ARMSTRONG, Harry George Montgomery - 274904, WX401

Sgt Harry George Montgomery Armstrong
Conflict	World War 2
Service Arm	Citizen Military Force; Australian Imperial Force
Unit	28th Battalion; 2/11th Infantry Battalion
Service No.	274904, WX401
Service Arm	Army
Date of Birth	21 Jan 1913
Birthplace	York, WA
Residence	West Perth, WA; Moora, WA
Date of Death	10 Jan 1992
Relatives	Father - ARMSTRONG, Henry George - 1136, 4298; Mother - Alice Jane Hubble; Brother - ARMSTRONG, William Thomas Montgomery - W32826, WX29483; Brother - ARMSTRONG, Frederick Henry Montgomery - W9651, WX32619; Brother - ARMSTRONG, Horace William Hammond - W244039, WX10534; Brother - ARMSTRONG, Maurice Edgar Montgomery - 274552, W50536, WX27609; Brother - ARMSTRONG, Ronald Hammond Montgomery

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Harry's biography has extracts from his diary and letters that can be read in full below.

Harry served in the 28th Battalion, a militia unit, before World War 2.

Harry enlisted in the 2/11th Infantry Battalion in 1939. These are his attestation and casualty documents and a report that he gave when he was rescued from the POW camp.

The 2/11th Infantry Battalion arrived in Palestine on the 18th May, 1940 and continued training in the desert. They fought in Libya, Greece and Crete.

Allan Harrison on extreme right; Western Desert 1939
Jerusalem Palestine
Jerusalem Palestine
Jerusalm War Cemetery 31 May 1940
Jerusalm War Cemetery 31 May 1940
Beth Sahour 8 May 1940
Beth Sahour 8 May 1940
Church of Nativity Bethlehem 8 May 1940
No 8 Platoon at War Cemetery Palestine 21 May 1940
No 8 Platoon at War Cemetery Palestine 21 May 1940
1500 cwt Morris trucks at MP Barracks in Jerusalem 1940
Ramola 1 Jun 1940
Ramola 1 Jun 1940
Ship - Alexandria 1940
Palestine, a camel sale in Gaza 10 Jul 1940
Palestine, a camel sale in Gaza 10 Jul 1940
Beit Lahia, Palestine 1940
Beit Lahia, Palestine 1940
Harry and Arab camel patrol - Beersheba 12 Aug 1940
Harry and Arab camel patrol - Beersheba 12 Aug 1940
Beit Jirja 16 Aug 1940
Beersheba 2 Sep 1940 - a few of my gang and Harry's son, Ron's, godfathers
Beersheba 2 Sep 1940
Iraq-A- Manshiya - Hebron Hills 3 Sep 1940
No 6 Sect 8 Platoon - Hebron Hills 4 Sep 1940
No 6 Sect 8 Platoon - Hebron Hills 4 Sep 1940
File of men in Hebron Hills 4 Sep 1940
File of men in Hebron Hills 4 Sep 1940
Flying the flag patrols 1940
Flying the flag patrols 1940
Golden Gate ouside looking from Mt Olives. Hills are terraced
Hebron Hills 4 Sep 1940
Al-Falya 5 Sep 1940
Al-Falya 5 Sep 1940
Sulphur works 8 Sep 1940
Haifa 10 Sep 1940
Haifa 10 Sep 1940
Hebron Hills 17 Sep 1940 (Harry's son, Ron's, godfathers).jpg

Hebron Hills 17 Sep 1940 (Harry's son, Ron's, godfathers)
Hebron Hills 17 Sep 1940
Abdah Hebron Hills 18 Sep 1940
Abdah Hebron Hills 18 Sep 1940
Basilica of Agony, Gethsemane
Palestine 1940
Bishop Riley sermon - Palestine 10 Nov 1940
Bishop Riley sermon - Palestine 10 Nov 1940
8 Dec 1940
8 Dec 1940
Egypt, An ill assorted team. As long as an animal can pull a load he is OK 10 Dec 1940
Mosque of Omar Jerusalem Palestine Dec 1940
Mosque of Omar Jerusalem Palestine Dec 1940
Steed of the desert. Top of escarpment Solum - pretty little port 1 Jan 1941
Steed of the desert. Top of escarpment Solum - pretty little port 1 Jan 1941
Crashe Italian SR42 - Bardia Fort 1941
Derna Bay Libya 1941
Broadmeadows
How far is Italy?
Libya 1941
Italian Breda machine guns
Italian heavies Lybia 1941
Italians in Lybia 1941
Libyan natives on boundaries of Magrum 4 Feb 1941
Mosque of Al Aqsa
Mosque of Al Aqsa
Mosque of Amor
Mosque of Amor
Mosque of El Aksa
The wailing wall - west
The wailing wall - west
Tipper Ellingham 2-8 RAE NSW Vic, Jack McGuire 2-2 RAE Vic, Mike leonard 2-8 RAE Vic, Vince Nash 2-1 RAE NSW
Wallet sent by Harry to brother Bill
Wallet sent by Harry to brother Bill

Harry was captured on 30th May, 1941 and marched to various POW camps. While Harry was in the POW camps he would write to his sister, Mollie. She would type them out and distribute them to his brothers. These are copies of some of those letters.

Harry spent time in the Salonika Camps, Stalag 13C, Oflag 111C and Stalag 383. These photos and cards were sent home during these 4 years as a POW.

Don Knowles
Sgt JC Webb
WE Andrews
WE Andrews
2/11th Infantry Battalion
2/11th Infantry Battalion
2/11th at Gaza Ridge 1940 -Given to me by Don & Joe. Oflag IIIC Hohenfals 20 Apr 1943
cookhouse Hohenfals Stalag 383
cookhouse No. 1 - 5 spud boilers right of cooks - Oflag 111C 1943
Bavaria Jan 1944
entrance to Stalag 383 Hohenfals - Hell on the day we pass out of these - Nov 1943
Clink or bunker outside wire. Weekend, weekly or monthly boarders catered for. Stalag 383 Hohenfals Dec 1943
Anzac committe dinner Hohenfals 2 Jul 1944
Anzac committe dinner Hohenfals 2 Jul 1944
Barbed Wire Stalag 383
Barbed Wire Stalag 383
Brooke Moore 5th AGH Hohenfals Stalag 383 1944
dinner given for old diggers to 1 in 10 of present day Anzacz - Hohenfals 2 Jul 1944
dinner given for old diggers to 1 in 10 of present day Anzacz - Hohenfals 2 Jul 1944
Kriegsgefangenenlager 20 Nov 1944
Kriegsgefangenenlager 20 Nov 1944

Harry wrote this long letter to his brothers in installments from the time he left Germany on the 25th May, 1945 until he finally arrived home in Perth on 24th June, 1945.

In August 1955 the Weekend Mail ran a series of articles about Harry Armstrong under the heading of The Man With Nine Lives.

Harry kept a diary while overseas and this is one of his books. He begins in December 1940 and ends in June 1945.

14th December, 1940 - Standing by (Amiriya) Bit J.D. training with Pl. Night compass stunt.
15th December - Standing by. Church parade. All gear ready. Talk by C.O. Colonel Louch on move.
16th December - Standing by. Cold. Waiting boats to clear coast mines and enemy ships. British wonderful successes in desert.
17th December - Cold night. Standing by in uniform all of time. Everything ready. I mounted Bn guard. Called off 0100 hrs. Not sorry only the tent roof no walls and a bitter cold desert wind. Racing around everything keyed up. Mags loaded full kit ammo.
18th December - Are we never going? Standing by. Early lunch. Marched down to B.H.Q. to get into 2/8 trucks. All ready. Last minute nothing doing, talk about disgust. Terribly cold. Mr Allnutt my Pl. Commander not going, has bad feet, (tinea). Norm Nisbit will act as Pl Commdr self Pl. Sgt.
19th December - Standing by. Left camp 0900 hrs. Whole Bn. into Alexandria 25 mls and all dumped into huge sheds at wharf. Lunch and waiting to be shipped to the longer for areas. Over through 0100 hrs. return to camp. Gee we were fed up. Bitterly cold and fearfully dusty.
20th December - Very cold. Medical inspection. Standing by. Don Knowles hurt shoulder. Short letter from Cyril Bussham with one of Molly's enclosed.
21st December - Very cold. Standing by. Ron Trim back from Base in place of Todd Sloan. Today to be our Xmas, expect to be up line by 25th. Bn. secured green peas and lamb 3 bottles beer each man out of funds. Good feed each Pl. gathered in one tent in its area, crowded but what matter.
22nd December - Standing by. Route march. Lectured Pl. on concealment and camouflage.
23rd December - Standing by. Church parade among olive grove near B.H.Q. They appear to be an experiment, not doing too good. Letter from Hazel and another with photos of her and little Ron. They are lovely. Letter from Mother all well at home.
24th December - 4 mile route march. Standing by. Inspected planes on aerodrome, one enormous old fashioned Wellington as well. Night compass stunt. These are unpopular with the lads but I am sure they are excellent training and I enjoy them.
25th December - Xmas Day 1940. Church service among stunted olives, very good too, wonder where we will have another, all eager to be into action, hounds were never more fresh! A 2 mile cross country race to an oasis over the railway (compulsory) found practically 800 starters. Coy. with most in first 100, 3 cases of beer. 1st 48 home a bottle each. Self in 22nd. "Popeye" Hull (H.Q. Coy) won. H.Q. most in first 100 A Coy. 3rd. Another Xmas dinner. (gave my bottle beer to 49th man in, Arthur Price.) Lamb and green peas again. Parcel from Comforts Fund. Cake from Hazel. Mother, Fred and Dora, lovely parcels. Julie a tin butterscotch, must remember this.
26th December - Wrote Hazel. Received 2 letters. One Dossie with Canteen order and one from good ole Jeff Fowler, don't think he will ever forget me. No, not conceit only a friendship which is mutual. I often think of my Wongan friends and relatives. Must visit them on my return. Photos of little nephews Ron & Ken in Dossie's letter. Will carry them in my wallet always, guess they will be big lads when next I see them. Called on Parade & took Picquet into Alex. Rough time. Truck bogged in sand coming back. 2200 hrs.
27th December - Bren cleaning. Fine dust gets everywhere. Route march. Leave party. Wrote to family. Photos of self from Cairo. Parcel from Mrs and Beno Benson, Kitchener Medal. They are good to me. Letter from Jeff. Night stunt.
28th December - L/Cpls. Moody and McLennan on Court Martial. Treen also, damage in Alex. Route march. Sent photos home air mail 320 miles and parcel for little Ron.
29th December - Standing by. March and compass night stunt./ Hazel's and Bill's parcels arrived. Gee I'm being fed for the kill.
30th December - Standing by. Convoy of trucks down to shift us. Weather frightfully dusty and windy. Five drivers camped in Norm's Don's and my tent with us.
31st December - Up 0430 early breakfast, left 0700 hrs. Huge convoy 2/11-2/4 & 2/8 Bns. 25 miles long. Up through Sidi--Anneish & Mersa Metruh, camped 10 miles West of Mersa. Covered 200 miles that day, all a little tired but glad to be moving. Dug in slit trenches for sleep. Ground rock under dust. Italian planes over during night but all quiet. (Jack Reeves just compelling me to eat some Red X chocolate biscuits) Bed time

BARDIA LIBYA, 1st January 1941
1st January 1941 - News Years Day over. Turned out 0430. Cup tea and iron rations, on road 0530. Fearfully dusty and rough. Road shelled and bombed to pieces, through Sollum Sidi Barrani, Fort Capuzzo. Finally camped five miles Bardia side of Capuzzo. Artillery and air action terrific. Very, very little left of towns, blown to smithereens.
2nd January - Rested all day, five miles from Bardia. Arty. shelling Bardia day and night, night the flashes from Navy action and our arty. is brilliant. Darkness. Moved up five miles & around S.E. of B. 7 miles. Flank cover. Bitterly cold, ice in water bottles.
3rd January - At 0530 one would think the world was coming to an end, air & ground bombardment terrific Flying onions (long strings of Pom-poms aimed at our planes) and hanging flares all helping the fantastic scene, 0630 slackened off and our attack commenced. 16 Bte. taking main role that day 1-2-3. 5-6-7. 9-10-11 Bns. We were left sitting holding the flank that day & felt very sore. Lying in our shallow bomb slits with only a few howling around us now and again. Am writing diary as it goes on. Now 0930 still bedlam, machine guns stuttering guns roaring. Gee, why are we sitting here? 2nd. Field Coy. trying to bridge tank trap for our tanks and carriers. Bardia proving a tough nut. So throughout the day it carried on.
4th January - 0100 hrs. trucks picked us up at Fort Capuzzo, escorted and guarded 10,000 prisoners taken by 16th and 17th Btns. yesterday. They are in a bad way - cold, hungry and thirsty. All day watering them. Back to Coy. area. Pulled out after snack and marched 15 miles between 1930 and 0130.
5th January - Bardia, first taste of battle. Company exhausted, lay down 0130 bitterly cold did shift as guard and all on move 0430 (Captain Horley had taken the wrong route) Marched 6 miles finally met up with remainder of Bns. Believe Colonel Louch drummed the Bull severely. (He deserved it) Few iron biscuits and a drop of rum. Moved into attack behind five big I. tanks. They are marvellous monsters to see them lumbering forward belching their 3 lb shells and machine guns stuttering, helps a great deal. Barrage terrific. One instinctively tilts his hat down over the eyes, at one stage it looked as though our Coy was done, were advancing into a wall of exploding shells but our Arty. got onto that Ding battery and just silenced them in time. As the day drew on it grew hotter and hotter, sweat poured off us, our people overloaded us with ammo and gear. Fired few shots, several casualties, these Dings like long range work and come out hands up when we rush in. Finished mopping up with isolated machine gun posts in evening. About 48,000 prisoners. Frightful country to fight over - up and down steep rocky wadies.

TOBRUK, LIBYA, 6th January 1941
6th January - Dug in and holding, little bombing. Cold night. Salvaging arms and ammo. Equipment and transports terrific. Country rough stony and cliffs, should never have driven them out. Up til now 90,000 prisoners since offensive commenced.
7th January - Out 0500 hrs. Packed gear moved off 0700 for Tobruk 80 miles. Italians have built beautiful highway, but shelled badly 65 miles on road and swung off 15 miles to flank. Dug in 6 miles forward defences. Arty. up and shelling. Bombing. Moved up another 2 miles under cover of darkness and dug in again.
8th January - 0100 hrs. I took out fighting patrol 1000 x across 1000 x down 1000 x linked up with B. Coy. Trying to sleep all day, shelling and bombing pretty ceaseless. Letters, 1st for 2 weeks. Hazel, Mother's, Elsie and card from Aunty Blanche. Cable from Mother, Xmas. Shifted our line forward another 2.1/8 miles. I took out fighting patrol, saw or heard nothing unusual. D. Coy. lost 2 lads on patrol through booby traps, 2 from shell fire. Pl. of Don met a patrol, had several more casualties. Shelling and bombing intense.
9th January - 0130 took out two man patrol. Pat Moody and Corporal McLennan, met enemy machine gun fire and had to crawl out with difficult, country so open and flat. Their heavies are ranging on us and we have to keep down. Going to be tough. Having shelling each night. Cold night, wrote short notes to Curlie and family.
10th January - Took out fighting patrol, hear or saw nothing unusual bar the staccato crack of machine guns and rifles. Shifted mile to flank, lot of our party up behind and we are directly in line and catching drop shorts, not the best of places. Arty and navy duel day and night. Digging every chance but too solid rock, pile same around us. Heaven help us if heavy air action, bombs would fly for hundreds of yards. Would like a wash or shave and feed.
11th January - Each Pl. puts on a battle point each night. Anti tank rifle and bren. 4 men. Also continuous 6 man patrol. 500 x out. Drop shorts landing around, few hit. No sleep. Dublin Bn 2355 Fusiliers passed through us for 2 hrs. machine gunning on indirect lines. Brought down a lot of metal over us, enemy opened up. Fusiliers whizzed out and left us to grin and bear it, at 0200 hrs. Usual arty. and air all day. One particularly game dago gave us a doing 3 times last night diving and dropping.
12th January - Cable from Mother, Ron saying "Dad". Took out patrol to enemy wire. Crossed tank trap 15' deep with difficulty, hewn out of solid rock. Found knife rest in enemy wire. Bright moonlight and they opened up on us, machine guns, rather sticky, fired 6 rds. selves and finally got back. Heavy shelling all day.
13th January - Air and shelling all day, several chaps blown out of their holes. Nights frightfully cold. Getting pretty worn. Due to go back for a spell. At it for over fortnight now. Food and water very light, days very hot and dusty.
14th January - Very cold night. Shelling very constant, keep well down. They straddled our Pl. and Coy. H.Q. Moved back after dark to reserve. D. Coy. took over our area. Letter from Hazel and Mother. Read at Stand to, light couldn't come early enough today.
15th January - Terrific night. Dawn broke only see a few yards, wind and dust. 1430 trucks picked us up moved us 20 mls to beach, 10 mls down from Tobruk, got there 2000 hrs, rough going.
16th January - Calm day, wretched day on beach below us. Had dip, freezing cold but ever so welcome, first wash for 3 weeks. Issue of new underclothing. Heavy shelling of T. all day. Water very light 1 bottle 48 hrs. Lads are pretty sore over it, call it a spell etc. over 450 miles from Mersa now. Wrote Hazel and family short note to Bill but couldn't get letters away. Demo booby traps, trips etc. Engineers.
17th January - Early dip, extremely cold. Packed gear travelling light, fighting order. Overcoat and leather jerkin, mayn't get blankets tonight. Set out 1500 hrs moved West over rugged hills 9 mls, stopped near main road to Tobruk. Transport met us, had tea, iron rations. Fearfully cold, lay around while bitter wind blew through us till 0215. Moved off for 12 mls. Dug in and lay around all day.
18th January - Last night and today about worst I have ever spent, cold wind and dust, 3 reinforcements up this evening. Boats brought them and stores to Sollum and on by road.
19th January - Bad night, still waiting, trying to write a letter home to put in with Hazel's which I can't get away. Must doze as Tobruk looks very tough nut. Any time will go over now. To what! Standing by ready, gear packed.

