Click here for entry for Tuesday 10th November – Monday 16th November 1942

Tuesday November 17

Day 591

Showery all day – towards night rained heavy – hardest I have seen for several months.  Change of temperature may kill the flies.  Wrote to Mum.  Played housie then pictures “Parachute Battalion” – plenty of Yankee bull.

Wednesday November 18

Day 592

Received parcel & letter from Mary & Ern (or Erin?).  Showery in morning – watched football match in afternoon between Con. Staff and Greek Instructors.  Pictures at night “Hullabaloo”.  Played Housie – worth over £18 to win.

Thursday November 19

Day 593

Reported for M.I. (medical inspection).  Weather rather cool but fine.  Read most of morning in hut.  Received large mail 18 letters – most of mail correct now.  Pictures at night.  “Trade Winds”.  Again rained heavily during night – should hate to be in tents.

 

Friday November 20

Day 594

Fine but cool morning.  Wind sprang up later rising much sand.  Wrote out airgraph (*see note at bottom of page) – only one allowed for each person.  Began answering mail.  Receive Arthur Park’s parcel.  Began raining heavily at dusk.  Pictures “Eternally Yours”.

Saturday November 21

Day 595

Fine day but blowing hard – continued writing.  Heard news of N.Z in New Caledonia (In November 1942 New Zealand troops began arriving in New Caledonia and then were sent to Guadalcanal, arriving there in August 1943.).  Pictures again “Swanee River”

Sunday November 22

Day 596

Opened birthday cake – wrote letters.  Lovely day – boys bought sack of oranges in from groves.  Pictures at night “The Hurricane”

Monday November 23

Day 597

Dreary day – showery mostly.  Received parcel from Arthur.  Played cards during afternoon then pictures.

The Airgraph was created to provide a faster mail service to British forces in the Middle East and Africa. Before the Airgraph was inaugurated, ordinary letters had to be transported by ship. For a letter to travel from Cairo, Egypt to the United Kingdom took an estimated time of 24 to 30 days. The Airgraph reduced that traveling time in half because the microfilmed letters could travel by air instead of by sea. Approximately 4,500 negatives of microfilmed letters weighed just one pound.

Click here for entry for Tuesday 24th November – Saturday 28th November 1942