snag. It is the only serviceable aircraft in the Squadron. Birchall goes home tomorrow. Enjoyed a bottle of stout - a real treat.
February 2nd - Sent aircraft off on a raid. Went looting again in Bardia defences. The Italians had been living in caves and tunnels in the rock. Found some Italian paper currency. Worked in the dark trying to get some aeroplanes working and flyable for raid tomorrow.
February 3rd - Shortage of fuel and oil for the aircraft. Raid took off at 8.30am. Sand blowing up again. Pretty grim. All aircraft returned. Sandstorm didn't develop thank goodness.
February 4th - Rambled around picking up a few more souvenirs. Jim Starr found a couple of Moto Guzzi motor bikes, he is going to make one good one out of the two.
February 5th - Early morning raid on Benghazi. The retreating Italians are just about out of our operational range now. F/L Paine went down in flames over ? May have to go back to base to re-equip. Could be back to Egypt.
February 6th - Woke up to find a severe sandstorm blowing, visibility was about five yards. Managed to find the cookhouse tent and got some rations. Commandeered a lorry and went to YMCA and managed to get some tinned fruit. It's been blowing a gale all day and looks as if it might continue all night.
February 7th - Sand had died down when we awoke - Thank God. I've had more pains in my chest today. We are definitely moving back to Helwan. Not enough room in the Squadron aircraft to transport us all back to base so we went looking for an abandoned Italian lorry or lorries to drive ourselves back to Helwan. Not in running order at the moment but hope to fix it.
February 8th - Went scrounging around the abandoned vehicles for bits and pieces for our lorry and managed to get it going. Last night at Menastir. Aircraft going back to Helwan tomorrow leaving us to get back as best as we can. Looks like rain, rain in the offing.
February 9th - Aircraft left for Helwan at 11am. Our commandeered lorry packed in at 2.00pm. Situation hopeless. God knows how we will get back to base now. The remaining personnel moved into the Flight tent. Rained like hell in late afternoon, floods and mud everywhere.
February 10th - Jim Starr and I up early and off up to the Italian camp to try and get an abandoned vehicle going. Found an old diesel truck last thing. Towed it to the Flight tent and left it in the mud. Went to bed tired and dirty and fed up.
February 11th - Out all day searching for fuel in abandoned lorries. Diesoline is scarce. Managed to collect 100 gallons and some spare tyres for our salvaged vehicle. Tested the lorry, it had to be started with an inertia starter which necessitated a lot of winding to get the inertia up. Loaded everything on to the lorry except the tent which we needed to sleep in.
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Among Peter's spoils of war were this Italian Fascist Association membership card, No. 230786, issued in the Province of Novara. I have been unable to satisfactorily decipher the flowery handwriting on the back although the last name looks suspiciously like Enrico. It was presumably collected during teh period of the Italian retreat in early 1941. Other spoils include an Iron Cross, 'found' on January 3rd, 1942 and a finely crafted aluminium cigarette case made by an Italian POW. Both items are still in the writer's possession. |
February 12th - 14th, Back to Helwan
February 12th - Up at the crack of dawn. Left camp at 8.00am. Reached Sollum at 11.00am and on to Sidi Barrani - Reached there about 3.00pm. On to Mersa Matruh, filled up on the way.
February 13th - Mersa Matruh. Left Mersa Matruh at 09.00, non-stop trip.I was driving at around 1.30pm when the engine stopped, overheating and trouble with two rear tyres. Got going again and reached El Dabaa and on to Amrya and then to Halfway House for a night stop and a bite to eat at 8.00pm. Left at 9.00pm for Cairo and base.
February 14th - On the Move. Reached Cairo at 1.00am, didn't stop. Arrived Helwan at 2.00am. Got some beds organised and slept till 8.00am. Had bath, shave, shampoo and haircut and got organised. Off to bed at 4.00pm. Bone tired and not feeling too good.
February 15th - April 1st, Helwan
February 15th - Up at 7.30am. Got blue uniform cleaned up and went out to Cairo with Andy. Had a good feed and a few drinks then back to camp. Cairo is spoiled these days with too many military about. Roll on the boat.
February 16th - Don't feel too well, headache ever since I got back. Billet inspection tomorrow. Went to sleep this afternoon. Camp cinema this evening. Still feeling a bit under the weather.
February 17th - Inspection O.K. Spent today getting organised and getting the sand out of our equipment. It is a lovely change to be back in Helwan with fresh water and a few comforts after so after all those months on the desert.
February 18th - More equipment cleaning. Kit inspection to make up deficiencies lost up the 'blue'. Cinema again tonight. Roll on the boat.
February 19th - Not a lot of work to do on the aircraft except clean out any remaining sand etc. God knows where we are going next. Wearing blue again. Quite strange.
February 20th - Finished cleaning up. Waiting for our new aircraft now, most of the old ones have now gone. We may be going to Greece. Andy going home shortly. Cinema again. Fed up.
February 21st - Pay day. Went into Cairo for a farewell do with Andy. Got slightly inebriated. We have been pals for a long time.
February 22nd - Work didn't go too well this morning. Glad when pack-up came. Went into Cairo this afternoon and saw film called Sea Hawks, quite good. Met Nick Hunt afterwards in the American bar and had a long natter.
February 23rd - Sunday, lazy day, did nothing except writing a couple of letters. Went to camp cinema this evening then up to the canteen for a beer. Andy's boat cancelled. Bit of a gloom sesh. I'm on leave for seven days from tomorrow.
February 24th - Had a long lie in this morning. Lazed about all day. Played Draughts etc. A pleasant change from life on the Western desert.
February 25th - Did absolutely nothing all day. Soon gets boring though just laying around the place.
February 26th - Played hockey for Helwan against Egyptian Staff College, drew 2-2. Had a good swim afterwards.
February 27th - Woke up this morning stiff all over after my hockey match yesterday. Enjoyed the match though but I am not as fit as I would like. Played S.H.Q. at 'Uckers' (Ludo) in the evening, lost 3-2.
February 28th - Realised the war was still going on, air raid alarms all day but no aircraft overhead. Played billiards against S.H.Q. - Drew 4 games to four.
