Click here to read entry for Saturday 3rd January – Sunday 11th January 1942

Monday January 12th

282nd Day

Catching up with my mail.  Received parcels & papers.  Much warmer here than up the Blue.

Tuesday January 13th

283rd Day  (note – he looks like he misnumbered some dates so I’ll continue with his corrected number on the next entry)

Continued writing.  Wrote letters of thanks to Patriotic & People of Lyttelton.  Pictures at night.  “Man of Steel“(?).

Wednesday January 14th

283rd Day

Paraded crook (NZ slang for unwell) with flu.  Another day E.D. (excused duty)  Took rifle to pieces cleaning all parts.  Boys reaching(?) much hard training(?).

Thursday January 15th

284th Day

Started parade.  Hard sand storm blew  up while on routine march.  Afternoon parade cancelled.  Saw Deanna Durbin in “Spring Parade”.

Friday January 16th

285th Day

Terrible sand storm still blowing.  Tent absolutely full of dust.  Invasion manoeuvres cancelled on account of high wind.  Maoris marooned off Arabian side of canal.

Saturday January 17th

286th Day

Storm eased down for a while then started harder than ever.  Artillery din(?) ____ in morning.  Received late Oct & early November airmail.  Wrote during afternoon and evening.

Sunday January 18th

287th Day

Church parade.  Rest of day free.  Did a little washing then slept.

Monday January 19th

288th Day

Invasion manoeuvres.  Reveille at 1AM.  Marched to HMS Stack(?), boarded ALC and crossed to Arabia for dawn attack.  Air Force machine-gunned targets in conjunction with maneuver after our 3 mortars openned up.  Arrived back in Kibrit at 10AM for breakfast then day free. Believe we are shifting camp three miles further on tomorrow to allow 4th brigade to occupy our area.  Pictures at night “The Great Plane Mystery”.

Click here to read entry for Tuesday 20th January – Saturday 24th January 1942