Click here for entry for Tuesday 14th July (cont.) – Saturday 18th July 1942

Sunday July 19th

Day 469

Jerry bombers getting troublesome – sending over too many at once – sometimes over sixty bombers supported by fighters but they are most concentrating on artillery & armour.  Would rather experience bombing than strafing (attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons) by fighters.  At night out on patrol after some of his big guns.  Just our platoon – left at 11PM and walked 3000 yards – crept up nearer could hear them talking to one another.  Crawling up nearer and came across a company of 26th Battalion – nearly a battle between them and us – however we rearranged one another and things were sweet (NZ slang for good).  On information from their engineers with us, would not go in – guns too well protected.  Returned to lines without firing a shot.

Monday July 20th

Day 470

D Company of our Battalion sent back to Maadi – C Company who had been ???.O.B came up.  More bombing.  Our fighters shot down 5 Stukas and ack-ack 2.  Heat is terrific – swarms of flies arising out from No Man’s Land.

Tuesday July 21st

Day 471

Usual shelling – continued stream of our planes flying over-head.  Free day from bombing, although shelled heavily at dusk.  Indians & 6th Brigade attacked at night.  Heavy barrage put up by our artillery and “Long ???”.  Shelling carried on through night – little sleep – watch our bombing bursting on Jerry.

Wednesday July 22nd

Day 472

Battery of artillery immediately in rear – getting full blast – Jerry ranged on guns in afternoon so shifted positions at night.

Thursday July 23rd

Day 473

Heavy attacks by Stukas & Junkers on our tanks.  Again shifted positions into old Iti positions.  Artillery dual carried on during night.

Friday July 24th

Day 474

Flies are awful.  Unable to eat anything during daytime.  Aussies again attacked at night supported by our artillery & machine guns.

The following extract from World War 2 Timelines website in order to put the above into perspective.  

http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-the-desert/war-in-the-desert-index-1942.htm

20/07/1942	Mussolini temporarily abandons his ‘Victory March on Cairo’ and returns to Rome.
22/07/1942	Auchinleck musters 323 tanks against Rommel’s 92 in the second battle of ‘Kidney’ Ridge, but loses 131 tanks and 2,600 men.
23/07/1942	Fierce fighting continues along the El Alamein front.

Click here for entry for Saturday 25th July – Saturday 1st August 1942