March 1st - C.O.'s inspection this morning, cancelled at the last minute. Big incoming draft on 3rd or 4th. Camp will be pretty crowded and conditions can only deteriorate.
March 2nd - Last day of leave, not sorry actually, get fed up laying around the place doing nothing. Be glad to get back to work. Church parade today.
March 3rd - No work No aircraft - Boring.
March 4th to 8th - Very slack time - awaiting new aircraft
March 9th - Very tired today after guard duty last night. Slept all morning
March 10th - No action of any sort. Cinema is full every night. Shafto must be making a fortune and some of the films are rubbish.
March 11th - Andy definitely going home. Soon be my turn. Roll on the boat.
March 12th - Free cigarette issue every Wednesday. Lousy fags though, come from India I believe. Some have weevils in them.
March 13th - Andy has gone home. I feel lost now he has gone. Hope he gets home safely.
March 14th - Nothing to report except boredom.
March 15th - Bit of a celebration, Flt Commander leaving us. Good bloke.
March 16th - No mail from home - Hope all is O. K. be some action soon
March 17th - Flight definitely being broken up. We will be moving shortly
March 18th & 19th - Waiting for something to happen. Free fag issue. Made a couple of crib boards to use with dominoes.
March 20th - I am definitely moving to Workshops on maintenance. Flights very busy with the new aircraft. Lots of work to be done on them.
March 21st - Pay day. Panic all over the place, new tents arrived. Cinema tonight, saw Charles Laughton in Vessel of Wrath. Air raid alarm.
March 22nd - Inspection of camp by the C.O. Everything O.K. Going to Greece on our next move. Don't fancy it.
March 23rd - Believe we are going to Salonika of all places, no one knows for sure. Hope we are not, it's too near the Yugoslav border for my liking.
March 24th - Busy packing up and camouflaging tents and vehicles. Still no definite gen. on where we are going.
March 25th - Yugoslavia has surrendered. It will be grim in Greece.
March 26th - Yugoslavia has the courage of her own convictions, King Paul and supporters have been thrown out and they are resisting the invasion of the Nazis. Could be the beginning of the end for the Krauts.
March 27th - Bad news from England, received a 'Sorry John' letter from girl friend. Feel a bit bitter but life goes on and I am one of many. Just have to forget.
March 28th- Orderly Corporal today. Feeling pretty miserable, had a few drinks. Sorted out a Palestinian who annoyed me.
March 29th - Should have set off for Greece today. Cancelled. Given 12 hours notice. Bed early.
March 30th - No more news of the move. Went to a matinee in Cairo and saw William Powell and Myrna Loy in Another Thin Man, jolly good film. Had a good meal and back to camp.
March 31st - Three year tour overseas has just come into force, reduced from five years. Road party leaves tomorrow morning, we leave tomorrow night.
April 1st - A day of waiting. Lounged around and had a few drinks in the canteen after dinner. Nearly missed the train at 10. 45pm. Lost all my blanket roll off the train.
April 2nd - April 5th, Amiriya
April 2nd - Arrived at Amiriya transit camp at 10.00am. Waiting for the boat to Greece. Living in tents - grim. Ran out of cash.
April 3rd - Transport left for the Docks at 6.00pm. Still no news about us going. No money, no fags, fed up. Cup of tea at Australian canteen and then off to bed in the tent.
April 4th - Up fairly early and off down to the station for a wash. Hung around all day waiting for news. Got some money so went to Australian canteen for a pint. Germans advancing in Cyrenaica. Looks grim.
April 5th - Woke up to find we are not going to Greece after all, due to the German advance. We are going back up the 'Blue' to Tobruk. I went by road. Left at midday. Got to Quasaba at 10.00pm. Cookhouse truck made some tea and we slept by the roadside in the open.
April 6th - April 9th, On the Move
April 6th - Managed to get a bite to eat before leaving about 8.00am. Reached Sidi Barrani at 2.00pm. Had a rest and filled up the vehicles, we carried our own fuel. Pressed on up Mussolini's Victory Avenue to Sollum. Road is nothing but a rocky track Slept the night on Sollum airfield.
April 7th - Woke up covered in sand and freezing. Terrible windstorm raging. Managed to get a bite to eat and then on our way. Went through Bardia and on to El Gubbi, near Tobruk. Warned to expect a land attack by the Jerries so we cleared out back to Gambit for the night.
April 8th - Gambut. Another lousy night's sleep in the open came to an end at last. Tobruk getting heavily bombed. We are moving back to Quasaba. Reached Sollum by 3.00pm, short stop and a swim to wash some of the sand off and out of our various orifices. Off again in retreat down the Victory road to Sidi Barrani. Reached there at 5.00pm. Had a good sleep. I was dead tired.
April 9th - Managed a mug of tea and left Sidi Barrani at 8.00am for Quasaba. Ran into a severe sandstorm by the time we reached Mersa Matruh. Pushed on to Quasaba. Reached it by evening. Got a spot of food and our tent up. Spent a night under cover for a change.
April 10th - April 13th, Quasaba
April 10th - Got our camp and workshops organised. News of moving again back to Fuka. Germans still advancing. Outlook bad. Got myself some planks organised for a bed.
April 11th - No 6 Squadron captured by the Jerries. Three of our generals also captured. El Adem has fallen to the enemy. Some of our aircraft shot up but returned to base O.K. Tobruk bombed five times and El Gubbi twice. What a day !
April 12th - Most of Squadron moving back to Fuka. Workshops stayed behind to finish an inspection which we finished by tiffin time. Managed a bit of grub and got our heads down after packing up ready to move.
April 13th - Up early. Struck tent and loaded it. Moved off at 7.00am. Reached Fuka by 8.00am just in time for breakfast. Got well organised. Much better than last time. Minor sandstorm blowing. Do they ever stop?
April 14th - Engine to be changed on one of the aircraft. I got the job. Well on with it by pack up. Tired out by dark, went back to tent. Mug of tea and a couple of hard tack biscuits and got my head down.
April 15th - Up at 6.00am. Got engine ready to come out by 11.00am. Waiting for crane. Old engine out and new one in by 4.00pm. Put in an hour tea. Heavy raiding round Sollum. Squadron on raids all day.