BATTLE OF TOBRUK, LIBYA, 20th January 1941
20th January - Lay and froze until 2250 hrs and then trekked 14 miles SW and along front about 5 (miles) kms off enemy front. Took up position first light opposite what is considered a weak point, tank trap not completed. Bitterly cold night and going over terribly rough country. Bull lost us again. Couldn't dig in but rolled rocks for cover. Lay low all day.
21st January - Tuesday - My birthday. Had forgotten until one of my chaps reminded me. Breakfast 0415. Started moving 0620. Our role flank protection. Assembly position 3 kilos due East Bn. moves Don left A. Coy. frontage 250 x 9 Pl. left 8 right 7 Pl. rear. Heavy barrage 0745 through tank trap and wire, fire terrific, heavy fighting all day, ate few iron biscuits 1345. Held up 1700 hrs. by the Italian Cruisers aground. San Georges and a post on other side of harbour which gave us a withering fire. Retired to wadi near aerodrome. Bitterly cold, scrap feed and two blankets up 0115, great life aye! Oil wells and storehouses blazing all night, terrible sight to see the destruction. Gas scare cylinders found.
22nd January - On move 0500 hrs. Tobruk finally fell after isolated resistance. Was squashed at 1515 hrs a fort on the West bank of harbour going till about smashed to pieces. San Georges and several other ships in harbour were set ablaze during the night, looked terrible, the sunken vessels and blazing, the town quite fine looking under a pall of smoke and flame. Took up position on east slope of harbour. Terrible night, wind bitter. Believe it is our town Derna. 2/4 and 2/8 into Tobruk. Italians set oil line and tanks ablaze among many other buildings.
23rd January - Tobruk fairly large with some fine buildings. A huge propaganda broadcasting station being Musso's African effort to terrorize the natives and if lucky, white races. A British A.A. detachment took over our position with a pair of Bofar guns, covering the harbour. We prepared to leave for Derna campaign. Had bitterly cold dip in harbour and shave - about time. Terribly bare and barren place around this side - town picketed.
24th January - 0730 Marched 2 miles around bay and waited for transports. I picked up a few envelopes for stamps to send Billie. While waiting wee had the thrill of seeing one of our mine sweepers followed by two destroyers steam into the harbour, 1000 hours. Red letter day. At 0815 a huge Vickers Wellington landed on the drome over the escarpment. Left 1115 hrs on long 120 mls trip to Derna. Fine road and extremely busy, bridges blown over huge wadies, hair pin bends winding around the escarpment etc. Our engineers were doing a marvellous job clearing mines and rough repairs. Had to pull up at Bomba 80 kilos from Tobruk, actually 5 kilos SW of B. evacuated, dug in and battle points out. We merely improved bomb holes.

DERNA, LIBYA, 25th January 1941
25th January - Breakfast 0615 Left 0715 Slow trip up long winding hill, rough, with stunted trees through what appears an observatory called Ummerrzem, right on top of escarpment Deserted hovels and a couple better class places Road throughout actually a marvellous feat of engineering. Detrucked 6 kilos from Derna under arty. fire. After quick rough snack moved around NW of Derna aerodrome under heavy fire, why we didn't catch it God only knows. Dug in, below ridge 2 kilos off drome. Meanwhile C Coy. had engaged enemy at drome and fire was continuous. Only our Bde. 19th forward both 16th and 17th remained at Tobruk, wasn't considered necessary to take all on to Derna. This nearly proved fatal. 6th armoured Div. forward beyond Derna.
26th January - I took Pat Moody out on a patrol to find out who was in possession of drome 2130 hrs. The hardest and most trying patrol I've ever done - up and down wadies not knowing when would run into Dings, lot of wild dogs and jackals prepared to follow us. Pat would cover a cairn of stones or deserted post while I crept forward, enough to say. On and around the drome located 8 planes all burning or burnt, reached long drome building, heard dagos a couple hundred yards away and their transports moving, very eerie, examining buildings in pitch darkness. On to another hangar 500 yards away and found C Coy. in possession, eventually back 5 kilos across country to Coy. area and reported to Capt. Horley 0215 hours. That was a dark night if ever there was. Lay down for a couple of hrs and was wakened by Capt. Horley's bull voice roaring for me, he was mad. Heavy fire over the drome with daylight led him to believe I'd put in a false report. I denied it and he said are you prepared to write a report and sketch your route, that was difficult sketching as it was a black night but I turned one in in 5 minutes, he took it to B.H.Q. The Dings had counter attacked C Coy. that morning and the Fusiliers (Northumberland) in support poured 13 thousand Rds into them, 'ere they were turned, number of deaths and many dagos.
Moved 1000 hrs scouring out machine gun nests. 5 6.R. 420 attacked us and we gave them plenty, they were very persistent, returning again and again. I find now control of A.A. fire is out of the question, the chatter of machine guns, rifles and aero engines, bullets tore up the dust all around us but not a hit. Derna cost us 2 casualties, C 13, D. 5, up to date. Very hilly and rough these nests are in cliffs etc. gorges.
27th January - Terrible night, just about froze, trucks couldn't get up to us, we had nothing bar our uniforms, no water for over 48 hours, only a few iron ration biscuits. Standing guard, few isolated shots & flares. At 0630 our HQ truck appeared, it had taken the wrong track and pulled up near the drome all night. Very funny, I asked permission to go and locate them. But Bull said no. Something told me last night that would happen and they would end up there. The idiots had tipped out the cold tea and only had our cold bully stew. We ate a bit. Plenty of shelling, 3 dago planes downed yesterday, near us, but ours couple deaths numbers of injured. Searching out wadies.
28th January - Lying low under shell fire. Machine gunned by Dago planes, took out patrol and located enemy machine guns nests in high cliffs impossible to storm up from our side, would have to come at away round rear. Are getting Fusiliers forward to pepper them. Bitterly cold wind blowing and rain. The enemy are using a totally different method now, all of these main wadies have tracks in them and the Dings knowing the country are moving around on trucks and we find them again in country we have cleared, they re carrying light field guns around and worrying us a good deal.
29th January - Wet Night and miserable all soaked. At 0930 I was detailed and left with a patrol to try and locate section and C.S.M. & D. Coy, lost 2 days ago along rugged cliffs and escarpment towards Derna town and fort. Truck took me with my nine men to the aerodrome building where Major Heagney was dug in with his Coy. From there moved off down an enormous gorge leading down to the coast, jove it was rugged and leads swinging off all directions. Had a bite of rations about 1200 hours and scaled up the wadi walls overlooking Derna and the fort. 1300 hrs decided I couldn't safely move the patrol closer, so told them if I wasn't back by 1400 hours to pull out for B.H.Q. This they duly did and my name went on the missing list. Crawled over the rocks all the afternoon, discarded by haversack and rations etc it is no good for concealment, protrudes too high crawling. Expected a burst of M.G. Fire any second of that long afternoon. Sketched the escarpment and where our shells were dropping and our gunners losing them, in fact I was close to collecting them. Pieces flying around. Saw no sign of D. Coy patrol. Finally at 2100 hrs I crawled through a shell hole in the fort wall and was now inside and could have touched two dagoes who passed so close. I had left my rifle and equipment outside the wall and only carried 3 grenades. I came to the conclusion the Dings were thinning out as only 5 M.G.'s were left around the walls and they, with a couple of batteries of heavies were going like mad. Well, sketched guns and surroundings best I could in darkness. Decided information too valuable to risk another route so returned via same down awful wadi, spiked battery of naval guns and huge range finder. Finally after falling about 1000 times from exhaustion I reached the drome 0320 hours.
30th January - Arrived at drome 0330 hrs terribly exhausted, in fact so down was I at one stage that I felt like giving myself up in the fort last night. God, I was done. Bn. had done a shift, couldn't find B.H.Q. or intelligence so after eating a tin of bull the sentry gave me, I lay down and told him to wake me at 0500. Decided to report to Horley and walked 1 miles to Coy. area to find them shifted. Arty. officer Capt Scarlet who I had covered on his O.P. earlier, grabbed me, said my information was invaluable. He wirelessed Bn. told them I was safe and he urgently required my information, permission granted. Up on arty. O.P. finally at 1130. News came over our B & C Coys. were in Derna. So Derna had it. The Dagoes had kept a barrage going up till about 0200 hrs and whizzed out. My information would have allowed Bn. in earlier, but they had suspected a trap. Back to drome in Arty. carrier, no one knew anything, thought my Coy. was in Derna. Young Don R. going in to Derna, picked me up and went as far as hair pin bends where roads had been blown. Walked rest, trucks, carriers, tanks, armoured cars, dead and wounded men lying around, talk of shambles. Walked around Derna, very pretty. By this time some of our Bn. Coys, were loose and the havoc was terrible, smashing beautiful doors and windows, furniture etc. I'll never forget the wanton destruction. Derna is a beautiful spot with its tiny horseshoe mole and harbour. Lovely trees and gardens, actually the first green since Alex. Mersa has very little really. During my ramble, I ran across photographers with photos strewn right out into the street. One large one of a fat chap I saw in a restaurant in Cairo caught my eye and I grabbed it, also five or six aerial photos and numbers of enemy officers and guns etc. Handed to intelligence. Eventually located Coy. camped on other side of town, holding main road. Dings were up the escarpment, blowing road and bridges. Well, I was sadly abused by Capt Horley, said I had no right to do my patrol etc. Such is life and to say I was fed up! Mm! Bitter night, had plenty of Dago food but no cover. Enemy harried us with field pieces throughout the night. Chaps got on the wine and I made no effort to stop them, felt like it myself. Heard later CO always held it against me that I didn't pass my information to Bn. Yet they gave permission to Arty to keep me.
31st January - After bitterly cold night am totally exhausted myself, never so done. C Coy. took over our position and we moved back into Italian Artillery barracks, no taps but outside a tap and a barrel some Brom Miller and I filled it and had a freezing dip, shave and feel better, plenty of food Italian dried vegetables etc. easy day. Dagos are about 20 kilos further up, blowing, hear them all time. Easy day and lo and behold I didn't have to take guard for the night, told me to rest. Lieut Roberts told me that patrol of the 26th was considered a wonderful effort, as I was right alongside the Dagoes and the sketch very accurate. Wonder if anything will come of this last effort or if I remain the dope. 2 letters from Hazel 4th and 13th. 1 card. Letter from Mother, 4th. Auntie Kit. Sent out Hazel's and family letters and note to Bill with stamps from Tobruk and Derna.
1st February 1941 - First sleep under roof for over a month (actually tents of course before) Left and marched 20 kilos up escarpment, heavy going. Set to work repairing blown and mined road, worked rest of day on same, our condition is not too good for this work. Trucks, huge diesel Italian jobs, took a platoon each of us, back to Derna for night, good sleep.

TOCRA AH-EL-GAZELBA, LIBYA, 2nd February 1941
2nd February - Out on trail daylight, marched 16 heavy uphill miles towards Guiovani Berta. Jove it was solid. The same chaos and confusion of discarded trucks, tanks, cars etc left by the retreating Italians, Lost touch with Italians. Raised thousands of mines (engineers) Country is pretty now, gullies and ravines, plenty of vegetation after the hundreds of miles of barren dust and rock. Bridges and culverts, roads blown out engineers ding good job. Camped night among scrub 10 kilos from Guiovani Berta.
3rd February - Looking like rain, marched 5 kilos after lunch. Had a few growls over push bikes, several of our chaps had ridden those picked up in Derna, Coy HQ laid down 3 only to HQ and Pl HQ chaps didn't like handing them over and tossing them in the scrub. Country changing. Little cultivation and very hilly. Camped near a little farm, lots of chaps dossed in dirt caves full of fleas. Bought a couple pigs from a Dago farmer with Dago coin from Derna. Very wet night.
4th February - Waiting for transport to come up. Letter from Mother and two from Mrs Slater (Greta) Started letter to Hazel. Trucks came and we left 0630 hours for Barce about 170 kilos away. English artillery 203rd B Arty unit transporting us, hard cases these Tommy drivers too. Quite a pretty trip through Guiovani Berta where road forks one way to Barce and the other. Camped for night in scrub it reminded me of a night near Busselton on our honeymoon when Hazel and I made a couch of tree tops. I did same and only for a two hour period of guard, slept well in spite of cold. Stunted pines and bracken.
5th February - Out 0430 hours, breakfast 0500, cooks heated up tins of bacon, 2 lb tins, 8 men to a tin, and iron biscuits, cold and dark. Didn't move until 0700 hours, country hilly and a little cultivated here and there, a relief after desert but not to date the country I would care to farm on. Bridges blown and road mined here and there. Engineers hard at it. Fairly slow 90 kilos for the day, took wrong track and had to turn back, seemed strange to pass our own miles of convoy swinging back. Few farms, stock, wheat 6 ins high looking well. Came up a gale and rain as we struck top of escarpment to look down an enormous ridge on to the flat below. Spot of tea in pitch darkness, some of my lads discovered some eggs in a haystack, they would produce, no I won't say water from a stone, (we needed it at times)_. Travelled on a little after but too dark. Struck a narrow gauge railway track, followed it for miles, ones should say kilos in these countries, actually 5/8 of a mile. terribly wet night all soaked.

BENINA AERODROME, 6th February 1941
6th February - The roads terrible, only crawling, turning, slipping etc trucks bogged everywhere and left behind, all out pushing, in fact carrying trucks here and there, never have we seen such conditions, imagine a soil road churned up first by a retreating enemy then by miles of our convoy. Bn split Coys and Pls My truck giving lot of trouble but only one of many running out of fuel etc. Finally ran over hill. An hour later a petrol van turned up and were on trail again, by this time Bn had assembled in some kind of order near a town. Eaten a hasty bit of grub and moved just as we arrived. On around the perimeter of town fortified tank trap uncompleted, all deserted, huge underground communication dumps from these the narrow well built but badly blown highway and out to Benina aerodrome. Blowing a gale, rain and bitterly cold. Only 50 odd miles for the day. Benina drome is marvellous but frightfully smashed about by our planes. Enormous hangars in shocking state, buildings etc. Dozens of planes lying around ruined and many the Dagos smashed about because they couldn't get them off the sodden ground. I may say here the country around is some of the finest agricultural I have seen, beautiful loam, only requires rainfall. We camped night in barracks and had a huge fire going in centre, tables, chairs etc and dried ourselves. Rained all night. We are now Point Bn.
7th February - Up 0430, cold and wet. Point Coy on road 0700, passing through beautiful country, down escarpment and on to small town called Leta, no resistance and after 20 kilos swung around huge Bengasi looks a wonderful place. Past another drome with planes everywhere pushed into hedges etc. Ammo dumps, trucks etc everywhere. Roads lined with trees. Turned SW and passed into desert again and out of Ghemines, natives gave us a reception. On to Magrum when word came back armoured Div had rounded us 15,000 Dagoes, 190 tanks, 2000 trucks, so ended the campaign. Although vanguard, the armoured div cheated us of our last scrap in Libya. That was about midday. We swung off main road and eventually reached Barce, where we had intended to billet for night, but by this time all of the units coming up behind had taken all available quarters and we were turned out into the open desert again. For some reason or other we drove out about five kilos and camped. Talk about bitter. I didn't blame lads, it was raining cats and dogs and bitterly cold, no overcoats or blankets, until 0330 hours. God, it was rotten, everyone except officers and drivers soaked. Naturally only tin dog and iron biscuits. I don't appear to feel these conditions as badly as majority and can always raise a smile, but one would expect some to trip over their chins the way they get around.
8th February - Snack 0500 hrs, on road 0700 hrs very wet. Back around Bengasi to the coast and followed it for 75 kilos to Tocra, a tiny village. Passed huge petrol and ammo dumps. Left unblown by the disorganised Italians. Here at Tocra the whole of the Bn bar our A Coy were billeted in the large fort on the hill and we A Coy in the open for some reason. I take my hat off to Bull, he scouted around and found old police barracks and we took over same, but had to keep a full guard on the town. Bugs, lice and fleas galore in our quarters, must get on to cleaning tomorrow. Xmas wire arrived from Fred No 9 Pl at another village El-Abiar guard.
9th February - Cleaning our billets. I forgot to mention while passing through el-Abiar, our No 9 Pl was detailed to guard same. That was where I caught Bn up. Tocra has been a one time large town, lots of old ruins and walled. Last night rioting and looting broke out and I was called 0100 hours to take patrol and kick all out, had to increase guard to 12 men patrolling. Plenty of our Australian guns here.
10th February - Reveille 0700 hours At 0730 hours a shot discharged by Ben Compton, one of my Pl accidently killed Bob Thompson No C Sec Bn C was No 4. I rushed into the small room where only four of them were sleeping to see half of Bob's head blown off. Bob's funeral to Barce. 30 miles away, buried in shallow grave, solid rock. Poor chap, often told me about his young wife and little boy. Jolly shame, Compton was always careless at Palestine. I had a little trouble on a guard with him (Ref. 1940 diary) Colonel gave us a long talk on good work, we may be here for some time.
11th February - Reveille 0700 Parade. Paid a Wog 10 pkts of Ding Cigs (we have loads of them) to wash my clothes. Had hot bath in half barrel. Patrol caught Wog with detonators. Self on enquiry into looting.

