Grandad’s WWII Diary – Tuesday December 9th – Saturday December 13th 1941

Click here for diary entry for Monday December 1st – Monday December 8th 1941

Tuesday December 9th

248th day

Revielle at 2AM.  Marched 10 miles to meet R.M.T (Reserve Mechanical Transport) convoy coming from Tobruk.  Embussed at 8.30AM.  Travelled 25 miles across desert and down escarpment to main road.  Sure know how to make road wonderfully paved.  Many enemy tanks, transport, gear scattered along side of road.  Travelled until dusk camping in Tobruk Garrison, believe making for Tobruk.

Wednesday December 10th

249th day

Made our perimeter larger.  ??? most of morning.  Visited Jerry camp.  Piles of food – lugers & glasses (binoculars) stopped from taking any.  Brought back 40 gallons of cognac, 2 cases of soda water.  Boys had great time.  Believe cognac was a ??? fuel as afterwards ran motor cycle well at with it also cook used it in burner.

Thursday December 11th

250th day

Embussed at 2.30AM.  Travelled along road around perimeter of Tobruk.  11.30AM ??? Jerry troop carriers fly very low over our convoy.  Think they mistook us for their own.  One crashed within 100 yards of me.  Two more in distance.  Our fighters go most of rest.  Their artillery opened up during afternoon.  Libyans carrying food away from camps(?) – heat they have never seen.  Stayed night, about 10 miles south of ??? but near coast.

Friday December 12th

251st day

Again advanced.  Jerry moving back to positions on escarpment – shelled when about 4 miles away.  Dug in.  Enemy drone on our right between us & sea.  ??? or more damaged planes left there.  Gazala aerodrome.   Plenty of air activity.  2 crashed ???.  20 ??? bombers with escorts raided Tobruk.  Passed overhead.  Tobruk put up terrific ack-ack barrage.  Very cold night, no blankets or coat.

Saturday December 13th

252nd day

Prepared to move but stayed.  He answered our artillery with more than we gave him.  ME109s ??? overhead all morning.  Plenty of ack-ack.  Heavy artillery fire from both sides.  20 Jerry planes fly over but continued on without dropping anything.

Click here to read entry for Sunday December 14th – Thursday December 18th 1941