April 18th - Yugoslavia surrendered. Plenty of sand blowing about. Managed suppers every night.
April 19th - Squadron carrying out raids every day. Five Savoia SM79s landed after escaping from Yugoslavia. Took off again later in the day.
April 20th - Sixty German tanks have broken through at Sollum. Things looking grim.
April 21st - Bit of excitement. Tent nearly caught fire. Some idiot put paraffin in the pan and tried to boil it. Managed to extinguish or we would have had to sleep in the open. No spare tents.
April 22nd to 27th - Almost routine with Squadron carrying out many raids on German armoured units. Lots of servicing to do and repairs.
April 28th - Germans marching through Athens. Bags of panic. No bono panico ! The jerries have got us on the run.
April 29th and 30th and 1st May - Started to pack up equipment etc. We are retiring to the Delta area. Continued to pack odds and ends and ate up our stocks of grub which we had gathered here and there. Rumours that Turkey has been invaded by the Germans.
May 2nd - Left Fuka early in the morning - Only got as far as Amrya - Stopped there all night - Wangled a few beers, a rare commodity lately. Thought about going into Alexandria.
May 3rd - Fuka Left Amrya early and arrived Quasaba (Halfway House) about midday - Pitched tents - Boy was it warm !
May 4th - Moved tent again to other side of the road. Sand very soft, had some trouble with the tent pegs, several u/s.
May 5th to May 24th - Set up workshops. Got stores organised. Loads of rectification and routine servicing on the cards. Church parade on l1th, Australian Padre, very dry sermon. Hoping for a weekend off in Cairo in a fortnights time - We'll see. Voluntary Church parade on 18th. Didn't go, too much work. Sundays are like all other weekdays, just work, work and more work. Big canteen tent erected, an improvement. Week to go to my weekend break Keeping my fingers crossed finally managed to get rid of our problem aeroplane, X5588. Some days very hot and sticky.
May 25th - Horrible windstorm today. Sand was so thick that it was impossible to see.
May 26th - Still very busy at work. Fighter aircraft landed. Required urgent rectification. Worked all afternoon. Anyone reading these extracts from my diary probably will think that working in the afternoon was nothing out of the ordinary routine but working hours were six in the morning to 1.00pm during the hot season so afternoon was overtime.
May 27th - Finished work on the fighter. Air tested and O.K. Afternoon off. Had a good wash and a sleep.
May 28th - Soon be my weekend break No work in. Easy day
May 29th - Collected my weekend pass from the Orderly room. Checked my uniform and shoes. Borrowed a small suitcase to put my kit in.
May 30th - Pay parade at 9.30am. Left for Cairo by road at 11.30am and arrived in Cairo at 2.00pm. Staying at Toc H. Booked seats for the cinema.
May 31st - Cairo. Laid in for a while. Up and had a lovely shower, what luxury. Saw "Gone with the Wind", a four hour show. Had a few drinks after the show.
June 1st - Cairo. Very warm today. Cairo is always sticky in the summer. Went out for a few iced lagers. Couldn't get those on the "Blue". Left Kasr-El-Nil at 7.45pm. Stopped at the Pyramids for a cold beer. Back in camp just after midnight.
June 2nd - Crete has fallen. Tired out, fit for nothing. Glad to pack up. Did some swotting for Fitt.1. Not a lot of hope of passing this time too stiff.
June 3rd - Squadron is back at base after operations up in the forward area. Rumours of re-equipment. God knows what with.
June 4th - Ground tested the fighter aircraft. Engine trouble. Worked all afternoon. Extremely warm.
June 5th - Rectified the faults with the fighter aircraft. Air tested and O. K. Had a few drinks in the canteen.
June 6th - No early work. Lay in. Not feeling too good. Early to bed after dinner.
June 7th - One of our power charging engines packed up. Dismantled it and found it all chewed up inside. Ordered new parts but doubt if we'll get them. Big air raid on Alexandria.
June 8th - Sunday, Church parade. Terribly warm today with loads of flies all over the place. Full moon tonight, could be on the receiving end of a raid by the Jerries.
June 9th, 10th and 11th - Routine maintenance and work on the aeroplanes. Plenty of rumours about moving. Did quite a bit of swatting for Fitt. 1. Got rid of some spare kit into store.
June 12th - Spent the morning with the M. T. people getting all the Gen on transport management ready for Fitt.1 exams. Pretty difficult starting from scratch. Very warm again.
June 13th - Pay day. Drew #1 short. Lorry over turned on the desert road. Still swatting for Fitt.1. Relaxed in the evening in the canteen.
June 14th - Swatting all morning. Bags of Gen. Chiefy organised a lorry and we went swimming at Dekhela. Barrage balloons over Alexandria. Constant stream of refugees fleeing from the German advance coming down the desert road towards Cairo.
June 15th to 20th - Church parade. Still a lot of duff gen flying about, otherwise a quiet week. Assembled Stuart Turner Poer engine for dispatch. Possible move back to Helwan ? Big dinner in Canteen in the evening of 20th. Been here too long and getting fed up.
June 21st - Told to be ready to move off to Palestine at 9.30am tomorrow. Got most of my kit packed. Moved off to Cairo
June 22nd - On the Move Left Cairo at 3. 30pm. Arrived Kantara 6.00pm. Left Kantara at 1.30am. Goodbye Egypt. Paid 10 piaster for a bottle of beer.
June 23rd - June 30th, Ramleh, Palestine
June 23rd - On the Move Arrived Ramleh, Palestine 2.30pm. Brought back many memories of the weekly mail run in the old Wellesleys from Helwan to Ramleh via Heliopolis, all fitters took it in turn to fly there during the more peaceful days of 1938 and early 1939. Living in tents, not too bad. No money. Can't go out.
June 24th - Still hanging around. Went swimming in the Camp pool. Not bad but water rather dirty.
June 25th - Still hanging around waiting for orders. Fag issue.
June 26th - Went down to Tel-a-Viv this afternoon swimming. Lovely, stayed for the evening. Had some lovely iced lager and corn on the cob. Sat on the Prom eating them.
June 27th - Got paid. Went to Tel-a-Viv again.