EL-ABIAR, TOCRA, LIBYA, 12th February 1941
12th February - Our Prime Minister Mr Menzies inspected the Bn. We formed up in a kind of amphitheatre, near the fort, it is surrounded by high curved walls and caves. He is a fine looking chap and pretty good speaker. Told us he brought a message to all of us from home. Our people were proud of us etc. It was nice to see someone so recent from home. Wrote Hazel and Family. Packed gear ready for morning shift, we don't stay long anywhere, only A Coy to shift.
13th February - Diesel Italian trucks picked us up and took us back to el Abiar to Picquet town, wogs giving trouble. No 9 Pl finding it too much. 140 kilos trip, arrived 1400 hours. Took over 10th Italian Army Hdqrs. Fine big place, also their main base hospital. Red X everywhere. Picked out a couple souvenirs. General's cards and ask bowl. On guard.
14th February - Fair sized town. Has some large military buildings. Has been smashed about by our planes. I had to charge McGregor and McManus with drunk on duty. Taking out relief 0200 hrs they whipped rounds into breech and aimed at self and Picquet. I humoured them, left relief and walked up to them, expecting one in the ribs. They had run across a dump of plonk. Woods and McGorrery with malingering. All remanded to CO
15th February - Had quite a good sleep last night in spite of guard. A mattress and nice bed. Some beautiful furniture here. Had Dago prisoners cleaning up place. Ruined material terrible. Parade. Parade 0900 to 1200 hrs. March and rifle drill. 1300 to 1500 Games Stupid, it would do the boys better to have a spell. Wrote to Uncle Fred.
16th February - Wrote to Mrs Slater, Greta, Letter with stamps to Bill. Snaps in letter to Hazel. Letter to Jeff Fowler. Norm Nesbitt and I walked through native quarters of town and bought a dozen eggs 60 lire, they don't understand cash yet, used Dago lire.
17th February - Cleaning up all morning. Left el Abiar 1230 arrive Tocra 1630 B Coy took over el Abiar. We camped in amphitheatre, it has old tombs and writing on walls. C Coy is using our police barracks. We seem to clean up for others. We are in open. Letter from Hazel, Mother, RSL, Vic Park and card from Ron and Kath.
18th February - Guard 24 hrs at Fort. Wrote to Uncle Fred, Aunty Kitty and Aunty Vi and family/. Plenty of military movement in town. Move for us imminent. Corps Guard, Bn coming up to take over.
19th February - Self on CO's orderly room. McManus 5 pound, McGregor 3, Woods, Johnstone, McGorrey 10/-. Oh! Johnstone reprimanded. Kit inspection and loot taken. Swim before breakfast. Clothes fumigated in steam cylinders, very poor job, and burnt them. They are in a terrible state, a mass of creases etc. now. Swam while they were being done. Took over guard at Fort. We looked a lot of scarecrows. Took over from D Coy. This old fort is actually an ancient fortified castle.
20th February - On guard, military Captain photographer here and filmed mock church parade and march into barracks. Also self changing sentries on old castle, rather out of order, me changing them, the guard Cpl usually does, but - now don't smile - they required a good job. Same to be screened throughout Aussie. Off guard and swim after tea. Wrote spouse and family.
21st February - Swim before breakfast. Very cold, 10 from Coy went on leave to Bengasi. I'm waiting until the rough mob have finished, place will be upside down. Believe very little to be seen, all closed up still I like to see modern Italian buildings. Took rest of Pl rifle shotting shells and pieces of wood in dunes.
22nd February - Swim before breakfast. Sorting ammo Route march. Interview with Capt Horley re patrols etc appears I'm being mentioned in despatches. Practise shooting Brens after lunch. Letter from Hazel and Mum.
23rd February - Mounted A A guard two guns from 0600 to 0700 hrs. 200xNE old castle. In all, 8 guns mounted from reveille to 0700 to try and nab hedge hopping planes at dawn. Mounted in a series of equilateral triangles. Church parade, a film was taken, I didn't attend, too busy with Coy gear, packing, shift tomorrow. swim, wrote to Dossie and Horrie.
24th February - Reveille 0600 grub 0630 On road and heading for Derna 0800 hrs. This time around main road over escarpment. Past a second fine old castle with pines around it. I had seen it in the distance and had wished to see it. Country growing a kind of Cyprus. Engineers have done fine work repairing bridges, Very pretty trip through mountains all day or rather very large hills. 140 mls for day. Camped 5 miles west of Derna for night.
25th February - Reveille 0600 grub 0630 On trail 0830. Lot of halts, lot of transport on road going up. Through Derna, looking very beautiful especially looking back down over escarpment. Derna is the jewel of Musso's North Africa possessions and for me will always remain vivid. Travelling slow onto desert. Directly one leaves green behind it is very noticeable hotter. Camped at Ah-el-Gazelba. Whole Bde here. Dug in 309 mls from Tobruk. T bombed this morning 58 casualties.

AH-EL-GAZELBA, LIBYA, 26th February 1941
26th February - Route march, coast 3 miles. Had dip but too rocky. Blowing up for storm, frightfully dusty. Whole brigade left area and shifting nearer beach. Our Coy has a sandy spit actually looks best spot. Terrible night, rain and wind flying sand, pitch black, no moon. Fortunately we had each dug ourselves into the dunes and kept reasonably dry. Cursed when our turns for standing guards came around. Afraid not too much patrolling done. Saw 7 gazelles, they are very pretty animals. Had dip, cold.
27th February - Trying to make shelters, weather terrible, sandstorm blowing, we eat, breathe and sleep in sand. Sea rising, some Coys had to shift. One of our Italian hauling jinkers caught by sea. Route march. Clearing parade grounds each Pl looks like a stay here and back training.
28th February - Terrible night, shelters very poor, frightfully wind. More companies moved back. Only had to move two shelters our Coy to date. Water over to of jinkers, they tried hauling her out and broke down another truck.
1st March - Shocking weather, out for march, and brought back bits of ammo and gun chest boxes for our shelters, a huge dump in a wadi, there are two of these, only shallow ones south of us and running with the coast, they are actually only two main features around here until going east one hits the escarpment about five miles over. The surroundings are very flat. Had dip, grub very light and full of sand. Letter from Hazel, 2 from Mother, from Maurice.
2nd March - Padre held communion in a sand bag shelter built by Lieut Dowling with his sig Pl. First communion for a long time. Self detailed to dig deep sanitary pit with relays of 2 men per time, supposed to sit and see it is done, but who could do that, very hard and rocky.
3rd March - Commenced recapitulating training complete from beginning. 3 hrs this morning, 2 hrs afternoon. Wrote to Hazel and family. Swim, water receding.
4th March - Training Bewn AA rifle and bayonet. Route march and dip. Weather is lovely now. Dentists attending to Bn teeth.
5th March - B Coy shifted back to Tobruk on guard duty. Training anti ak rifle, bayonet, Bren. Afternoon organised games. Played rugby on beach and dip, wonderful sport. Bn NCO training under RSAM Brown, 1 hrs. Mosquitoes very bad.
6th March - Squad drill, rifle exercises, JD etc., Our Coy pulled jinker out of sea overflow. Padre took snap of same. Rugby and dip.
7th March - Squad drill rifle exercises Bren and mortar. 2 hrs Bren after lunch, swim, beautiful weather. Badly knocked about uniforms being renewed. Convoy dive bombed just up from us, few knocked and killed, 12 injured. el-Bomba 3 mls away, they were German Henkels, looks as though Jerry is taking hand.
8th March - Clearing a soccer ground on flat, we intend to challenge all comers. Good game after lunch 8 Pl versus 1 and 9, they beat us. Swim and washed clothes in sea. Am feeling marvellously well. Wrote Hazel.
9th March - Church Bn Parade. Talk by CO on coming move. Had dip, beautiful day. Lieut Allnutt off duty. Took parade. Wrote home.
10th March - Took parade Squad drill rifle exercises. Bren, Mortar AT rifle. Wonderful 6 letters. 2 Hazel 2 Mother Jeff and one from young Forrester appears Hazel's mother was in touch with his people and asked him to look me up.
11th March - Took parade. Squad drill, rifle exercises, bayonet training, field work. Organised sport. We played C Coy soccer, lost.
12th March - Squad drill, etc Field sigs, orders messages and reports, Boys aren't taking too well to training, do them good though.
13th March - Squad drill, gas training, cleaning up camp area ready for shift.. Transport in 2/4, 2/8 and some engineers trucks. German planes dive bombed and machine gunned them early this morning where they are deployed ready for shift, number damaged, but no casualties. We, A Coy, played 51st Artillery English Unit, soccer, self knocked out of action was first kicked in one ankle, out for a few minutes, back again and dashed if I didn't rick the other. We lost 2 nil, good game.
14th March - Reveille 0500, pulled down and stacked rubbish we had used for lean shelters. Breakfast 0530, on trucks 0630 left for ? drove over Ah-el-Gazelba, rough and ready drome, many ruined Dago planes on it. I forgot to mention climbing all over Italian planes laying around out of action. Number of ammo sub Park transports carrying us as well, these chaps left Aussie Dec 30th, quite recently over. Frightful weather only see a few yards in front, very slow crawling, wind rain and dust, it covers us in a muddy form. Whole convoy took wrong track for few miles, carried straight on instead of a turn, they luckily were expecting the bend and woke up, a God forsaken country if ever there was one. Camped 5 mls SW of Bardia. Passed through Tobruk of course, but could see very little of it owing to elements.

AH-EL-GAZELBA, LIBYA; METRUH, EGYPT 15th March 1941
15th March - Reveille 0530 usual guards posted each night of course, sand for breakfast, believe we had a little tinned bacon and iron biscuits, still who cares, will soon be down in civilisation. On road 0800 hrs. On down through Bardia, looking more orderly, all Ding material lined up, guns, vehicles, stores etc Capuzzo around through Sollum, I must add a few words on S. It is a tiny village nestling in a very well protected inlet, very rough and rocky hereabouts. The escarpment is very high and steep here and a magnificent piece of engineering and road building has carried the road over the heights, the road on top is known as "Hell Fire Pass" and very rightly named, it was a very warm spot at one stage, these heights could be held indefinitely with the equipment. Sollum Heights - camped night 5 kilos SW of Sidi Barrani. Lot of traffic going up, they learn to swallow the sand and dust. I am riding in platoon truck owing to ankle not too good.
16th March - Reveille 0530 On track 0800 Pl truck broke down, main leaf and two others in front spring. Left behind until repair truck blew along, repaired same and on. Reached Mersa Matruh 1415 hrs, convoy in an hour earlier., so ended for the time a very dusty trip. Stripped and went in for a dip. Ankle nearly better. Pleasant surprise, a tin of biscuits from Mother waiting for me, we made a hole in them. Tons of papers. Into billets or rather pig sties, who ever used them before should have been boiled in oil. I've dossed down on the verandah.
17th March - Cleaning up quarters, they are very poor and fearfully cramped, weather is quite cold and little rain. Had to report to BHQ Self assigned to RSM to train reinforcements tomorrow. Tommy guns and gas equipment arrived. Airmail from Mother. Wrote two short ones home. Had Sgt Mess meeting in a spare building, they intend getting some beer up.
18th March - On parade with Bn reinforcements and 29 from all companies. Squad drill, rifle, Bren, bayonet and gas. Ye Gods!! I can teach these in my sleep. Feeling a little sore, rest of Bn are having a lay off. Teed up badges, coins, vase and cards from el Abiar. All of Hazel's letters, something tells me I'm liable to lose them, I have hated having to destroy all other letters. Mother's especially, regularly turning up, one per week, still they will understand. Crammed all into biscuit tin.

Unfortunately details, experiences etc from March 18th to April 13th has been for certain lost with my kitbag and gear which went up in smoke at Athens (Greece) the details from service diary I had copied into a fine new Diary Dad sent me for Xmas. Used that up to the time I arrived at Daphne No 2 camp, at Athens, where we had access to our kit bags for the last time. I left my new diary with all gear in that. Very little I can remember over that period. Will leave several pages if I can get in touch with my CSM later. I may get a few details. If I remember we remained at Mersa 8 days. During this time the old 28th Bn arrived on their way up the desert., Looked up a lot of the lads. I often wonder how they are faring, time will tell, a team from our Bn played football on the dusty ground, have forgotten the scores but they defeated us by a couple of goals in a rattling game, every bit as good as a league game. Will always remember the 3 miles march carrying everything into Mesa station, jove we were loaded down. Remained a day and a had camped on a barren hill waiting for a train. For all the world like shags on a rock. Eventually down to Amyria where we remained until April 10th. During this time I had 2 days leave in Alexandria. On the 10th we boarded a 14,000 ton Dutch ship the ancient old Pennland for Greece, at first intending to disembark at Salonika but news came over, Salonika had fallen into Jerries hands and on the unlucky 13th we were taken ashore in yachts, rowing boats and anything which floated at Port Pyrius Athens, one time beautiful port, now a mass of smouldering ruins, we were dropped at a little private jetty. From then onwards we knew for the 13 days in Greece, what hardship was, it appeared like 13 months, will any of these souls who went through that fabled land every forget? I for one never!

