Click here for entry for Wednesday 11th February – Monday 16th February 1942

Tuesday February 17th

317th Day

Stand to 6-7.15A.  Dug doing weapon pits.  El Adem drome evacuating back towards border.  Position must be becoming serious up near Gazala.  Rather dull day – few spots of rain.  Enemy planes over at noon – far too high for our ack-ack.  Section on guard during night.

Wednesday February 18th

318th Day

Another digging weapon pits & crawl trenches.  Rained hard during afternoon.  Spread half tent over pit – got in awful mess with the mud.  Planes flying back to El Adem drone – but do not stay there during night.  Rained over night.

Thursday February 19th

319th Day

Terrible hard & cold wind blowing – freezing.  Did very little work but crawled in hole out of wind & read.  Planes leaving drome at sunset.  ??? ??? squadron.  Rained at night.

Friday February 20th

320th Day

Bitterly cold first thing in the morning.  Dug my hole bigger and sandbagged at top but did not use it again as J Shanks* & myself found a frame & lorry cover and erected it.  Made lovely shelter – plenty of room for two.  Had best nights sleep since arriving back in Libya. * There is a J Shanks listed in the Centotaph Database – not sure if its the same person

Saturday February 21st

321st Day

Beautiful sunny day – best since arriving.  Continued on weapon pits but ground too hard & rocky to pitch – believe getting compressor to drill & blast tomorrow.  Several flights of Huns planes over – ack-ack opened up but Jerry keeping well up.  Big raid on Tobruk at noon.  Sky just peppered with ack-ack explosions, sends up terrific barrage – can hear bombs & artillery explosion throughout day.  Six stukas down over Tobruk.

Click here for entry for Sunday 22nd February – Thursday 26th February 1942