June 28th - Big Jewish holiday. In Tel-a-Viv again, spent the day swimming and sunbathing. Strolled around the town during the evening. Crowds of people for the Festival. Got my legs sunburnt. Bit painful.
June 29th - Stayed in camp. Still waiting to find out where we are going. Sunburn very painful here and there. Played cards and went to the cinema.
June 30th - Moved down to Aquir this afternoon. Met lots of old pals. We all had a bit of a booze up in the canteen.
July 1st - August 3rd, Aquir, Palestine
July 1st - Palestine Not at all well. Bad stomach pains and sweat rash. Went to bed early feeling sorry for myself.
July 2nd - Sleeping in a big hangar on orange boxes. One man got bitten by a centipede and is quite ill. 30* inspection in, loads of snags. Had to work all afternoon.
July 3rd - Should hear from Andy any time at all. Worked all day. Its damned hot, here much more humid than Egypt.
July 4th - The food here is lousy. Finished the Inspection and pushed the aircraft our for ground runs. Unserviceable with petrol trouble. Will fix it tomorrow.
July 5th - Managed to rectify the petrol leak. Aircraft serviceable. Inspection of pay books. Rigged up a new mosquito net. Wrote to Madge and Jack.
July 6th - Day off. Did a spot of letter writing this morning. Wrote home and to Bessie. Sorry I can't get to see her but maybe later on.
July 7th - Started work at 5.30am. Bit of a bind. Tired out by breakfast time. Worked all morning. Hot as hell, 120°f in the shade.
July 8th - Lousy cold coming on. Coughing like blazes. Played cards in the afternoon. Got my head down early to try and sleep my cold off. Temperature 118°f.
July 9th - Boat Gen. Hope to get home early next year. Boats going pretty regularly. All sorts of rumours going round the Squadron.
July 10th - Fed up. Sweating like hell all the time. This is a lousy country. Temperature 125°f. I feel half dead as do most of us. My cold terrible today. I feel half dead.
July 11th - Pay day next week. Cold still grim. It is cold at nights now. No work in. Fed up.
July 12th - Cold a lot better thanks to Germolatum. No work. Iran cutting up a bit rough. Cinema tonight. Feeling a lot better.
July 13th - Same old routine. Still busy, very, very hot. Can't sleep in the afternoons. Can't read or write, just lay and sweat.
July 14th - Lots of sand blowing about. Tent is full of it. Fed up with living in tents. Cinema tonight, James Cagney. Sweating like blazes.
July 15th to 31st - Two week gap. No idea why. Never will know but there can't have been anything very important happening. Bit of a stalemate.
August 1st - Squadron moving to Iraq. Habbaniya, near Baghdad. Starting to pack
August 2nd - Moving off tomorrow. Some journey across to Habbaniya by road or I should say by desert tracks. Estimated time 6 days. Ready and raring to go. Rachid Ali, the Iraq rebel, with German backing and some military assistance has been bombarding and shelling the camp and has done some damage according to reports. We are the reinforcements.
August 3rd - Left Aquir in convoy. Destination Habbaniyah. I was travelling on the mobile crane taking turns driving it. We left Aquir at 12.30pm and arrived at Haifa at 5.30pm. Camped down for the night in some olive groves. Lots of prickly cactus about with loads of thorns.
August 4th - August 8th, On the Move
August 4th - On our way at 6.00am from Haifa. Along the Jordan valley beside the Dead sea. Stopped at the Palestine/Transjordan frontier, 1600ft below sea level. Very, very warm. Steep climb up out from the Dead sea. I recall on the way up we passed a sign which read "Sea Level". The climb was too much for the old crane and we had failure of a big end and had to be towed into Mafraq where we spent the night.
August 5th - Convoy left Mafraq at 6.00am. Left the crane behind. Travelling in the back of an open lorry now. Didn't see a thing all the way to our next stop at H.G.4, an Iraq Petroleum pumping station. There was water available so we managed a shower before kipping down for the night under the stars.
August 6th - Travelled from H3 to H4. Still nothing but sand and extremely hot with sand blowing into all the trucks so we got covered. Most unpleasant. Another night under the stars.
August 7th - H3 to LG5, an emergency RAF landing ground. Getting hotter by the day. Desolate spot. Wouldn't care to be stationed here.
August 8th - On the Move LG5 to Habbaniyah, passed Rutbah Wells. Arrived at 1.00pm. Stinking hot. Living in tents with millions of ants and swarms of sandflies. Very pleasant. !!!!!
August 9th - September 15th, Habbaniya
August 9th - Passed an uncomfortable night. Bull frogs croaking all night. They infest the irrigation ditches. The camp lies between the R. Tigris and the R. Euphrates and it's like living in an oven at this time of the year. Temp 125°f. Pay day. Unloaded lorries. 125°f in the shade.
August 10th - Got hangar organised to get Aircraft under cover, they are too hot to work on in the open. Trouble with fuel leaks because the extreme heat is causing the fibre joints in the fuel lines to fail. Managed a swim in the camp pool in the evening.
August 11th - Work starts at 5.00am, we have to start early while its still comparatively cool so that we can work on the aircraft. Pack up at midday. Frogs are a bloody nuisance. We found that they don't like fuel being poured into the irrigation ditches and then set alight, it shuts them up for a while.
August 12th - Income tax came into force, being stopped twenty two shillings a fortnight.
August 13th - Quiet day. Managed another swim. Went to open air cinema. War situation quiet just now. No raids on the camp at the moment.
August 14th - 30 star inspection in today. Rachid Ali and his German allies certainly did a lot of damage shelling the camp from their position up on the escarpment. Big hole in the canteen roof. No enemy action today.
August 15th - Pay day again. First income tax deducted, 10/-. Fed up
August 16th - Letter from home and one from Bessie. Pity I'm not in Egypt now, I could have had an evening out with her in Alexandria. She is working in a hospital there. Might be a chance later.
August 17th to August 24th - A very quiet week. Wrote letters and laid around the place. Trouble brewing in Iran. No news of any action yet. Squadron raided Teheran with leaflets.
August 25th - Black out in force. Hostilities commenced.
August 26th - Squadron carried out bombing raids in support of our advancing troops in Iran.