ATHENS, DAPHNE, GREECE, 13th April 1941
13th April - At 0700 hrs yachts, rowing boats and launches continued disembarking us. We had pulled outside and steamed around all night, afraid of bombing. Port Pyrius is in a bad state. Half and hours enjoyable sail and we set our feet on the soul of the Land of the Golden Fleece. All was rush, bustle and tea, troops had to be shifted out as quickly as possible, as each load of approx 30 landed at the various private jetties. Trucks immediately whizzed us to Daphne No 2 camp, a very rough and ready staging camp 10 mls out through Athens, up the mountains among pines. What we saw of Athens was very fine and one would long to see more. The acropolis on the hill above the town being one of the places I'd love to spend time over. These Greeks are quite fine looking, the women, after Egypt, Palestine and Libya, looking remarkably attractive, as we drove through they gave us a rousing welcome. The way these people wave is very peculiar, they appear to be signalling you back again. The scarcity of men fold being very noticeable. At Daphne No 2 our kit bags were issued for a couple of hours, took out our woollens, and we needed them, snow being All around on the mountains. Thinking the good diary Dad gave me would be knocked about I left it in my kit and kept my little Wog service one. At 1530 we left Daphne, after waiting a couple of hours for transport, they returned us to Athens railway station and we were loaded into cattle trucks an air raid causing much dashing about and we were shunted half a mile out and back when All was over. Eventually left 1715 hrs. Terribly cramped, gear everywhere, no room to sit even.
The engines were peculiar but powerful. The trucks each have a box on them for a guard, he stands and looks over the top of the train. A few of the camps around Athens now in use. Chauffeuse, Braes, Oldphilairon, Boulos, Glydra, Hymmetas, these holdings Aussies, Tommies, Palestinians, Cypriots, and a few Indians.
14th April - Travelled all night very cold. Dawn brought a beautiful sight - snow everywhere and enormous mountains all around, winding over spidery bridges with two engines steaming their boilers out chugging along. Looking down enormous gorges, a marvellous sight. Pines and silver birch forming the major timber. A stop for half an hour at daylight, where I turned a bitterly cold tap over my head. On again and all day travelled through this beautifully country of mountains and streams, here and there a little stretch of cultivation. I know now why Greece is one of the poorest of the Balkan Sates. At 1700 hours detrained at a little wayside siding about half a mile from Larissa. Larissa being a junction. A little hazy about the position here. From LARISSA a line goes out to Allison, another branch from here it forks, one going through Serbia Pass and one Katerina Pass.. We have troops holding each, Jerry is coming down each and things are hot. Back to Larissa, a line goes to Bolas where it ends at the Miklahoran Pass, where Fritz is again approaching, his object being to force one of these and cut the rest off. Trucks carried us for it appeared like eternity pitch black, no lights up through Bolas and Miklahoran Pass, until at 0200 hrs we stopped and lay down to freeze for 3 hrs, two miles from Katabaka, it being a tiny mountain village. On the foot 05500 hrs trucks go no further. A Coy vanguard self point section. Huns are pushing hard forward.
15th April - On road 0500 hrs dog tired, cold and hungry. Going over beautiful snow country. ALL spoilt by air raids, booming of guns etc. Streams of worn out Greeks going and coming on worn out ponies. They are a marvellously staunch people and I will always respect their stand. God only knows what they are suffering. We marched 11 miles and then turned and dragged 8 back, whole front falling back, position hopeless, our engineers are blowing bridges and roads, delaying troops forward. Our Bn position was allotted and we set about digging in. very wet night, All soaked, our weapon pits filled up and had to keep baling them out with our tin hats. Lovely life. 30 to 40 Jerry planes over all the time, they have absolute control of the air and never cease hammering. Never will I forget the sight when miles of convoy coming down on the narrow road was jammed by several 5th column methods, trucks turned over etc, the Tommies shot two dressed as Greeks as they dashed up the slope near us after stalling their truck between rock walls, Jerry is trying every method. Over came their planes and the destruction was fearful and the delay disastrous. Jerry's 5th column is perfect.
16th April - Where is our Air Force? Hammered from more till night, no sleep or little to eat. Whole front will be through us this evening, 11st Bn has to deny this road until 2400 hrs. Friday night. Improving our position. This is a basin but not good for defence, especially with his planes hammering. Position very grave and we are told things are going to be tough. Still, we will hold him back. Will say goodbye in case. A Coy forward with other Coys stringing back left and right but we are astride road.9 Pl right, 8 Pl centre and forward and left and back. All round defence for each Pl and each Coy our positions being my 5 sec centre forward 6 section left guarding left and rear, 4 right and rear Oh! D and C Coys reserve.

KATABAKA, KALAMBAKA, GREECE, 17th April 1941
17th April - Very wet night, everything and everyone soaked again, baling out with tin hats, this is also delaying the Jerries, their planes are hard at it all the time. Where is our air force? haven't seen one of our planes appear, to me we are very much behind Germany in the air. Or our people yellow. All wet and miserable only bit of dog and iron biscuits can't light fires on account of enemy. One man must be awake in each pit night and day, All are exhausted. All forward troops have passed through and we are now the front line expect them any minute. The higher command are timing it for Serbia, Katerina and us all pull out together, all must be timed if Jerry forces one early the others are trapped. Haven't written or received letters for a fortnight. Hope they don’t worry at home. The folks at home certainly have the harder time, waiting.
18th April - Vacated our positions 0230 hrs. Terrific enemy force advancing. Our forces over in Mt Olympus area are also being belted (Olympus Home of the Gods) We carried everything, reserve ammo, etc far too heavy, all are exhausted, 7 miles back to the other side of Katabaka, jove it was solid going up mountains and down. Katabaka is deserted actually, probably only have about 100 people. Here ASC trucks had tossed tons and tons of explosives and ammo on the side of the road and were waiting to rush us back. It was shocking to see huge dumps of our food, ammo etc. lying under the trees, no effort made to destroy them, yet we are starving, organisation bad. Moved off 0730 East for 40 mls. It was terrible to be rushing past thousands of Greeks trying to get back out of the Hun's way. Very cold, yet poor devils limping, laying down on the roadside, some astride worn out donkeys, many wounded, all begging for a lift. This is war in its hideous state. Stopped on a barren hill slope for a snack, all bar A Guards fell asleep, hundreds and hundreds of enemy planes going backwards and forwards in droves, never one of ours, beats me why they didn't spot us. Half a mile away they gave a little siding hell, nothing left of it, we had a good grandstand view. Found one of our boys out of transport, laying on the roadside here among the ruins of his truck. Poor Nobby Clarke, took George, L/Cpl Parker and myself quite a while to collect him and push down some of the roadside bank over him, jove one grows callous. Our engineers thinking all infantry were over river have blown bridge 2 mls down, our transports have left us to go a 60 ml detour, we are going over in boats and punts. At 1715 moved down to river and only found a float to get us over, a Greek on the other side hauled it with a couple of donkeys and our side, we sacrificed a truck to haul it back. Over in batches of 20, moved a couple of miles to some scrub and camped near an old Canteen dump, stores everywhere, yet our company wasn't told until it as time to pull out, we were starving yet BC and D Coy had tinned fruit etc galore, we heard after. Marched 6 mls to a village 60 mls NE of Larissa. Posted guards and all slept for a while.
19th April - Trucks picked us up about 30 to each (like sardines) at 0130 moved about 200 out truck ran off road over a steep bank (drivers are about dead of course) beats me why it didn't tip over, finally hauled her out, men and another truck, Road blown to pieces burning trucks and burnt ones by the hundreds, villages ablaze and towns. Horses, donkeys and men, bits laying everywhere, poor civilians, women and children. The hideous bomb knows no discrimination. With daylight the bombers were on us in droves again, just in and out of trucks continually, these rotten devils ugly black crosses don't come in tens but fifties and sixty at a time, hear the roar over the mountain of their motors and the long silvery pencils and bet with the fellow near you where they will land. Convoys are shambles. English, NZ, Greeks, Albanians and Aussies thrown in together. Tommies tell us Dunkirk was a picnic compared to this. Screams as lads are hit badly or the cursing as splinters rip gashes, or red hot shrapnel is dived upon us as we go to earth. Using shirts, singlets etc binding. No First Aid or Emergency bandage is sufficient for this. Losing truck after truck, mine blown to pieces, packs scattered to the four winds or heaven, so bang went my wallet, 7 pound Egyptian, all my snaps, clothing etc, Dad's watch which only this morning I smashed diving into a crater and for safe keeping placed in my pack. Ah well! Dad's wallet too, He will understand. Coming through very high mountains during the afternoon above Lamia, CO's car was hit, driver killed, Adjt. wounded. Colonel and 2IC badly shaken. Here for 3 hrs couldn't move just over and over machine gunning sand bombing. Driver of the truck I'm in now is a Tommy and very yellow, pulled up alongside an ambulance. That driver had no right to stop but did. Anyhow I said for God's sake give the ambulance a go dig, but his hide being his worry he, with the rest, dived to the shelter of gullies etc. I shifted that truck and stayed with those poor devils in it, seven of them, nerves gone to pieces and smashed about. It was very hot, dust and smoke and fumes everywhere, road was around a ledge here and luckily bombs didn't hit it but fell all around, but the dirty Messerschmitts sent a few bullets through, wounding a couple again. God, I hate these people, will never forget one lad, good looking lad, dark, first hit high upon the chest and again there through the side. He was game but didn't stand a dog's chance. He gasped that I'm from the fighting 5th Bn (Aus) and I'll get them yet. Eventually we moved on and finally passed through Phermopylae Pass. The battle field of ages. Surely with planes ourselves, no force could ever drive us out of here. I forgot to say, down into the long flats of Lamia and Lamia - little left of this once fine town, heap of burning ruins. Lost my truck again on this flat as did many others, all sky high and we hauled up some Greek runabouts, 12 men to each and started the terrific climb up Braydos Pass. Frightfully steep and winding. The bombers eased off, but it teamed rain, of course visibility in those mountains tricked his airdives. Finally over Pass and camped in a corn field, few olives too. S sorting out had gone on as each truck pulled in and we met up. Found ourselves the lucky 11th, as things hadn't been too bad, lost a few of course. Lost Tod Sloan and Stan McGorrey, killed, wounded or strayed, one killed and several wounded. The ground was boggy, no ground sheets or blankets yet we slept a little in the rain. I have forgotten to mention, upon diving into one smoking crater, I landed on a red hot lump and was amazed to see my 401 on it, took it back to the truck for the lads to see. Guess I'll not be hit.
20th April - Lay around on valley floor all day. Terrific bombing but we kept them up with SA fire. Lost a number of men. Oh for a few Spitfires. Only cold dog and biscuits, late afternoon marched 7 mls. full equipment up to small vineyard, guards on, remained there that night. Cold and hungry. Forward troops are moving back all night long. Terrible chaos.
21st April - Trucks picked us up and took us over Pass to new front line positions. Our Artillery and Jerry now in Lamia, now duelling all day. Planes trying to search us out all day. Digging, my Platoon has a hopeless position, warning Platoon and forward of all on a path. Line is now NZ Division on right, Australian Division left, Greeks left again, the whole a 30 mile front. The cooperation of these Jerry planes with their artillery etc is marvellous, they come over us, swoop down and drop a message, hover around and away again. We have, they tell us, 100 25 pounders lining this mountain but they aren't firing them yet owing to air attack, can't help thinking there is a catch somewhere, else why let them walk into Lamia.
22nd April - Watched Jerry transports pour into Lamia over the mountain. Lights full blazing all night long. Our people could have trained on that road and blown them to pieces, nothing doing. Wiring through scrub all day. Took this position over from a N.3 platoon. They moved right. They have done nothing. Plenty bombers around and Arty shelling, all Fritz, only ours nothing. If we have the guns, which I doubt. About 1 mile over on the flat from us they are bringing up hundreds of vehicles and massing on our left flank. Going to force the Greeks I think. Weakest. (Their 5th column is good) Stood to all night.
23rd April - Laying low all day, 2 men per sec watching. Ordered through, prepare to shift, moving over to left flank. All are about exhausted, no water, 3 to a tin of bully and packet of iron biscuits, can't go on. This has been for nearly a fortnight and little or no sleep, we look a terrible lot of bums, no shaves or wash, things look really bad. Huns attacked and gained a hill, quarter of a mile over to my left, brisk while it lasted but only one ending. The whole Greek front collapsed, poor devils, left us in a hole now. Those artillery pieces appear to be a joke. We have a few I know over the back, in a little hollow near the hillside vineyard, saw their emplacements and nets. Huns started moving up in force just below us now, only half mile down, waiting on them in our exhausted state we would never race them out since they sight us, means giving all. At 1630, withdraw by sections, hardest march we have ever done, men tossed away everything, blankets (some still had one) bren tripods, mortar ammo, 303 ammo, the anti-tank rifle, some their rifles, the mortar diced but I picked it up and managed to get it over with my tommy gun and ammo. My heart about bleeds when I think of that awful six mile climb over that pad and pass. Men falling, soaked with sweat, crossing a stream and bursting themselves with the ice cold waters and paying dearly. A shocking sight. Finally at 2330 arrived at Bn area. Stood to all night. My God, we are done. Won't be long before this nightmare ends. Froze over night.
24th April - Stood to all night. Last night Australian Div here started withdrawing to remains. 2/11 covering Bn over this Pass. Terrific bombing all day and shelling. Where is our Air Force? Self on O.P all day. Located and reported enemy movement on our left flank to BHQ moving down with mules - Alpine troops. They will hit D Company first. Captain Scarlet, chap I had to do with at Derna, was in charge of the Battery in the hollow near us, they pulled out last night. From my O.P. above that hollow for the first time I was actually afraid for half an hour. 20 Stuykas dived and howled over my head and into that hollow until I thought the world was coming to an end, not an ant could have lived. The follow was just flying rock, dust and smoke. I was covered with bruises, dirt and smoke, yet of the countless pieces of shrapnel whizzing around me, I was never scratched. (Won't forget that in a hurry) The vicious whine of the Messerschmitts and knowing if I gave the slightest sign they would riddle me, didn't help. Capt Scarlet only got out in time, that was dawn. At 0530 we pulled out and back 500 metres to an old Church and cemetery. Here we took up positions in the graves, well sunken and quite good weapon pits. Each wooden cross has a photo of its occupant on it, mine was a young man, dark haired with a moustache. Beautiful country under different circumstances. At 1630 D Coy in a bad hole, and our Coy ordered to counter attack. We moved to left flank and engaged Huns trying to encircle D. Bowled quite a few. D pulled out and we held them til darkness, by which time we were about encircled ourselves and just a string of fire all around us and mortars, yet for that day D and us only lost about 12 killed and 30 wounded. Forgot to say we left our haversacks in that churchyard, too weak to carry them. Finally pulled out at a staggering run, jerries were everywhere and couldn't even get out haversacks. Lost all now, pullover, mittens. We were lucky to leave Braydos. Trucks had been timed to pick us up at 0845 and luckily as arranged, we met them at the village half mile down. We lined the sides in case of holdups and followed a convoy through to Athens all night. Arrived 0630.

MAGARA BELOW PYRRIS. GREECE, 25th April 1941
25th April - Lying low all day in thick olive groves. Bombers over all day searching us out, they know we are somewhere around, these woods would be shambles if they knew we were here. Tin of dog between 3 and biscuits. It was terrible walking through the town early this morning. The people know all is over, tears roll down their faces, they give us what little they can spare. We smashed our trucks up 5 miles uphill, keep them from attracting attention to the town. At 2100 hours (dark) marched to small jetty assembly point, large crowd evacuating and after hours of waiting, but no excitement were rowed over to British AA Cruiser "Coventry" Lighters etc used for loading, scaled up large rope ladders, a few fell in or dropped gear. Weren't allowed to take blankets. Marvellous reception on Cruiser, the tars can't do enough for us, we are drafted smartly into messes, gallons of lovely tea and coffee, stew etc. Lord, we didn't think we would ever stop eating, just lay down anywhere. I lay up in the stern with many others. The boat had been patched up with timbers here where a torpedo had hit her. We pulled out 0330. With first streaks of dawn were awakened by terrific clanking overhead on the steel deck, just one long rumbling road. First thought bombs were hitting her. Becoming accustomed to it and one could catch the whoosh as bombs burst in the water as well.
26th April - Volunteers were called to man Brens all over the ship. I was fortunate to get control of 6 Brens away up on the flag platform, talk about a bird's eye view, it was marvellous and the most thrilling time I have ever had in my life. All day long those Stukas came in waves and dived past us, they concentrated on the AA cruisers. The barrage set up from this ship's 27 4" AA guns and 8 multiple pom-poms is terrific, the din is like hell let loose. All told, we must have had 30 Brens in action as well. Yet for all that volume of fire, only 2 planes were downed, the other two destroyers and 3 transports set up quite a volume too. Talking to the ship's officers on the flags, he remarked how fine our fellows were. Said they transported Tommies from Norwich and Dunkirk and the morale was shocking. They left weapons etc behind. The plane detector situated on top of the mast caused a little bit of bad feeling between myself and the officers for a while, this was adjusted under tragic circumstances two hours later. The plane detector revolves and points the direction of coming planes. Distance away, height, etc is marked by instruments. Sigs on the platform send up different coloured flags according to distance, type, danger etc. Just after a raid had passed over at 1100 hours, the instrument went out of action, the officer said one of my guns had fired over his arc (I was particularly careful giving them to my 6 men) and shot away a control wire. I insisted not, because I was watching my guns and would roar in the gunners' ears if they were coming too high. Another wave coming over stopped our discussion and we hammered away again. After it cleared leaving one blazing wreck on the water we heard one of our gunners had been killed by one of many premature explosions from the 4" guns. They are worn out, the officers had pointed out prior to that, that this was happening, a few bees zipping around our ears. The Sig chap woke up and gazed at the cross pieces over our heads and drew our attention to pieces of shrapnel buried in the cross members, they realised then what had put the detector out of action. No time was lost and during a lull the unfortunate gunner was lowered over the rail on a table top with 5 shells tied to his feet. The Last Post etc was sounded, all bared their heads at stations, it was very impressive. This was the first death for this ship since war began. Finally at 1730 hrs pulled into Suda Bay, Crete. Snow capped mountains had been visible hours before. Suda is small but a beautiful anchorage, ships lay around, blazing and aground, testimony to Jerries Stukas, how we hate them. Off in lighters and TLC. Marched to a FVP away up a hill in grove of olives. Suda town is defunct, blown to pieces. Chaps given a direction and dragged along best they could, no energy, the reaction had set in. I was amazed to see men just fall down and cry like kids. Scores of them. The being penned up below, expecting any minute to be their last, after Greece as well, proved too much for them. I had had action right through and was keyed up. I only felt utterly exhausted. Finally reached the grove about 4 kilos. Here, thank God, the Tommies had plenty of tea, oranges and biscuits for us. After this tried to find our men but impossible, they drifted in all through the bitterly cold night. No blankets or greatcoats, couldn't sleep. Everything gone bar Tommy guns, Brens, rifles and equipment.
27th April - Scrap breakfast, finally gathered up remainder of Coy and dragged 8 miles up mountains, not a man could march, terribly done. Finally stopped in an olive grove, nothing to eat, no covers, cold.
28th April - Cold night, no sleep, couldn't light fires of course. Jerry over searching us out. Oozed along another 6 miles up hill or mountains, few biscuits came up on the truck, 3 of them each " thick 2" square. God, we're hungry. Tried to get food in a village, nothing at all. Took up position to act as anti parachute unit. No use I'm afraid.

