Click here for diary entry for Tuesday December 9th – Saturday December 13th 1941

Sunday December 14th

253rd Day

Answered our fire. 40 Stukas (Stuka was a two-man German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft) dive bombers, 30 ??? ??? over head. Then made off to over Maoris & Poles on our left flank.  Hell was left loose for ??? ??? ???.  5 Stukas brought down, also 4 unknown planes.  Dog fight between Hurricane & ME109F (Luftwaffe Messerschmitt).   Mess. far superior in speed – Hurricane escaped by flying low over our lines.  Tomahawk machine gunned over lines during afternoon.  Rained most of night – bitterly cold.

Monday December 15h

254th Day

Blowing hard – straight off Med. Sea.  Terrible sand storm sprang up.  Visibility low.  Artillery fire otherwise quiet.  At night heavy barrage by Jerry on Maoris & Poles.

Tuesday December 16th

255th Day

Unknown planes over at day break.  Artillery fire deafening. Shells being lobed all around us.  Found some barrels of water near drome – first decent wash for 6 weeks.  Poles & Maoris seem to be getting hell.  Listening post at night – went 500 yards into No Man’s Land.  Heavy bombing at Tobruk, otherwise quiet.

Wednesday December 17th

256th Day

Div ??? went on patrol.  Enemy had moved back.  Shifted camp & followed on.  Passed many wrecked lorries & dumps but unfortunately did not stop near any.  Poles closing in on left flank.  Travelled 10 miles then retired there and stopped at Gazala Flat.   Many Jerry & Iti dead laying around.  Much petrol & stores found.

Thursday December 18th

257th Day

Climbed steep road onto escarpment.  Hundreds of Iti prisoners marching in.  Poles not capturing any Germans.  Headed in southerly direction.  Camped by well but unfit to drink.  Great flights of own planes passing over 70 to 80 at a time.  Enemy planes over at night.  Raided Tobruk.  Ack-ack  looked wonderful on dark night – like many coloured ??? shooting skywards.  Hear that we might be going back to Egypt on account of heavy casulties suffered on other battalions.  Would like to see further up in Libya.

Click here to read entry for Friday December 19th – Thursday December 25th 1941