August 27th - Think I've got a dose of sand fly fever. Feel absolutely terrible. Every bone in my body aches. Lots of chaps down with the same fever. Got a terrible headache and took a large dose of Aspros.
August 28th - Woke up drenched in sweat from the fever. No better today. Stayed in bed. Temperature 117°f.
August 29th - Hostilities against Iran ceased. Perhaps we can get out of this bloody country now. Still feeling lousy.
August 30th - Managed to stagger to work. Eyes aching terribly, feel completely washed out.- Had a look at a Me110 which had been shot down during raids on the camp. It had been shot through the oil tank and had forced landed on the airfield. The tank had been repaired and the aircraft had been flown by a British pilot. The German pilot had been taken prisoner.
August 31st - More work in today. We have to start very early before the aircraft become too hot to touch. They were definitely hot enough to fry an egg on. Bought new pen and some laces from the canteen. Feeling a lot better today.
September 1st - Extremely hot again, in fact it is stinking hot every day here in Iraq. All sorts of rumours about repatriation. Hope to hear some news about my going home. Pictures tonight and then bed.
September 2nd - Work at 5.30am. Weather grim, bit of a sandstorm. No news of moving. Still got a cough and slight cold - 116°f.
September 3rd - Had to work in the heat of the afternoon because lots of aircraft are u/s. Bags of panic. We are doing too much non-operational flying
September 4th - Managed to rectify Blenheim - 24. Then another inspection came in. Wrote home. Slept this afternoon. Sweating something terrible. No pictures tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
September 5th & 6th - Couple of quiet days comparatively. No more news on a move yet. Went to camp cinema.
September 7th - Had to work today. Sunday. Finished inspection. Fed up.
September 8th - Squadron stood down today. Still very hot, 122°f. No cinema, just went to bed and sweated.
September 9th - Four inspections in after a mass flight over Baghdad. Got to finish these inspections by l1th because we are moving shortly. Not sure yet where to.
September 10th - Working all day today to finish the inspections. A very long and tiring day. Very hard work. Tired out and fed up.
September 11th - Managed to finish off the inspections. Worked a while p.m. No cinema again. Our only relaxation in the evenings.
September 12th - Pay day. Packing up, we are moving on Monday back to Egypt. A bit of a bind but it is nearer home.
September 10th - Lost two shirts and one pair of shorts in the hangar. Chased locals who were cleaning up the floor after we had packed. Never found the clothing
September 14th - Lay in. All ready and packed for leaving tomorrow at 8.00am. Shan't be sorry to see the back of Iraq.
September 15th - On the Move. Left Habbaniya at 8.00am by road retracing our steps back to Egypt. Arrived Landing Ground (LG. 5) at about 4.00pm. Half road and half track. Slept in the open.
September 16th - September 25th, On the Move
September 16th - Up early. Left LG. 5 at 6.00am. Arrived H. 3 at around 1. 00pm. Sandy dusty track all the way. Covered in sand. Fed up
September 17th - Left H. 3 early. Travelled about forty miles on a rough road which was better than just sand and pressed on to H. 4. Managed a wash and some decent grub. Good night. Sleeping rough again.
September 18th - Left H.4 at 6.00am on a track. Crossed into Transjordan, and pressed on to Mafraq. Arrived there about 3.00pm. Sleeping rough again. Managed to buy some chocolate.
September 19th - Early departure from Mafraq. Crossed the Jordan valley. Passed through Jenin and on to Lydda and RAF Ramleh airfield. Nice to get back on to a proper RAF station and a bit of comfort and civilization with a canteen. Made the most of it.
September 20th - Ramleh to Aljuz in the Sinai desert. Sand, sand and more sand, a very boring journey and uncomfortable travelling. Roll on the Boat !
September 21st - Another uninteresting ride across the Sinai desert - saw nothing. Stopped about 40 miles from the Suez canal. Had to wait for the swing bridge to be opened tomorrow to cross the canal.
September 22nd - Crossed the Suez canal and on to Ismailia. Filled up at RAF camp. Lots of sand being blown about at Ismailia. Moved on down the desert road to Mena in the shadow of the Pyramids. Slept in the open again.
September 23rd - On the way up the Western desert again. Mena to Burg-El-Arab. Just about had enough of travelling in the back of a lorry and getting sand blasted all day. Slept under the stars again. Tired out.
September 24th - Burg-El-Arab to Fuka satellite. Back to one of our old stamping grounds. Grim conditions. Stuck up a tent and got organised.
September 25th - December 1st, Fuka Satellite
September 25th - My birthday today, 25 years old. Spent the day digging in because Jerry is liable to visit us with some high explosive ere long. Moon is coming up. Not a birthday to remember.
September 26th - Finished digging the hole for our tent and moved the tent over it. Quite comfortable.- No pay until next week, still there's nothing to spend it on.
September 27th - Squadron aircraft arrived today. They brought some mail. Heard from Bessie, hope I can get to see her. I'll have to think of an excuse to go to 103 M.U. at Aboukir. We are really organised now.
September 28th - Loads of inspections to do as well as rectification. It's about time I got some promotion. Fed up.
September 29th - Routine day. No enemy action yet but it won't be long. Managed to get down to the mobile canteen this evening. Bought some tinned milk, biscuits, Oxo and matches. Made out an application for posting home and made enquiries about promotion prospects.
September 30th - Things still quiet, feel off colour today. Had a cup of Oxo this morning, felt a bit better, tea and biscuits then bed.
October 1st to 20th - Things were very quiet over this period. Rumours of promotion. I'll believe it when it happens. Jerry paid us a visit on the 7th and dropped a stick of bombs across the camp but missed everything, mind you the tents and aircraft are pretty well dispersed to minimise damage from such a hit and run raid. Another visit from the Krauts on the 9th at 4.30am on the 9th. Some bombs hit 'B' flight disposal area but no casualties. Bomb hit our empty fuel tins and sent them sky high. Made a hell of a racket coming down. Very busy at work. Carburettor to be changed on one aircraft so we had to work overtime on it. Nearly had a major accident today with a lorry hitting a large bomb crater. 10th, A red letter day. Promotion to Sergeant came through about time. Effective from lst September.