KEON, KORCONN, GEORGEOPOLIS, CRETE, 29th April 1941
29th April - Very cold night. Found small patch of broad beans and all ate some. Small ration allowance up. No transport on island hardly. All fearfully weak. Lying around all day. Tea and sugared up. Gathered brambles and boiled in kero tins. Something will have to be done about food, men are about impossible, one can't blame them of course.
30th April - Bitterly cold. Want clothing badly. Few comforts up. Tommies clubbed together at Suda and sent few cigarettes, 2 small chocolates a man, several towels, tooth brushes. Feeling a bit better. Happy Jack bought bit of bread from a village. Writing home.
1st May - Beautiful day. Waiting on 2 hrs notice to shift. Very pretty place this Crete. Groves of olives, snow capped mountains, stone fences surrounding tiny plots of wheat and oats. Completed letters. Sent cable to Hazel. Hope these letters get home, they are jolly good effort for me. They must be worried at home.
2nd May - Marched down to BHQ area. Talk by General Treyburgh, he has command of island. There are 6,000 Aussies, 7000 NZ and 8000 British. Afraid this Kiwi doesn't impress me, maybe time will prove him. I may be too critical. We felt sore having to drag down the 1 miles to him and back up the mountain again on light grub. Snow is melting fast and streams are very fast and cold.
3rd May - Took up new para position mine mile east of Coy HQ. Over ground and hills by sections to thoroughly understand our areas, sketched same. In position 1730 till 1913. C Coy drifted through as enemy. Very cold night.
4th May - Lovely day. Bit of grub daylight, preparing to move. Then dashed if orders don't come for church parade. A & H Coys in olive patch. Jove lads were sour. Strangely the Padre preached the best sermon he ever gave. After early lunch marched 10 mls through beautiful rugged country. Gardens and orchards here and there to East Coast near Georgeopolis bridge, camped night there. Found some water cress. Very cold night.
5th May - Paid 500 Drachmas each, may be handy. River very fast from snow, quite a pretty inlet into sea here. Large freshwater fish but nothing to hook them with. Marched 2 miles to Bn area, 3/4 mile from sea between mountains, very pretty. Had dip A Coy mobile Coy (Mmm! no transport) B D C on right, HQ reserve, all dug in.
6th May - Stand to, 0415 -0600 swim. Making sketch of Bn area a traverse. I picked Pat Moody to help me on one for Coy. Must know everything about area of course. Arthur Price and self walked 6 mls to a village and bought some bread, tried to buy some honey but ended up being stung.
7th May - Swim in a lovely freshwater lake, beautiful spot, snows running and slipping into same, washed my shirt and trousers and paraded in towel. Dip in sea in afternoon, much warmer than lake. Norm Nesbitt gone to Con depot, general crackup, his nerves went, on Greece. Self now Pl Sgt. Compass work and another dip. Gee I love the water.
8th May - Track traverse and survey with Pat and sketch. Raining, all wet, 1815 broke camp and marched 14 mls till 2330 hrs. SE over the mountain. God, the language was terrible, men soaking and exhausted, haven't had the food to pick up condition. Tried to sleep but too wet and cold. The morning Colonel had a Bn orderly room. I had charged several from the day before for trouble. Have always tried to nip trouble in the bud but it is a lonely battle, no other NCO worries and consequently discipline is pretty bad. Reynolds 2 pounds. Hansard 5 pounds, Morris 1 pound, McLennan 14 days field punishment and pay lost for that period. I hate this kind of thing. The boys take it like men.
9th May - After rotten few hours, on road again 0730 hrs. Passed through several smaller towns and finally Retimo, quite a fair sized place. It has a stone fort on a peninsular jutting well out into the water. The fort holds a fine position upon the cliffs, one is reminded of the knightly strongholds of old. Passing through these towns the people toss roses and sprays of flowers to us. The girls and women are very good looking and one can quite see how the beauties from the days of old earned their fame. Camped mile from beach in large olive grove overlooking aerodrome. 12 miles that day until 1330 hrs. Everyone's feet bad, no new socks of course. Very hungry. Started raining.
10th May - Wet night, no covering. Gee! we are in bad shape. Capt McCaskill held inquiry into 4 tins of jam having been pinched from cooking dump. Naturally got nowhere. Took patrol up hill to try and find cause of couple shots. 1930 to 2230 hrs. Find nothing. Beautiful moonlight night. Had dip.
11th May - Church parade, followed by talk from Major Sandover on situation. Says there is a big possibility Germany will attempt landing. Good chance to send my two letters home, I hope. First to go for 5 weeks. Recon of Coy area. Swim in sea, pretty cold not too many go in.
12th May - We stand to at Pl battle each morning. Mr Allnutt gone to hospital. Self now Pl commander. We have our action pos and stand down pos about 10 chs away under olives. Sketching area. I had to contact Greeks and arranged for Major Sandover to meet and discuss areas. They are our right flank 2.10 Greek Bn. under English Major Ford. Self, extreme right of Bn area. Lovely day. Had dip.

RETIMO AREA, PERIVOLI AND PIZI, CRETE, 13th May 1941
13th May - Stand to 0430-0630. Digging in and wiring. Running trip wires etc throughout vines and hedges. I'd far prefer a good double apron, feel much safer too, but HQ say must not show positions to OP planes. Haven't any faith in trip wires myself. Contacted Greeks for Bn. My sector is very vital point above end of drome. Actually remainder of Bn is stretched along coats towards Retimo. This 2/10 Greek Bn and 2/1 AIF are above drome, 2/8 Engineers are with 2/1 Bn 7 AGH behind us up at little village of Pize. Company of same. I had to pick up Major Sandover and Major Heagney, guide them over with Col of 2/1 Bn to Greek position. While in my Pl position with Captain McCaskill and Major Ford of Greeks, a huge German plane came around very low, circled a couple of times and its behaviour seemed very peculiar. I was the first to savvy she was a Hun. Couldn't do anything just watched. The crew in the Wireless building and pilots quarters dived out to the trenches expecting bombs. Jerry must have been damaged and looking for a landing. He finally went to extreme end, when preparatory to landing he suddenly nose dived into the ground from a couple of hundred feet. An awful bang, instant smoke and flames. Au revoir 5 good Jerries. We cheered naturally. My third stripe through.
14th May - Stand to. Digging pits down in mines, emergency night listening posts camouflage seems very well, can't see from a few yards. Contacting Greeks, they haven't much morale. Self extreme R flank. Bn and Coy 8 right, 9 centre, rear 7 left DB and C in rotation to left HG rear. Heavy bombing. Lot of planes over, we lay low and ignore. Suda is continually attacked and our shipping is catching it badly.
15th May - Very busy digging and writing. Dip. When will mail come?
16th May - Digging and wiring, beautiful day. Pretty hungry and cold nights, lots of bombing. We expect attack any day now. Actually today and tomorrow has been nominated by our Greek agents and SS men in Greece. Paid 500 drachmas, no use to us really, can't buy anything.
17th May - Wiring and digging about completed now. Tools are hopeless of course, any old rubbish picked up, only few men using at a time. Heavy bombing. These Huns mean business. Had dip and had to lay buried in sand on white beach, while flight of Jerries followed low along open coast. We have seen 5 Hurricanes while here. Where are our planes? Same old story as Greece. No air support. Infantry must have it.
18th May - Church Parade under olives by companies. Started building sand table of Coy area in bed of deep creek above cook dump. Wrote Hazel and home but couldn't post. Dip in the good old "Med".
19th May - Wiring and digging and sand table. Heavy bombing. Norm Nesbitt looked us up, is returning to mainland, afraid he has the wind up. Swim.
20th May - Wiring and digging. At 0900 hrs huge German troop carriers over, each drawing 5 to 6 gliders behind came over us and released 600 troops in NZ battle dress 30 miles up at Georgeopolis and same at Herakelon areas. We dived for battle stations and remained so, all morning. Stood down to camp pos at 1200 hrs and were preparing to have snooze after lunch (I was writing to Hazel again, had just written, few Jerry planes over bombing but nothing fallen within mile when whoosh! and it seemed the whole world had come to an end. My tree just smashed down over me. Tons of dirt and stones enveloped our area, a burning pain in my chest which I grabbed turned out to be a red hot piece of shrapnel, took a bit of hide off, jumped up and found only one lad, Maurice O'Brien, hit, grabbed him and slung him into a hole, the chump was dazed and bleeding profusely and naturally nothing would have saved him had one followed direct on the first. Well that bomb landed chain away, talk about luck. I found after Stan Chester was hit in their position 10 chs away from that bomb. Meanwhile the sky had become thick with planes, fighters, bombers and troop carriers and worst of all there appeared just an endless stream of parachutists dropping. The bellow "battle stations" and we race up hill to our positions climbing into kit as we ran, they were among us before we got there and a little target practice was necessary ere we cleared our way through. Well, they continued to drop, just looked hopeless, we fired and loaded like mad. God, it was awful, the poor devils dropping on top of us stood no chance and we fired into shuddering carcasses, the yells and screams as we dived out to bayonet and finish them off and back again, sick. They had several machine guns in position, and mortars by this were not idle, in spite of their own people being among us. With darkness coming on we had them pretty well under control except a couple of machine guns forward of our area and sniping had to be cleaned up. Captain MacCaskell sent for me and asked me if I thought it possible to get them out. Said I'd try and moved forward with a fighting patrol. Had a time limit, route etc. Well I didn't stand a ghost of a chance. After half an hour I'd lost Pat Moody, killed. Doug Wilkins hit bad through the chest. Rowtcliffe, Johnstone S and Johnston JG, Newman and Smith, only leaving me with six men to drag these out and fight as well. The time limit expired and oh well, finally arrived back pretty done too. Capt Mac was pretty worried. After tea, snack. At 2130 hrs I again moved forward to clear up the area, get rid of wounded (Orders were no prisoners. War is a terrible thing) Surrounded machine gun post and on my road, dived in with the old bayonet from each side, it was all over inside a minute and Jerries taking no more interest in things. The sound of running feet and I thought the other Huns were coming, but turned out they had skipped. Finally arrived back at Coy HW and reported all clear in that area.
21st May - Desultory shooting all night, flares etc. With daylight, opened fire on Jerries away in front of us in a couple of buildings and another lot trying to join them on the beach, they even crawled in the water trying to get around. Shot up a number, took 25 prisoners, used them burying the dead. Worst job of my life, I had to do in seven badly wounded Jerries with a revolver. Gathered up Hun gear and chutes. Patrols Pl working well. Things pretty well in hand here.
22nd May - Troop carriers over and dropped German rations. They are puzzled, don't know who is in position here. Buried 8 more Huns, 0600 hrs growing pretty high. Finished clearing up area. I have now, beside own Pl gear, 2 Jerry machine guns, 3 Tommy guns, 6 Jerry rifles. We were using them during the fighting, saving our own gear. Doug Wilkins passed out last night. God, I'll never forget the attack that night, Pat died without boots on, turned out he moved forward in stockings, his boots were worn out a week before. The same right through, lack of gear. Pat was a school teacher and I was fond of him. Plenty of Huns over but frightened to drop, for fear of hitting own troops.
23rd May - Very, very tired and hungry. Hurrah! Laughable. A transport plane of ours over from Egypt, dropped stores at daylight, chocolates and Tommy gun ammo, to the 2/1 lines. Fancy that for the remains of 2 Aussie and 1 Greek Bn. All very tired and hungry. Heavy Bombing. Jerry realises his forces have failed in this area, but believe about 4 miles along where no Bn was in position at Perivoli, the Huns have dug in well. I told Happy Jack two sheep were near us, so Dutchie and self did them over. Helped the grub along.
24th May - At 2015 hrs orders came. 15 minutes to move. Gulped a bit of grub and moved to counter attack Perivoli. Marched by sections and passed through burnt out village. Gee, looked terrible, homes on fire, dead lying around, animals etc. Lay around all night, desultory fighting etc. Pulled out 0515 hrs had to get out before Stukas caught us in open. Shot bullock. Max Barr and Alan Harrison cleaned it. Heavy bombing all day. Hazel's birthday.
25th May - Up 0300 hrs. Left for enemy position. Perivoli. Lined up along creek bed ready to go over behind a couple of I Tanks, 0530 just light. Tanks cracked up. Had to race back and finally reached our lines again. All of this casing around is knocking us up badly, very poor rations. Bombed all day, casualties mounting.
26th May - Out again 0300 hrs and moved to attack Perivoli. Organised, and over top 0530. Terrible slaughter, men dropped everywhere. One lot Harrison, Budden, Trim, Janezek in the first few minutes, dead, and many wounded, they kept picking us off, snipers, machine guns and planes never ceasing, until about 1000 hrs, I caught one through thigh and eventually carried out, all good history so will relate how come ---- Blow it! Our Coy moved, 9 Pl on right near road, 7 centre, rear, and self 8, left. My job was originally to clean out some scattered buildings and come in on left flank. I feel sure had we kept to this we'd have got through. Just after we started they bellowed from Capt Mac to move over behind the two I. tanks. Felt like closing the blind eye but thought better.
Well, the tanks were knocked out in quick time. Happy Jack (Captain MaCaskill – very highly thought of by my father) and I had to dive forward to try and guide them, jove it was dirty work, that was the first time I have ever heard Happy swear and jove, he did. We were all tied down, but I had moved my Pl 300x ahead of other two. I then tried to work forward along a shallow spoon drain to knock out a couple of Jerry machine guns behind, wrecked Junkers where they were dug in. Had wormed forward to within 130 x of them after having bowled 2 Jerries with Tommy guns, on the bank of my drain in the vines. ( I'll never forget crawling over two little Greek kids, riddled with machine gun bullets several days before.) Jerry however, had posted snipers in that drain at the culvert I was making for and he let me have it first as I crawled around a slight bend. Instantly rolling back into the bank saved me from another. I wriggled back 10 x to where some rushes allowed me to poke up my bren, but the LMG's were onto me and my Bren and tin hat were chucked yards. How I missed another in the neck and head God only knows. Finally got out and by truck to Adele or Pizivillage.
27th May - Must mention Dr Ryan. Yesterday, when I was hit, well forward of my lads, I was dragging myself backwards so as to watch no Heinies would come up and plant another in my back. Next thing Alan, or L/Cpl Harrison crawled up. I told him to get back and tell Cpl Osborne to pull the boys back to some low buildings and a stone fence. Alan tightly bound my leg, he didn't like leaving me there, but I insisted. Fine lad, Alan. Going back he was hit in the back and hopeless. I finally reached him and spoke a few words before he died. Will someday contact his people. Father a clergyman in Northam. I was very fond of Alan. Gee I felt bitter. The unfortunate thing was, I had told them to await my return and if I didn't, to withdraw in 3/4 hr, to buildings. Actually Alan had disobeyed. A little later, dashed if Wally McGregor didn't crawl up. Good lads, but it was too risky, and I was annoyed. Told them to get back and tell Osborne to move. Later, I found Osborne, while Mac was talking to him, was hit through the arm and lost his head. Told them, to get back over the ridge we had come down earlier. Well, they caught hell. Meanwhile I spent it seemed an age, crawling, the old knee up like a pack and burning like blazes. Talk about bullets, beats me why I was spared. Happy Jack was hit about this time too and many others knocked out. Finally Doc Ryan picked me up with a couple of bearers and flags. The ADS was crowded, laying under trees. Germans, Greeks, Tommies and Aussies, together with NZ's. All day long more coming in. 8 men to a tin of bully, no medical supplies and the horrible stench of blood, burnt flesh, groans and screams of wounded. Flies galore. Will I ever forget it! The terrible gangrene smell of hopeless cases. Men dying every few minutes. Impossible for attention. To think I had, with everyone else, thought of war in terms of a few hours of agony then a fine quiet hospital. Of course I was OK with my scratch but I could cry to see this shocking hell. Gerry Quinn, Arthur Price, Aussie and self together. Only for the swelling I could be back and into it. A couple of days and I'll walk out. Bad night.
28th May - Capt Woods killed. Many others falling. Old Bn about ruined. Food terribly short here and everywhere. Chaps just dying and nothing can be done. Can't get through to hospitals, all laying under olives in filth and cold night.
29th May - Laying around. Lot more killed and injured. Can't be evacuated. ADS here under trees, stinking. Greeks, Huns and selves. They tried to get a truck though with desperate cases, but Jerries turned them back, consequently more died. The little wooden crosses have multiplied out of sight here in a couple of days.
30th May - Runner dashed in 0630 hours to say 2/1 and 2/11 surrounded and capitulated. Appears rest of Island capitulated 3 days ago, only our end holding out. What shocking communication. Hun tanks up here 0730. All prisoners of War. God, wish I was fit, I would have made for the South Coast. They would never have got me alive. Treatment OK.