October 21st - Flew down to Aboukir, 103 M.U, with the unserviceable carburettor to get it serviced in the workshops where they have the necessary gear. Checked the aircraft was ready for the return flight to Fuka. Pressed my K.D. Got tidied up. Went to Sgts. Mess for a few drinks and to bed in a comfortable bed for a change.
October 22nd - Aboukir. Up early. Had a good breakfast. Arranged the rectification on the carburettor. Went into Alexandria and brooked rooms in a hotel and had a good bath and clean up. Rang Bessie at 8.30pm and to bed.
October 23rd - Alexandria. Went up to the Camp to get some pay then back into Alexandria. Met Jock Turnbull and we sat in a bodega drinking pints of English draught beer. Hundreds of matelots all over the town.
October 24th - Alexandria. Met Bessie at 9.30am. We had a meal and wandered and talked. A very pleasant change and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We went to the cinema in the evening with Bessie in the evening and saw her off at 9.00pm and then back to Aboukir.
October 25th - Aboukir. No chance of getting a lift by air back to Fuka so collected repaired carburettor and went back to Alexandria to try to arrange a life by road back to base. Spent the night at Mustapha Barracks overnight and went to a dance and then to a decent bad for a while.
October 26th - On the Move. Arranged a lift back to Fuka complete with Carburettor. Vehicle broke down and we had to go into Amrya for repairs. Arrived back at Fuka Satellite at 18.30hrs. Tired out.
October 27th, 28th and 29th - Back in the blasted desert. I wonder for how long before we move again. Could do with some action soon.
October 30th - Bad sandstorm today. We were raided again last night. Shook me up a bit. I've had enough of this bloody desert !
October 31st - Pay cancelled. No money. Mess meeting tonight. Back to the tent, the Huns are overhead again. Sandstorm still blowing.
November 1st - Still a lot of sand blowing about. Flew down to L.G.53 to repair a Blenheim which had engine trouble. Repaired by changing plugs. We were going to fly back to base in the repaired aircraft. We crashed on take off, engine cut almost as soon as we were airborne and we crashed back to earth. Aircraft caught fire. The three of us got out O.K. but kite was burnt out. Frightened me out of my wits. No radio so we had to wait until the squadron came looking for us. A lorry eventually came for us after we were located from the air so we had a very dusty and rough ride to return to base. A day to remember.
November 2nd - A fairly uneventful day. No enemy action. No beer in the canteen tent. Posted Xmas aerographs.
November 3rd - Busy today. Bags of work. '85 crashed on the strip today. No one hurt. We got a pasting from the Jerries and we had to get '85 off the strip with the Krauts around making a nuisance of themselves in the air. Managed it but we were somewhat scared.
November 4th - Rumours of a move out into the desert this time away from the coastal strip. Things looking grim.
November 5th - Guy Fawkes Night. Hope we won't get any fireworks from Jerry tonight. Managed to get hold of a couple of bottles of beer and then off to sleep.
November 6th - Fairly quiet day. More strong rumours of a move very shortly up towards the Front. Full moon.
November 7th - What a day. Everything went wrong. Several aircraft u/s all over the place. British back in Sollum. Things look black. Full moon again. Don't like it and Jerry was round again but no casualties.
November 8th - Nothing of any importance happened today, made a change.
November 9th - Working over at 'B' flight all day. Aircraft in a terrible state. Managed to get some of them airworthy. No word from home for a while.
November 10th - Orderly Sgt today. Jerry came over at lunchtime letting off some ammunition. Blinking nerve he had. Cheeky as hell. I expect the fighters got him.
November 11th - We had a few visitors last night from the Third Reich. Bombed pretty heavily. The whole area was lit up like Blackpool with hundreds of incendiaries. They still didn't do a lot of damage. No casualties
November 12th - No more information on going home. Got most of the problems on the aircraft sorted out and serviceable. Some real potatoes today from the cookhouse. What a lovely change after months on sweet potatoes or yams as some call them. No more visits from the jerries.
November 13th - Got a real pasting again last night, loads of incendiaries and some high explosive bombs. Getting a bit monotonous these frequent visits from the Luftwaffe. Got myself a new pair of shoes from the stores tent. Not a lot of work in.
November 14th - No pay today. No money arrived from Base. Just about clear of work for the moment until the next operations. Attempting the Fitt.1 course but can't really get down to swatting in a bloody tent in a sandstorm! Not much hope of passing the exam.
November 15th - Free French Squadron pitched up near us and dug themselves in. A couple of us wandered over to their set up in the evening. They are well organised and have dug themselves an underground Mess and unlike us they have a huge supply of wine and spirits. They invited us to stay and we had a very merry evening. It took me ages to find my tent after we left them because it was so dark. Never mind we enjoyed it.
November 16th - Some pay arrived. Very welcome. Left my back pay in accounts for when I go home, getting quite a bit in there now.
November 17th, 18th & 19th - A couple of bomb free days and nights. Nice. Getting ready to move to a new patch of desert tomorrow.
November 20th - New camp-site is quite a way from our old one and it is a grim place. Moved over this morning. Plenty of sand flying about and very cold at night now.
November 21st - Sorted out our equipment, fetched a few odds and ends from the old camp site. Mersa Matruh got a heavy bombing raid last night.
November 22nd - Frightening rumours of German paratroopers in the area. Cold as charity last night again. Thoroughly fed up with this war. Paddy Dwyer on the boat. Should be my turn any day now. Germans being driven back in Libya.
November 23rd - Usual routine. Two replacement aircraft arrived from 51 RSU. They are in a pretty grim state.
November 24th - Sad day today, we lost the C.O. and 3 Sgt Pilots on a cloud cover raid on Tobruk. Cloud cover ran out. Made another application for posting to Home Establishment.
November 25th - My application for posting is going forward to H.Q.M.E. Fingers crossed.
November 26th - The adjutant is trying to clamp down on my application. He is a damned nuisance. I'll have to apply to see the C.O. I've done my whack out here.
November 27th - The C.O. has turned down my application. I suppose I'll get home sometime. No action on the front to speak of except air raids.
November 28th - Just under a month to Xmas. Pay day today. Had a few drinks last night to drown my sorrows.
November 29th - Spot of air activity over our old patch of desert last night. They caught a packet. Our forces are advancing and pushing the Jerries out of Libya. We hope they don't come back.