CRETE, ATHENES, KOKINIA HOSPITAL, 5TH AGH AND 26TH GH, 31st May 1941
31st May - These Jerries are wasting no time evacuating wounded by troop carriers to Athens, badly hit ones first. Many are being shifted down to hospital at Retimo. I fancy somehow I'm booked for Athens. Be too much luck for me to be left here and given an opportunity to escape. They have prison compound there. Food very short. All separated. Only a few of A Coy here now, will meet up later I guess. Happy Jack gone down to Retimo. Arthur Price and Aussie gone where, I don't know. God, I feel like an animal. Whilst on Crete one stands a chance of getting away, but Germany via Greece, No. Speaking to Jerry wounded during the last couple of days (many of these paratroopers speak good English) I was amazed by their confidence at quick releases. They were right enough. Again as at Thermopolac, I was amazed at the way they ignore the possibilities of our planes coming over. Fires blazing and lights. Where are our Air Force?
1st June - Waiting around all morning. Poor old breakfast, one Bulgarian egg, bad luck, stinking. Tightened belt a little more. Ye Gods! Am hungry. Shifting injured by plane, huge troop carriers. They piled self and 11 others into one of our trucks and down to drome with gear. Piled into huge black troop carriers. These planes fly about 80 to 100 MPH. Lovely trip. Crete looked lovely in sapphire sea, her sheer mountains, vineyards etc but when one though of the thousands lying dead, the horrible carnage of the last few days, the dream was dispelled. Flying about 1000 feet. Sea as smooth as glass. One looked right and left and to see their planes higher or lower, scudding through clouds was a wonderful sensation. Why wasn't I in the Air Force? One wouldn't have to capitulate there; things would rely on yourself above, instead of below my officers etc. These planes are 3 engines and built of something like corrugated iron, shake and shudder, holes from bullets through it. Crew, two pilots and one guard. J.V. 52's Left 1430. Sighted Athens the beautiful, and landed among hundreds of other planes, 1545 hrs. Finally drove through Athens to hospital area. Hadn't expected to see it again in a hurry. The Greeks are a wonderful people and cheered etc, saw many knocked down with rifle butts, bitter moments. I know how the old English Chief Caractates felt now. Tea, soup and bit of bread. Sleep in long Greek barrack room. Our own people caught in Greece 5th AGH and 26th General. My God, to look at barbed wire and think, a prisoner of war. Never did the thought enter my head that such a thing would happen to me.
2nd June - Bad night, bugs and fleas etc. Breakfast was a very tiny bit of rice and wretched mint tea, peppermint. Jerries substitute for same. Guess we will know plenty more makeshifts before we are through. How long will I stick at this life? Just full stop. Wound tended and then with 150 others graded, will leave per road tomorrow morning, 0830 hrs.
3rd June - Waiting round after mint tea and tiny bun. Finally told not leaving until tomorrow. Leg pretty sore. Fine view over Athens from here and sea. One is like a caged beast. People look in. Guards patrol wire and we aren't to go near enough to speak to Greeks. Very hungry. Wrote 1 sheet of paper to Hazel. Full particulars were taken from us on arriving here then sent home.
4th June - Breakfast rotten. Left per truck 0945 hrs. for Corinth. Lovely trip down, Jerry military traffic very thick. The huge estuary on the left all the way. Passed 100's of our trucks burnt and wrecked. Jerry's planes, as over our Thermapolae side, just hammered the columns to pieces. 68 mile trip finally over canal and into huge compound. One time Greek barracks. All are packed out and thousands laying out in stinking black sand. Self placed in charge of 100 men, throughout are numbered so. No food - not on ration strength. Rotten Jerry RSM and guards pulled our gear to pieces and took the ground sheet I had, leaves me with only my greatcoat. No one has blankets, all in same boat. George Flanagan has stuck with me, he seems to have lost any punch he ever had, the wound in his arm isn't severe enough to worry him, just spirits flat, many are the same. Noel Arledge also with me.
5th June - No breakfast. Watery pinch of gravy and 1 Dago biscuit for lunch. Bitterly hungry. Two of my fellows, McGorrery and Cunningham lost in Greece, before evacuation, blew across today. God, they look terribly starved, I gave them 300 Drachmas, leaving me 500. Were able to get a pass and move, 12 leaders at a time, into a little market at one corner of the camp. Bought few figs and currants for crowd. My 500 won't last long between us.
6th June - Same old thing. Terribly cold nights, wind howls up off sea. We overlook it, have scratched little hole to sleep in. This place is frightful, dysentery etc is throughout. Latrines are long trenches, flies and stink, lice and fleas and bugs. Murder! Chaps dying two and three a day. Started writing a terrific amount of detail, hope to get it home. Soaked up Dago biscuit with a pinch of currants for Flanagan and self for breakfast. 1600 prisoners move out for Germany. No medical attention, some wounds are terrible and smell terribly. Chaps getting lower and lower. Am completing two long, long letters. May see my way clear to get them home via Red Cross chaps. Believe there is a possibility they may be sent home later. Self, Group E 51 leader.
7th June - Crowd left 0300 hrs. 1600 lads in terrible state to walk into mainland over pontoon bridge. Railway line blown up from other side of canal. Nights bitterly cold, no cover. Guards shoot on slightest provocation. Gave my two letters to Andy White, one of our 11th Bn RAP chaps. Food terrible. Have to get inside or will freeze shortly.
8th June - Never any breakfast issued. Watery soup at 1230 hrs and 1730 hrs. Market not opened for 3 days owing to a Cyprian escaping. Busy day getting my 100 group ready to shift. Group leaders parade 1730 hrs each night outside administrative building. I chased out figures of all ranks here, or rather nationalities. 109 Lascar fireman from boats, 51 groups of English, 100 per group, 9 groups of NZ, Aussie 11 groups. 51 Palestinian groups, 3 Cypriot groups. 140 Indians. God, this is a filthy, stinking place.
9th June - Same old thing. Rather busy trying to trace a few of my chaps shifted into other groups so as to go with own chaps. Food terrible. Jerries paraded us naked, clothes tied in bundle and all thrown into cyronagas delouser. Given filthy pair of once white shorts, canvas, and all marched down to sea mile for dip. Lovely, but cold. Leg pretty bad for marching.
10th June - Leave for Germany tomorrow morning. Weather beautiful but terribly cold nights. Group leader conference; still trying to locate missing men. Jerry said if I don't locate them I'm liable to be shot. Told him that wouldn't procure them.
11th June - Up 0215 Tied bit of gear together. 1000 of us fell in and dragged 8 miles to station on Athens side of Canal Kalamis, I think. Frightfully hard on our miserable rations. Hundreds dropped out all along. Dysentery, etc Entrained at a little siding 50 to a cattle truck. Doors closed, two small barred windows. Arrived Athens 1245. Marched mile to a compound. God, one feels a filthy animal. Streets lined with Greeks, they are all with us; try and pass cigarettes or food and guards bash them. One sees some shocking sights. I had to race around with other Group leaders. Drew little rotten cheese, olive oil, salty dry fish and 3 biscuits, 2 days ration. Talk about a job, everyone trying to beat the other. Left 1530 hrs. Entrained 50 per truck up same old line all night. Fearfully hot. I cut a piece out of truck below window with pocket knife, at stops, put it in. Detrained at Gravia 0300 hrs. (At a reunion of 2/11th, which I went to with Mum, a friend of Dad’s told me that word was passed along the train that Dad was watching where they were going so they would be “alright!” they would find their way back)

GREECE SALONIKI PRISON HELL NO 1 CAMP, 12th June 1941
(Entrained Kalamis, past Lamia)
12th June - Arrived Gravia 0300 hrs. Fearfully thirsty after chewing this salt fish. Greeks tried to give us water but were knocked down. Same two tiny windows. God, we are learning to hate. Guards discharged rifles at Greeks. Upon detraining, they raced us at a run up over the awful mountains we knew so well from before. Discharged rifles into us, killing several and wounding many. God knows what happened to those who dropped. After three miles I discarded my tin hat, too heavy. Leg shocking, muscles all knotted up and bleeding. I can't growl, many worse off. Less said the better about this frightful 25 mile up over Thermapodae Pass. That awful climb we never expected to see again. Stopped for half hour 0900 hrs, for little snack. No water. They are moving us in groups of 50, have several trucks and change guards often. Reaching Lamia flat we lay on our bellies and guzzled the dirty marsh water. We are a long straggled column now, a bang with a rifle and one staggers past 20 or 30 others, until they are bashed past him and my turn again. That trail is lined with our trucks, smashed and burnt. Look down deep gorges and see trucks blown down in our painful retreat. Down flat around Lamia and to station 5 kilos on. Kalamis. They won't get the line through those passes for years again. Our engineers made marvellous jobs of them. Here I jumped into the cab of an engine and boiled my dixie and made a brew of mint tea for Flanagan and self. The Greek gave me quite a big lump of meat, shared it with Flanagan. Had bath under engine downpipe. Actually that march was 51 kilos by road, but we took the old path past the monastery. Entrained 1500 hrs 50 per truck. Travelled all night again. Frightfully hot and thirsty. One fellow was hit in his arm, was hanging onto window bars and guard fired. I bound it up with a shirt sleeve. Stink.
13th June - Detrained about 30 miles NE of Larissa. Where, in our retreat, we had blown the huge steel bridge, Jerry raced us over a pontoon and down winding road, 3 kilos to siding. Issue, 1 biscuit and little bit of salt fish again, uncooked. No water. God we are dry and done. Huns are a rotten lot. I couldn't keep up and was butted into gutter. Flanagan helped me. My leg is bad and festering, muscles are stiff. Entrained 0900 hrs. 50. Stink was shocking. Same little 9" by 2' window. I again cut out a board. Travelled slowly all day. No water. Some are completely out to it. Talk about skeletons. Arrived Saloniki 1700 hrs. Detrained and marched through reception of high Jerry officers, through the whole of this lovely city. Like a victory march for Jerry. People thick. One feels an animal. 3 miles to huge prison camp. Greek barracks. Nothing to eat.
14th June - All split up. Flanagan and self into a two storey building with 100's of others; slept on 3 storey bunks. 1 blanket. Must be 7,000 at least here. Reveille 0500 hrs. Cup of mint tea. Check parade. 0600 hrs. Work parade 0800 hrs and most inhumane thing of the lot in our frightful state, compulsory PT 0915 hrs. A little rice only at 1200 hrs. Check 1400 hrs. Sick parade 1500 hrs, a farce. I reported on parade, we were asked what we expected this place was. Days terribly long. Tea, mint - and 1 iron biscuit. Oh! for a cup of good brew and a slice of dry bread. All inside 2000 hrs. 2100 lights out. Give lice and bugs a better go, although they must be very hungry, no meat on us. Lot of Jerry planes around.
15th June - Reveille 0500. Mint tea, usual parades. Work parades go out each day. Greeks manage to give them a little to eat. They are loading at wharf, foodstuffs, petrol, timber. I'd sooner die of hunger than help them at all. Rice at 1200, got about a small cup each. Tea 1800, half a biscuit. Horrible watching some of these people. Flanagan and self have top bunks near window of this 2 storey place; can look out over town.
16th June - 2000 moved out today, make a little more room here, let's hope we'll get more food. Coming up cloudy. Deadly life. Am starting a couple more letters home. Andy White shifted in, he may get rid of them if he goes. Feeling a little better. Paraded 1800 hrs, all of us from Crete. Shifted into group. Twenty two separate small buildings and filthy. A Jerry interpreter sorted us, said Good Crete aye? The Jerries, when they took this diary (my old one from me at Saloniki No 2,) and underlined a fair deal with red. Here I had written "Deadly life". Am starting a couple more letters for a Red Cross lad of mine in case he gets away. Believe there is a chance they will be returned.
17th June - Rotten night, this place is filthy dirty and stuffy. Washed my clothes, tunic as well, had a good bath rather it was under a tap each day. Never wear a shirt. Meals are hopeless. Rice and lentils for lunch, half a biscuit and a piece of dry bread. Once a day we get this horrible herb tea.
18th June - Dad's birthday. Nights are cold now, 1 blanket hopeless and food practically useless for cold. Boils broken out around my wound. Fair drop of rain. Major Heagney marched in this morning with small group, including Johnson J.G. of mine, Capt Gook, Lieut Roberts, Lee Dundas, McRobbie, Scott, Dawes, Millett. Good to see them again.
19th June - Cold night. I have a bad cold, plenty about. Boil on knee sore. M.O. says wound healed too quickly. Writing long account of doings. Half a dozen more lads charged and into the bunker. Seven days for petty offences, 1 biscuit and water a day. We have a horse meat mess with our rice now. Same parades.
20th June - My group's turn for outside work. Timber yard, hospital and ration dumps. Chaps are like savages trying to get out on the parade to secure a little extra food, they have lost all pride. Barley and horse meat stew, horribly strong tasting; nearly sick first time I tasted it. Gives a little body to the grub though. Major Heagney gave me 1000 Drachmas to divide among 31 of our 2/11 lads here. Bn funds. 33 per man.
21st June - Boil about right. Writing up. Very hungry. Deadly life. Major Heagney over to my building, gave me another 2000 Drachmas to divide. He has given me Bn nominal role to try and find out how many of Bn I can definitely account for. After chasing around all day among our people today, am up to 73.
22nd June - Usual parades. Completed role and can account for 125 chaps and officers. Have been keeping my eyes open to see how one could do one of the numerous little jobs of administration (rackets). Finally have managed to get Flanagan and self into issuing the back up, if any, of horse stew; a little extra for selves.
23rd June - Still working on nominal role questioning our fellows. Russia reputed in War. We have about 1000 Serbs and Croats here, they get better treatment than we British Dogs. Usual parades 3/4 hr. PT. too strenuous under these conditions. Love a letter from home.
24th June - Hazel's birthday. Pretty hungry. Parades, PT. etc for some reason they are hammering us. Shocking existence, nothing to read or do. Check parade in evening. Move out in morning 0730 hrs.
25th June - Nothing for breakfast. Marched us 4 miles to another camp. N.E. near Great War Cemetery, Old Prison camp 14-18. Overlooking huge sea inlet and Saloniki harbour. Lovely view. Wire is rusted with age. These are Greek barracks, filthy. The old War Prison Camp is alongside us a mass of rusted wire and ruins. Trying to get on staff. Huge crowd here, 2000 moved in from here for G. we think. Nothing to eat. Lord, this hunger. One of our guards rode a boy of about 6 down as we marched here. Greek women and men trying to give us food were smashed down.
26th June - Check parade. If I could get on the staff and stay behind instead of moving on, may get a chance to escape or Russia may break through. Tons of rumours around about Red Joe. Have found spot upstairs and spend hours gazing from window ledge where I sit. 2000 out and another 2000 in. Midday, little horse stew and 1 biscuit. Old ribs are appearing. ANZ RSM Heard, is our Camp Commandant. Have changed into a later group to stay behind. Keeping eyes peeled for chance to buzz off.

SALONIKI NO 2 CAMP, 27th June 1941
27th June - Same old thing. Hungry and lousy. Still writing up. This is pretty good material and with my letters, will give a good insight into these rotters and our life. Have secured a book and enjoyed reading, first time for ages. Day passed quicker. Will be able to exchange. Great rumours, Russia advancing. My little mirror from Mollie and Julie in leather holder with my sole wealth, 400 drachmas and comb, stolen. Broke now. That is the last link with home bar my whistle, little watch case on a chain with Hazel and Ron. Rumours Turkey in war. Things look brighter. None have been sent on, looks hopeful. Huns aren't so bad here, but frightfully hungry. Greek labourers whitewashing buildings. Dysentery frightful.
28th June - Heavy rain. Mess up over food and stampede, consequently some of us missed altogether. Not a bite.
29th June - Usual parades. Greek Red Cross sent a truck load of bread, 1 loaf between 4 men, Gee it was lovely. Jerries are issuing us one loaf between ten per day now. Very warm today. Lot of German transport moving.
30th June - Warm day. Heavy rain last night. 1000 English lads moved on. Jerries told us the 2000 last batch stampeded and 20% were killed or injured, machine gunned and Tommy gunned. Writing up exploits.
1st July - Same old thing. Parades. Plenty of rumours. Wish 5% were true. Very wet night. Day glorious. I have a cold bath each day and scrub clothes with sand but am always lousy. Tiny piece horse meat and bit of bread. I took an English Dovey over to hospital. His temp 102.4.
2nd July - Nothing much doing. While on parade troop of Jerries searched our gear, tossed it everywhere. Red Cross issue, 4 to a loaf of bread and a small piece of soap.
3rd July - Parades. Terrific storm, lightning and thunder, tons of rain. Grub very light. Cpl Dovey died. Jerries censored this piece of old diary, in red --- The Huns barter watches and rings for the bread which the Greeks bring up.
4th July - Wet night, places are leaking badly and are getting very wet. Issue of a few olives each. I don't like them. Jerries raided the boys Crown and Anchor boards and two-up rings. Confiscated all coin. Very hungry. Completed writing records up to date. Hate to lose this detail.
5th July - Parades. Self C. 20 group. Now switched over to stay behind and try to escape. Very windy day. Walked into barbed wire fence and skinned my boko badly. Gosh a good feed would go well. Censored (lot of German transport moving all night). Took chap in charge and appeared before Hun Commandant. Lot of stealing of rations been going on and I was roped in as a witness.
6th July - Check parade early again, 0930, with gear. Allotted new groups. Self now Crete 4. Different buildings, all we from Crete separate. Now with RSM Jackson's group. Very hungry. I fully intended escaping tonight, or rather last night, through dirty drain under wire. A Cyprian saw me looking and said, come with me Sgt, he told me he with two others were going tomorrow night so I decided to wait and go with them. They cheated me and attempted that night. Two Cypriots and 1 Aussie were shot. Maybe I was lucky.
7th July - Huns very sore, held us on parade until 1030. Very hot. Lot of fellows fainted. Health is shocking and a lot of Malaria and dysentery. These Cypriots stand a better chance of buzzing off, speak Greek and look the same too. Some keep nit while others cut wire. Wet weather good for them.
8th July - 1000 more in this morning. Going to be only Crete chaps here. RSM Brown, Nesbitt, Knowles, Parker etc with them. Wet day. I have decided to try and secrete myself in rear of ration truck and get out tomorrow, anything is worth risking. Grub frightfully light, all like skeletons. No extra has come in for new 1000.
9th July - Prepared to slip out on truck after parade. Wearing two shirts - flannel; water bottle inside, shaving gear and tooth brush in pocket. Unfortunately Jerries in truck and out of question. Another 2000 lads in, few of 11th Bn 1830 hrs. Risked another opportunity which I had been thinking of for week or so too. Have noticed our Camp RSM going outside compound to Jerry Commandant's building each night. Guard opens gate and passes him onto another, outside Jerry guard room. I brazenly walked to gate with my book and said to 3 Fritzies changing guard there, Commandant. Jerry said Nix. I pretended to be annoyed and bellowed. They let me out and one led me to building door where I had been on stealing charge and noticed on going upstairs an empty room on top of landing. I marched through guard room, tons of Fritzies up stairs and straight into empty room. Waited 3 hours, all dark. Jerries out, I looked into 5 or 6 rooms and found their mess, had a lovely feed and stuffed shirt with grub. In one room I found civvy clothes taken from camp, knives etc. Dressed and finally with a piece of rope tied around window rear of building, was half way to ground when challenged. Dropped rest of way into half a dozen with fixed bayonets. Knocked about a bit and shoved into guard room. Took my whistle, last of my things, had thought to get that home for Ronnie. Spent very cold night on cement floor, but have full tummy.
10th July - No breakfast of course. Up before Commandant who proved a real gentleman, strange to say. Asked me a lot of questions etc. Finally told me I was extremely unfortunate, I deserved to get away. Coolest thing he had ever heard. Told them to give me a feed and back to compound. One good Jerry.
11th July - Beautiful day. Sick and tired of answering questions re my escapade.(Censored) Meals and check parades frightfully slow. Now 6000 here. Many rumours about. Wish I could hear from home. This no news is terrible. Must watch for another opportunity to escape.
12th July - At 1100 hrs a Chev truck, one of ours, was in picking up rubbish. Seized opportunity, I crawled under the chassis, made for the job and wide board behind blocked the guard's view underneath. Hurrah I thought. Guard swung gate open and outside compound again. Covered with mud and water. One mile down field and they tipped truck and I was left like a shag, exposed. Revolvers out and back before Jerry RSM. Cell 30 days hard. No grub, cold cement floor again. Not up before Commandant. Terribly cold and hungry. Feel ill too.
13th July - Great way to spend Sunday. Wretched night and bad head with shivers, hope it's not malaria. Jerry officers said I don't appreciate kindness and will pay for it this time. Several speak English. RSM and couple of others aren't too bad and gave me a bit of grub 1200 hrs. They sent my gear in 1700 hrs. My fountain pen from Hazel, badges, book and towel stolen. Our mates.
14th July - Quite fair night. Beautiful day outside. Guess I'll be up before Jerry Commandant today. Feel sorry for letting him down in a way. Still, all's fair in war. Good luck, large piece of bread and whole biscuit for breakfast. Later RSM and interpreter gave me 8 eggs, two small packets of biscuits, 1 cucumber and piece of cheese, out for stroll with guard and bath. Feeling ok. What a life. Wrote chronicles, my diary and book came in gear.
15th July - Bad luck, just when things looked okay. They came in, took my gear, left me half blanket. Took my spare biscuit and eggs, diary, chronicles, completed letters. My hard solitary confinement starts today, 17 days bread and water, very small piece of bread and no water today. Returned diary underlined and pay book. Chronicles and letters to be burnt. Officers abused me and threatened me with severe punishment if I used words Jerries, Huns etc again. Gee, I regret losing all of my writing. Never again.
16th July - Terribly hungry. Bad night, mosquitoes. Feeling off again. Small piece of bread 1300 hrs. Out for wash 5 minutes. Beautiful day, but can't appreciate it. Guess I deserve this, nothing to do, getting off light for second attempt.
17th July - Sick and sweating and giddy all day. Malaria I guess. Passed me in a small piece of dry bread at 1800 hrs. Asked for water but refused.
18th July - Feeling lot worse 1800 hrs. No water or bread at all today. Don't think I will stick this, even 17 days will be too much for me I think. Dry retching, hot and sweaty, would give my soul for some water.
19th July - Our Ron's birthday, 12 months. Terrible night and morning. Guard opened door and I asked for water and he kicked me in the face. Didn't know any more and was later carried out by RAP orderlies in a very bad way, to hospital.
20th July - Didn't know too much, pretty feverish, dry retching etc. Can recollect laughing and gasping and doctor smacking my face and yelling at me.
21st July - Don't seem to have remembered anything.
22nd July - Still vomiting dry, felt terribly exhausted.
23rd July - Very weak, being fed on water from rice boiling, not allowed to eat anything. Doctor took statement regarding my treatment and lodged complaint. Have touch of malaria. Shifted out to compound 1600 hrs. Before Commandant 1800 hrs, with Doctor, don't have to complete time. Shifted into little room at end of long barrack building with RSM Brown, our CSM Collins, Carl Short, Fred Jackson, Harry Burton, CSM 2/8 Engineers Sgt Reeves (later taught himself German and being Stalag liaison officer, after the war married Dad’s sister Molly) and Sgt Bill Farmer, also 2/8 Field Coy Group 9.
24th July - Terribly weak and malaria. Some of my lads who came in to see me at the hospital said they thought I was gone. Am just a shadow. Many more the same, dysentery and hunger. All Cypriots shifted out 1600 hrs. Commandant changed. Any doing time in prison are to get same rations as compound.
25th July - Usual parades. Grub the same little bit of muck. Enquiry into deaths of 3 chaps and 7 injured going out to latrines during night, Twice I have been fired at of a night as well, shots go all night long. Can't think Jerry prisoners get same treatment. Beautiful weather.
26th July - Usual old thing. I can't move much, get very feverish at night and sweaty. We are being issued with 2 quinine tablets per day now. Spend hour per day delousing. Wish another issue of Greek Red Cross would come in. Camp is just a nightmare. A crowd of walking skeletons. God help Hitler.
27th July - Check parades. Church parade. A fine young fellow took it and made a commendable job of it. First greens for months. They boiled us a few french beans only, but welcome. Small piece of stinking cheese and half a biscuit as well.
28th July - Beautiful day. Did a little washing. Out on the compulsory PT parade. Hopeless to expect us to do it. Foot useless. 2 more died. Never a day passes without one or more going, absolutely no nourishment in our food muck. We overlook the big Great War Cemetery from prison. Deaths from Malaria etc.
29th July - Lovely weather. Nine to a loaf and a biscuit, sloppy cup of rice for lunch, save a little of our bread for tea with water. PT one hour, stupid. Great rumours. England landed troops in Luxemburg. Where these yarns start and why Lord knows.
30th July - Glorious day. Feeling a lot better but think a great deal of food and home.
31st July - Very hungry. PT Grub rotten. Hope Jerries are feeling this shortage similar to ourselves. Lice and bugs terrible.
1st August - PT Markers always out on Parade ground. 0530 Check 0600 Issue 9 to a loaf and half biscuit from 0700 hrs. onwards. Getting a substitute coffee now, no milk or sugar of course. Red Cross seem to have deserted us. Aust NZ English separated now. We are in a different building now Group 7A.
2nd August - Beautiful weather. Grub short as hell. This 9 to a loaf and half a biscuit is useless, couple more dead. Malaria taking a toll.
3rd August - Church service. Young chap very good. Lunch, filthy lentils, boiled, grubs, dirt and gravel, never washed, substitute drink, half a biscuit and small piece mouldy cheese, stinking too but eat it.
4th August - Mother's birthday, parade. PT Lunch, some maggoty, filthy dirty broad beans, boiled. Jove grub is short. Young fellow in Artillery died last night.
5th August - Check Parade and PT. Thank heavens Greek Red Cross in with 5 loads of tomatoes, melons and lemons, cheese and a few cigs. Issued with tomato and 2 cigs. Doesn't go far in this huge crowd. Golly we are skeletons and hungry. Traded my cigs for tomato.
6th August - Parade PT with 300 loaves from Red Cross, our bread ration down to 7 to a loaf, 3/4 small cup of cheese, small piece of melon. Lord knows where the rest went, may as well not come in, Jerries take most I think. Filthy lentils for lunch. Plenty of rumours about. Another two fellows died. We are very callous.
7th August - Parade and PT. Little piece of salvaged German cheese, mouldy and stinks terrific. Gulp with dry bread, 9 to a loaf and half a biscuit. 1000 English moved out. I was hauled out to go, but at last minute they took me off. Since my escapade I have had to report each day on Parade separately. Terrible day, wind and dust terrific.
8th August - Chap in Engineers died. Very cold wind and dust. Had a re check parade 0800 hrs. Self up before Commandant for interview, appears one chap is missing. I am a suspect and have to step forward every parade. Horrible life and always ravenous. Only talk is of food.
9th August - Very dusty and windy. Alan McDowell 2/11 died and a lad out of 2/17, several more very low. Guards doing a lot of shooting.
10th August - Church Parade. Our groups from 1 to 10 shifting. Saw Charlie Thomas, he has been here all the time, haven't run across him though. Rations issued. 1.4/5 loaf and 1 1/8 tins swine meat for 5 days. Left camp, marched to Saloniki. Train pulled out 1830 hrs. Box cattle trucks, 35 to a truck, very hot and only usual 2 small vents.

SALONIKI TRAIN TO GERMANY, MARBURG THEN INTO AUSTRIA, 11th August 1941
11th August - Travel very slow, only moved about 40 miles and hung up in siding nearly all day. They let us out for 5 minutes 0800 hrs. Across Saloniki and up through the Struma Valley Pass. Very rough and steep country. Small patches of maize and little fruit trees. Plenty of plane trees. See machines harvesting little wheat stacks, or rather threshing. Few vines and melons. Passed through Cyrelita & Struma. Grub is very light, must ration; some have eaten everything and will be hungry before we reach our destination. See quite a lot of bombing and artillery results from the push down here a couple of months back. Railway bridges and buildings smashed up. Only had 2 water bottles between us.
12th August - Passed through Nish last night, through Natail or Natinil 0630 hrs, moved all night. Well into Bulgaria now, country very fine, hilly and Well cultivated. Farmsteads are mud brick and about 6 or 8 buildings. Stock look good. People dressed in strange but picturesque clothing. Terrific lot of maize grown. Crossed into Bulgaria about midday. Pretty poplars and silver birch.
13th August - Travelled with only few stops all night. About 2300 hrs passed through very large city (Austing) Lot of tunnels, country marvellously pretty, mountains. People clean. Very hungry. 0800 hrs. Stopped at Belgrade. Out for 10 minutes. Red Cross women with cheery smiles gave us a small tin of meat, 2 iron Slav biscuits and glass of water. A number of us ripped our clothes off and washed under a tap. It was lovely and first since Sunday. Very dirty and sweaty. Travelled all day and night. Hundreds of miles of maize crops, beet and sunflowers. Rained 0630 hrs and all night, we became very wet and miserable; cold wind. Such is life I guess.
14th August - Beautiful day dawned. Endless maize, hops and beet as far as one can see each side of rails. No sign of famine. Sheep, pigs and cattle. Town, villages and people very picturesque. Cities, fine buildings and churches everywhere. State now Croatia, Maburg. Many train loads of Jerry soldiers, guns and horses passing. We are halted a great deal. 1400 hrs into the mountains again, very beautiful. Pines, oak, birch and spruce. Plenty of wild fruit, plums galore, peaches, pears, apples, grapes all ripe. Passed beautiful resorts, lovely churches, people very fair and clean. Over many rivers. Into Cille 1530 hrs. Lovely Austria now. Climate beautiful. Very thirsty, no water since Red Cross yesterday. Out for 5 minutes and water 1630 hrs. Timber and forestry paradise.
15th August - Beautiful day 0800 hrs swung around a fork and travelling west. 0830 hrs Leibrutz. Pulled up. People are fine looking, yodelling everywhere. Austria. Huge industrial centre. Gratz 1000 hrs. Homes and gardens beautiful for hundreds of miles. Window boxes etc. Maize, beet, potatoes, sunflowers. vines and fruit has stretched for days. A wonderful educational trip. On and at 1615 hrs stopped in a huge ravine and out for 5 minutes. No water. Very hungry. Good run all night. Passed through huge stations and marshalling yards several times, all lit as bright as day.
16th August - Glorious morning. Been 36 hrs without a bite or water, now and then only a small biscuit, which I shared with Bill Brown, he cleaned his up the day before. Many are in a state of utter collapse and can't get up. Very mountainous, pines and snow. Through Bergen Rosenheim 0930 hrs a big place. Later in the day through huge Munchen Industrial centre at 1200 hrs. Into Germany now and fairly flat. Every inch that isn't buildings is cultivated for food, plants etc. 1530 hrs out for 5 minutes, those of us who can move. 1600 hrs Augsburg. Huge place. Jerry guards have their usual hot meal, their Red Cross provide them. It is disgusting to see our fellows begging for something, I'd die first. Frightfully weak. At Munchen an electric engine took us over. These engines, steam, oil and electric are enormous monsters. Vans of every different country are jumbled everywhere. From France to Greece. On the electric, we have flown along, hope not long now. Changed into oil engine then back to electric again.
17th August - Frightfully hungry. Travelled all night. Steam again. Little rain, too hungry to sleep at all. 0600 hrs arrived at Hammelburg, this is Northern Bavaria. At 0700 hrs doors were opened and we were issued with a bowl of hot maize soup. Lord it was lovely and 1/5 loaf of bread, feel much better. Logging country, piles of sleepers and logs all around the station. Rolled our bit of gear and detrained and marched through this pretty little town, 5 kilos up a long steep winding hill. Had to halt every few hundred yards. Arrived at huge camps well set out. Eventually many had to be picked up by trucks. Into a rough place prior to delousing. Another hot vegetable stew, lovely, mint tea and another 1/6 loaf and little jam. Ye Gods!
18th August - Cold night, living in huge tents, all very old and wet, mud everywhere, until deloused. Breakfast 0700 hrs. Loaf between 5 and mint tea. We march mile to huge cookhouse run by Froggies. Lunch, lovely, dixie of beans, spuds and stew. This is great compared to what we have had. Surroundings beautiful apple trees, mountains and so fresh. Barb is terribly thick and strong. Batches of 50 started going to delouse. Left 1630. Hot shower, hair shaved off head, chest, armpits etc. Inoculation for typhoid. Into temporary old stable buildings, all cement. Clothes fumigated as Well as one blanket. Piece of solid honey and drink of tea for supper.