November 30th - No news. God knows when I'll be going home. Supper of steak and kidney pie and lamb and peas, all out of tins. It rained like hell during the night, no raids.
December 1st - I've been put in charge of the Operational Training Unit aircraft at Base Landing ground - Be a change - Just about full moon again.
December 2nd - 8th, Base Landing Ground
December 2nd - Three kites were flying in formation. One was forced down at Mersa Matruh. Ran out of fuel.
December 3rd - Extremely cold these nights. Bad crash at L.G.75, 3 Killed. The aircraft collided head on with a Free French aircraft while taking off. Germans proving pretty obstinate and are hard to shift.
December 4th - Swire Pillow posted to the Canal Zone. Jammy Blighter. I'll never get off this squadron. No change in the situation up at the front.
December 5th - No change in the deadlock situation at the sharp end, frozen stiff today. Up at the crack of dawn to get the aircraft off to L.G.75 They are operating from there to avoid the attentions of the Krauts if possible.
December 6th - Terrific sand storm blew all day and into the night. Virtually blinded with sand. Situation very grim.
December 7th - The Germans are on the run. We are sending five kites up to L.G. 75 to help in the big push. Benghazi by Xmas we hope and then on to Dakar.
December 8th - Hanging around all day. No activity. Very boring. Jerries still running away westwards as fast as they can.
December 9th - On the Move I have been moved from Workshops to 'B' flight - Loads and loads of work there - Still that's life - Fell out with Chiefy Butterfield he is i/c 'B' flight.
December 9th - 15th, On the Move
December 10th - Moving up to the front tomorrow. Just on the Egyptian side of the border at Sollum. Plenty of activity up there I should imagine.
December 11th - Left for L.G.75 at 8.45am. Stopped at Sidi Inish for supplies on the way. Air raids last night. Jerries strafed the rail head and then bombed L.G. 76.
December 12th - Messed around all day. Bombed last night. No damage. War going nicely.
December 13th - Moving today. Left camp at 15.30pm. Parked in the open desert on the Div. Axis route. Very very cold sleeping in the open on the desert. Sounds of action at the railhead
December 14th - Moved off at 8.00am. Headed by compass for Sidi Omar. Arrived at 4.30am. Parked for the night just inside the border wire. Still very cold overnight.
December 15th - Libya. Left camp at 8.00am for Sidi Rezegh. Scene of a big tank battle lots of disabled tanks and dead bodies lying around. Left Sidi Rezegh at 2.30pm. Arrived El Adem 3.45pm. Parked off the airfield and slept under the escarpment in the open under our vehicles. Very cold.
December 16th - Moved into El Adem at 9.00am. Unpacked some kit and then hung around for developments - Packed up again and went up the escarpment to do a spot of looting - Found some good pairs of socks.
December 17th - Back on the aerodrome again. Went into Tobruk to pick up some rations for the Squadron. Refuelled the vehicle and had a look at the war cemetery. On returning to El Adem received the news that we are moving back to Gambut.
December 18th - Moved off at 10.00am for Gambut. Got there at lunchtime. Very dusty with wind blowing all over the place. Put up our tent. Bombs all over the place. Hope the Jerries don't pay us a visit tonight because we are surrounded by abandoned ammunition and bombs.
December 19th - January 3rd, 1942, Gambut
December 19th - Aircraft off on operations. Went into Tobruk for bulk petrol from a dump. Went and had a look at an abandoned German camp down on the beach. Picked up lots of clothing and a few souvenirs. Another sandstorm brewing up. Had a look at the town of Tobruk, the harbour is full of sunken ships and bomb damage is severe, a scene of desolation. One of the fuel dumps blew up last night.
December 20th - Visited an abandoned German camp to pick up a load of planks etc Two lorry loads. Also picked up a load of nails. Bad sandstorm blowing again. Couldn't see ten yards. Tent blew down. Happy days.
December 21st - Four of us got weaving and put up a shack to sleep in. Covered the roof with pukka roofing felt which we had acquired. Moved in at tea time and made ourselves comfortable. Tobruk getting bombed regularly by the Jerries.
December 22nd - Operations again. Rumours of a move up to Benina further into Libya and near Benghazi. Went souvenir hunting again.
December 23rd - Not much doing today. Worked on the roof of our shack which had leaked during a rain storm.
December 24th - Christmas Eve. Just like any other day. Bomb Disposal Team blew themselves up whilst trying to disarm some German bombs. Their task was a thankless one. I was only talking to the Sgt i/c the team the previous day and I recall him saying that he had no real future to look forward while he was doing this job. Apparently they were German electrically detonated bombs and very difficult to disarm. I was just thinking what a sad Xmas for the team's families when they got the news. Bully beef stew for dinner tonight. Looks as if Xmas dinner is a non starter this year. Managed to get hold of half a bottle of rum to celebrate with although what we are celebrating I'm not sure.
December 25th - Christmas day. No news of our promised Xmas dinner arriving today. I expect the vehicle from Base has been attacked by the enemy. They are always shooting up transport on the desert road. Went down to the flight tent for a few drinks after a Christmas dinner of bully beef stew. Got rather merry. Two letters from home.
December 26th - Terrible windstorm blew all day. Couldn't see anything. Eased down late afternoon. What a Christmas. Never mind I should be in Blighty for the next one with a bit of luck.
December 27th - Rained like hell today. Mud everywhere. Squadron convoy due in tomorrow. I bet they have had a grim time of it.
December 28th - Raiding Bardia all day today. Raids taking off every twenty minutes Jerries getting a real pasting and it will do them good. Rest of the squadron arrived. Sorry looking lot of devils. Snowy Milford mucked in with us tonight, he'll get organised tomorrow.
December 29th - Got the workshops organised. Raids on Bardia continued all day. New moon tonight.
December 3oth - No early turn today. Bardia and Sollum still holding out. The army hopes to take them tomorrow. Pay again today. Still in debt at Base accounts.
December 31st - Up at 5.40 getting the aircraft ready for all day raids on Bardia. There won't be much of that place left soon. Jack Eades and Jock Turnbull have got notification of their home postings. We are to move back to Wadi Natrun with a possibility of going east to Singapore. Japs are looking menacing.
January 1st, 1942 - Raiding Bardia again all day today. It's a tough nut to crack. Our move cancelled temporarily. Rained like hell all day.
January 2nd - Wonderful rainbow by moonlight last night. Bardia has fallen and Sollum as well. Advance party moving back today to Wadi Natrun. Raining like blazes on and off all day today. We move back tomorrow. Might even get back to Helwan.
January 3rd - Rained all last. Mud everywhere. Some of us went into Bardia after the army had cleared the jerries out to get a few souvenirs. I found an Iron Cross and got myself a Luger revolver and ammunition.
Footnotes:
Postscript to the 3rd January: Håkan Gustavsson's web site detailing the Italian fighter pilot, Maresciallo Mario Veronesi, a pilot, since October 1940 with 84a Squadriglia, 10o Gruppo, 4o Stormo CT in Cirenaica, and flying Fiat CR42s recounts this particular incident from the Italian perspective: 'On 3 January 1941 Veronesi claimed two Blenheims destroyed. These were probably two Blenheims from 45 Squadron, which were out to attack Gazala. The duo was attacked at about 07:50 by a lone CR.42, which shot down one of them into the sea. The returning crew reported that the enemy was a "most persistent and first class pilot". The lost Blenheim was L8479 and the crew of Flying Officer Peter James Bingham Griffiths (RAF No. 41016), Sergeant A. C. Todhunter and 19-year-old Sergeant Colin Blackshaw (RAF No. 612284), were all killed in action. Veronesi returned claiming that he had shot down two in flames, seeing one crash into the sea. His Fiat was slightly damaged by return fire.' It is evident from Peter's diary that L8481 actually returned to base.
Postscript to January 18th. In C. G. Jefford's Flying Camels, page 150, Peter writes of the sandstorms at Menastir, 'Our flight had a marquee to live in and McKillop, in search of something to eat, left the tent during a storm. He was, of course, quite unable to see where he was going and got completely lost. Eventually he decided to stop wandering about and stay put where he was until the storm blew itself out. A truck found him sitting at the side of the desert road, still clutching his mug and 'irons', and gave him a lift back to camp. I remember that on another occasion I was working on a mercury engine. I was trying to fit new pistons and already had the 'pots' off when the storm blew up - the crankcase just filled up with sand. As far as I can recall we had to abandon the aircraft.'
Postscript to February 20th. The new aircraft Peter is referring to are the Blenheim Mk. IVs which were replacing the older Blenheim Mk. Is that the squadron had used since they had replaced the Wellesleys in 1939.
Postscript to April 19th. The distinctive tri-motor Savoia Marchetti SM 79 was one of Italy's largest bombers and would have doubtless caused a stir on their arrival at Fuka. Ironically, Peter was to become very familiar with this marque in the early 1950s on secondment to the Lebanese Air Force which was still operating them.
Postscript to July 10th. Håkan Gustavsson's web site notes that 'At 10.25 on 10 July seven Tomahawks took off to cover a dozen Blenheims of 45 Squadron which were to attack an ammunition dump near Hamana, just south of Beirut. Five minutes later M-167Fs 6B-1, 7B-2 and 6B-2 took off from Madjaloun to bomb vehicles in the Khalde region, covered by five D.520s of Escadrille 1AC. The Blenheims arrived over their target, which was hit repeatedly, many large explosions being seen. However, the French naval fighter pilots, who identified the British bombers as 15 Marylands, also saw these. The French fighters at once attacked the Blenheims from head-on and below. In moments three Blenheims were shot down, a fourth so badly damaged that it crash-landed on return, and six others damaged to a lesser extent. Looking down on the craggy, scrub-covered terrain, the Australians failed to spot this attack until the stricken Blenheims were falling, but they then dived to the attack, claiming all five French fighters shot down. These were credited, two to Flying Officer Turnbull, and one each to Flying Officer J. F. Jackson, Pilot Officer Lane and Sergeant Hiller. It is notoriously difficult to judge results in a diving attack such as this, and French losses were nowhere near as severe as believed. Premier Maître Ancyon was shot down at once, critically wounded (he would die a few days later). Premier Maître Goffeny was pursued by a Tomahawk, but believed that his pursuer had crashed into a mountain whilst trying to follow his evasive manoeuvres. However, his own aircraft, No 75, had been set on fire and he baled out of it over the Bekaa Valley. Returning with only slight wounds, he claimed, and was credited with, the aircraft, which he believed he had caused to crash. In fact the Australians suffered no such loss. These were the only losses suffered by the French, the other three pilots returning to claim four bombers shot down, two by Ensigne de Vaisseau Du Merle, one by Premier Maître Benezet, and one which Lieutenant de Vaisseau Pirel had shared with Goffeny, before the latter's engagement with the Tomahawk. Blenheim losses included V5967, from which Flight Sergeant Wilton-Jones baled out to become a prisoner. The other two members of his crew were lost when Sergeant Wimhurst was killed during the attack and Sergeant Lowe's parachute failed to open. The full crews of Sergeant Hardy (V6433) and Sergeant Cawthen (V5926) were lost. T2049 was the aircraft, which crash-landed. All the missing crews were recent arrivals from the UK.' Not a good day for 45 Squadron.
Postscript to November 1st. In Graham Warner's The Bristol Blenheim - A Complete History, the event is recorded as "V5435 45 Squadron Mk IV: tyre burst on take-off at LG53, swung, u/c failed, destroyed by fire; no injuries to crew P/O R. Brown, F/O J. Wright, and Sgt Jenkins. This is slightly at odds with Peter's recollection of events. C.G. Jefford gives a good account on p.175 of The Flying Camels.
Postscript to November 22nd. Dave Gray's web site, detailing the history of 3 Squadron of the RAAF notes the following for that day: 'On 22/11/41 at 0945 twelve 3 Squadron Tomahawks escorted six 45 Squadron Blenheims to bomb the Acroma-El Adem road and met 109s; Oberleutnant Hugo Schneider and Hauptmann Karl-Wolfgang Redlich of I/JG 27 shot down three Tomahawk llBs: Eric Lane in AM378, John Saunders in AN416 and Malcolm Watson in AK510.')