HAMMELBURG GERMANY BAVARIA, 19th August 1941
19th August - 0600 hrs. Reveille Bread and tea for breakfast. 0800 hrs passed through checking and details of chaps' work (trades taken) Self, farmer, but think I will be on the staff. At present RSM Brown is camp commander SM Burton 2 IC Sgt M Collins, S/Sgt Reeves, Sgt Palmer and self together in separate room. Bill intends to keep us to assist with our 1000. Very busy cleaning up. These are isolation billets (10 days). Food is quite good. Jerries look clean and well fed themselves and are treating us quite well. Have fatigue parties cleaning weeds from cobble stones. Have been told the German officer in charge of our trip has been punished and his unit, instead of going on leave, has a fortnight's guard straight off. He was supposed to have seen we had a hot meal at Belgrade.
20th August - Wonderful night's sleep, no bugs, or lice, iron two decker beds and paillasse. We have things going well now, good discipline. Chaps are taking an interest in themselves. Washing, shaving etc. Fatigues. This camp will be ok until we gradually get them all out to jobs. Breakfast bread and tea. Lunch, plenty of vegetable stew, polony in it.
21st August - Usual breakfast, lunch cabbage and spud stew. Believe for a week we are on double rations. I took a party of 50 up to store for fitting. Self, pair of reconditioned boots, 2 shirts and cap. Tea, bread and small piece of polony. Started raining and continued all night.
22nd August - Wet day Breakfast and lovely dixie of stew, fish and vegetables. These Froggy cooks are doing a good job. A lot of our chaps are disgraceful, like animals the way they push and shove to get extra. Sewing and generally cleaning up. Sgt George Flanagan died of malnutrition and cerebral haemorrhage. He has been very weak since the train trip.
23rd August - Cold wet day. Grub light but still a lot better than Saloniki. Bill Brown took some of we 11th Bn practice for Flanagan's funeral. Jerries have barrack inspection each morning and check parade 0830 hrs.
24th August - Wet day Jack Reeves took church parade. Quite day, good lunch. 5th loaf of bread and either little jam, polony or cheese. Made the role of the 2/11 worst ever. Practice for Flanagan's funeral tomorrow. Poor chap, hard to go now.
25th August - Rained all night. Fine day. Flanagan's funeral. Six of we 11th Bn were pall bearers. Gunner Sgt Hanrahan, Sgt Mick Merrick, Sgt Tanner. Jerries made deal coffin. They were quite good, the Ober Felt-Webel, a firing party of 8 Frenchmen chanting Latin. 30 of our people following. We had a long exhausting carry from church to little spot among the trees near camp. A lonely grave under some tall trees. Each person took a step forward, saluted and tossed a shovel full of earth onto coffin. Jerries first, they were remarkably decent. Took Bn role. Sorted Sgts to go out with parties. Grub getting a lot lighter.
26th August - Usual parades. They have now cut our grub down and are consequently feeling hungry again. Tomorrow 750 men, a Sgt. with each 50, to go out working. A few of us, who are to take parties later are not on this. This is to be a week's work to break the boys in. Doesn't seem any help for it, one must work it appears. Rather looking forward to going out.
27th August - Wet night. Feeling pretty empty, this 5th of a loaf for two meals and light stew midday absolutely hopeless. 70 lads started working at 60 pfennigs a day. We Sgts picked to go as commanders later, not out. Taken and fitted with breeches, puttees and 2 pairs of under trousers and singlets. French stuff and pretty poor, still better than nothing.
28th August - Beautiful day. Very hungry. Quite a lot of gear and stuff is being stolen while lads are out at work. Their bread ration left from breakfast (shocking). Made myself a kit bag out of a pair of old trousers. Washed few things. I have a cold bath each day under the tap. Chaps are on road work and buildings.
29th August - Very dull day, rained a little. Small ration of fish stew for lunch. Boys aren't doing much work, naturally won't for Jerry and besides the food is hopeless.
30th August - Wet day. Good feed of cabbage and spuds for lunch. Troops got back up. Jerries realise they will work better I guess. Check parade on clothing after lunch. No work in afternoon. Sewed set of stripes on shirt.
31st August - Jerry CSM Ransek gone on leave for a fortnight, another Jerry taken over, he is a boxer and quite decent for a Jerry. This camp is known as Stalag XIII C. Hammelburg. Very cold, usual breakfast and quite tasty hash for lunch, not enough though. Had trouble with fellow in mess parade, pushing in again before his mates had any. I stopped three very severe punches in face. One on mess parade and two more when I brought him into Brown's room. Took his number and Brown said he will get 14 days to think it over, must draw the line somewhere. Wet day; this climate is very bitter. What will winter be like? Mmmm! Inspection 1530 hrs. Oh for some home mail and hear how war is going. We hear air raid sirens going now and again. Never see any of our planes but plenty of Huns though.
1st September 1941 - Lovely morning. All waiting on another fumigation. Before lunch I was taken into German Commander's office with chap, he was remanded.
2nd September - Deloused again. Lovely hot shower. Afterwards into billets vacated by Froggies. Grub light, crowd gradually coming through. I scored another two pairs of under trousers from dumb Jerry Q Master.
3rd September - Roused out 0300 hrs and all marched to cookhouse. A little drink of tea 1/3 loaf of bread and tin of paste, between 6. My piece of bread small and rat eaten, stiff luck. Handed in blanket (I halved mine) and dixie. Marched to Hammelburg and caught train 0730 hrs. Travelled very slowly all day, and after 90 kilos and having changed 3 times at huge places, arrived at Fladungen where 150 of us were tipped out indiscriminately. Chaps had been unloaded all along the line. Marched about 2 miles to a barrack lager 2 decker wooden beds. Issued with brown enamel plate and mug, knife, fork and spoon. A thin stew. Two filthy blankets, straw palliasse. Electric light here and when we clean it up, should be quite decent. Latrines attached and cookhouse.
4th September - Reveille 0600 hrs. Only a little coffee. Jack Reeves and I are sleeping alongside each other. Bill Palmer is working in cookhouse and two others with an old Jerry named Anton. Jack is interpreter. He and Sgt Major Burton (Harry Burton married Dad’s sister Molly years after Jack Reeve died, his son Harry, was a journalist who was killed in Afghanistan as a war correspondent a couple of years ago) are going to run the joint. Made shelf in Jack's and my bunks. Slept well last night. Bunks are in stands of 8, two high. Early vegetable lunch. Out roadmaking, no good.
5th September - 1/6 of a loaf of bread to last for breakfast and tea, mint. Vegetable stew midday. Sgts and WO's refused to go out in afternoon, we have decided we are being compelled against League rules. Jerries will look into the business. This place is quite good, two coppers in cookhouse, two in wash house, dais for meals with forms. I got permission to go soil testing with a Jerry surveyor and two of our lads. Apples everywhere and had quite a few.
6th September - Reveille and breakfast, spuds and little bread from last night. Out to work on road for half day from 0700 hrs to 1220 hrs. Quite good lunch. After lunch took volunteer party of 30 to dig spuds for ourselves. Two wagons and into camp. Solid work. Lovely spuds. Managed to pick a few apples, guard not looking. This country has apple trees everywhere along roads. Allowed to pick up windfalls. These trees are community owned. Boys pinched bags of spuds and after guards went out we boiled up two coppers full and had a good feed, after our impromptu concert.
7th September - Sunday Reveille 0630 hrs. Fortunately I'd kept some spuds from last night. Jerries don't believe in feeding one if not working. Six Jerry officers inspected us, enquired re food etc. Will improve position of NCO's, must work, if we don't they say it is considered sabotage. Later they said we are picked for group leaders, will later take over groups farming. Good lunch. Working on German language. French donated 20 cigs or 3rd packet of tobacco a man.
8th September - Reveille 0545 Rushed breakfast, spuds and little bread. On road all day. Very cold and muddy. In for watery stew lunch. Tea 1900 hrs. Knocked off 1730 hrs. Spuds and 1/6 loaf of bread for day. This work is far too hard for this food. All thin.
9th September - Reveille 0545 Usual few spuds and little bread. Road 0645. Very cold and wet day. Managed to sneak a few little windfalls when guards not looking. Helps the appetite. Some of our lads are very ill but must come out to work.
10th September - Shower day. Dirty and sticky, boots full of water. We are carrying road over a hill and have dug in 12" deep just running with water. We are tossing mud up on platforms. Work is very slow and guards are continually at us. What would I give for mail.
11th September - Wet day. Worked half hour. from 0645 then sat in a shed for 3 hours. Into billets 1100 hrs. Lunch and remained in. Turned in clothes, soaked. Good sleep. Spuds and small issue of margarine, cup of very weak coffee. Weather very cold and miserable.
12th September - Reveille 0545 Bit of grub, and onto our nightmare road. Battering the drain alongside in deep drain, raining, wet and miserable. Sauerkraut, a species of pickled shredded cabbage, horrible muck to we Colonials anyhow. Noodles or vermicelli. I think useless for work and so little. Few spuds for tea and usual issue of bread. We pull a kind of stock feed stuff and eat that with our spuds to help. Some are eating snails. Thank God I haven’t come to that. Most eat bits of apple cores etc. from road. Soap issue. We could buy one small cake, horrible clay like muck for 15 pfennigs, and a packed of powdered soap (wash pulver) 22 Pf and 100 tiny tablets of saccharine for 19 Pf's. Razor blade 5 Pf's, shaving soap 20 Pf's, toothpaste 35 Pf's. We were very glad to get this rubbish.
13th September - Very cold. Spuds and small crust of bread from last night. Oh, to get enough to eat. Out on road. Coldest day yet. Froze. Myself with 5 others for dental treatment in town. Dentist didn't turn up. Fladungen is quite pretty when cleaned up each weekend. Situated in a hollow between hills with the mountains as background, the little river rambling through. Its ancient buildings and few towers. The agricultural areas marked off in hectares, roads lined with apple trees and pears. Spuds, wheat, oats etc.
14th September - Paid 5 marks per man, last night sick, not paid. Wet day. Some of us pulled barb off windows and stole out, raided a couple of small orchards and brought in quite a lot of apples and pears; helped the hunger. Jerries appear suspicious. They live in a room adjoining ours. Very cold day. We scrub out each Sunday thoroughly and two elderly chaps give it a rough go each day. I'll say rough!
15th September - On road, very wet and muddy. Digging drain. Terrific cloud burst.
16th September - Toiling on road. Frightfully wet and cold. Tucker horribly light. Trouble over apple stealing. They have cut our spuds a sixth. Nights very cold but billets are warm.
17th September - Cold day. In at 1100 hrs for dentist. He is very modern and one hardly expected seeing such good equipment in such a small place. He scraped and bored out hollow, put in nerve killing material ready for filling. We were late to lunch with mob and the cooks kept us the bottom of the coppers, quite a good feed. Out on job 1430 hrs. Never do to leave 4 men in for afternoon.
18th September - Looking like rain again. Very cold wind; our clothes are totally inadequate. Completed batter and am now digging out road, very sticky and muddy. Food light but tastes quite good. We miss the cut out of our ration. Guards have their work cut out watching for us sneaking behind hedges etc after windfalls. Have found they only fire over our heads and it is worth that for a couple of windfalls.
19th September - Reveille 0545 This only gives us 20 minutes to dress, wash and gulp our bit of crust and black barley coffee, sweetened with saccharine, supplied by ourselves. Our usual 1 mile walk and it is a killer for us in our weak state up a hill. Solid day. Lunch was usual stew but little more and enjoyed same. Find the meat?
20th September - Started on drain, again battering. In 1100 hrs dentist and he bored and filled after removing nerve. Temporary. No work in afternoon. Enjoyed the rest.
21st September - Quiet day. Had another hot bath in bowl. I spent morning sweeping along road in front of our billets and in small compound. Looks much neater. The old German, Anton, in charge of cookhouse, gave me a piece of bread. I hadn't thought of remuneration but naturally didn't say no. Jack Reeves took church.

FLADUGEN, BAVARIA ROAD WORK, 22nd September 1941
22nd September - Working on road and drain. Very wet and muddy. Feet continually wet.
23rd September - Lovely day. On drain. Cabbage stew with little sausage in; these measly rations leave a terrific void. Small cube of butter with spuds and piece of bread for tea.
24th September - Out on road. Working on batter. Beautiful day. Usual potatoes. Cabbage and carrot stew, no meat. Sometimes if one looks hard enough, if lucky, he finds a tiny piece of meat.
25th September - On road. Very solid. Guards are always at us and don't hesitate to use rifle butts. Numbers of boys are cracking up. Huns are rotters and force them out to work. I think I mentioned that Harry Burton CSM is in charge here. Jack Reeves Sgt his assistant, while Bill Parmer Sgt is one of the cooks. They could have worked me into an inside job being my mates but I prefer taking it with the rest. Had a tiny piece of meat in the stew. Jerry appears very short of solid foods.
26th September - On road all morning. After lunch out 2 miles to new job, 5 of us stoning up a drain, where in numerous places it has been washed out. Heavy work on this insufficient food. A little thickset pig of a Jerry is boss.
27th September - Working on drain. Very solid and ganger is real Hun. Knocked off 1300 hrs. Poor lunch. Down to dentist; he completed my filling. Washed clothes and had hot bath. Unloaded two wagons of spuds into cellar that we call "Black Hole". I went with Tubby and Jerry cook for cabbages. Another piece of bread for nix and we picked up a few windfall apples. All helps.
28th September - Swept out billets and cleaned up generally. Black coffee usual Sunday breakfast. Cabbage and spuds for dinner. Jerry gives little when not working.
29th September - Working on drain. Got a few apples going out to work. Grub very light. Tubby, Jack and Harry helped me considerably, they have been down the town several times with old Anton. He's quite a decent old fossil.
30th September - On drain. Very solid and no let up. Wish I could hear from home. Beautiful weather. Get tiny piece of meat in stews. Germany must be very short of solid foods.
1st October 1941 - Working on drain. Nothing unusual. Can only secure one small soup cube for 12 men, enough for two cups. Can buy note books but eats, Nix.
2nd October - On drain, paid 9 marks, 70 pfennigs. Not of much use and will be less after war. Will try and get odd things. Good if possible.
3rd October - Cold morning. Working on drain, getting well up towards hills now. Very pretty looking down. Apple lined roads, few poplars, patches of spuds, beet, wurzels and swedes. Our boss is an ill-tempered beast. Get a few apples. A young lad, Walter is bringing us in and out.
4th October - Wrote home, usual prison sheet. Wish I could hear, this no news is about one's worst enemy. Hands becoming very sore handling stone, and squashing them, especially cold days. Young Walter is a decent lad and we secured quite a good haul of apples from trees. Gave all a couple each. Poor lunch, a cabbage stew. Had bath and shave. Don McDonnell and Don Rankin made a break for it, gave them my last two day's rations of bread and Harry, Jack and Tubby sneaked them a lot of cooked spuds. I don't give them much hope in our condition and really think them silly. We opened the wire and they buzzed, about 0200 hrs.
5th October - Swept our billets and yard. Jack took church parade, only a dozen of us attended.
6th October - Working on drain, job drawing to an end. Gee I would enjoy a good feed. Pinched a swede on road and cooked it on room heater, generally someone has a few spuds, apples, pears, swedes or something cooking.
7th October - 2nd Anniversary of our wedding. Wonder if Curlie is thinking as I write. Little Ron must be lovely now. I'd love to see him. Working on drain, lovely day. No work tomorrow, shifting to smaller groups. Break up our group of now 132, was 150 first, rest away ill.
8th October - No work, sorted out into groups. Self and Jack with one group of 42. Left 1200 hrs. Jack held back to assist others, he is talking fair Deutsche now, always with the Jerries. 60 kilos, changed 3 times. Arrived Konigshofen 1745 hrs. Quite a large place, farming area and terminus of this branch line. Walked half a mile through quote a large crowd to a church. Actually a Jewish Synagogue, 2 storey and billeted for night. Given slices of bread and jam and coffee. 20 of us upstairs, 22 below. Beds are owned by farmers and excellent. Farmers are around after men; an old chap wants me. Looks a bit of a miser. Until Jack comes I am in charge. Jerries explained we are to be up at 05.30 and ready.
9th October - Reveille 05.30 hrs. Cleaned up building. Cockies called 08.30 hrs. My old chap took me home 150 yds away. Met his Frau, he introduced her as Madame, an enormous Amazon. Daughter, Regen, and two sons Carl and Alfred. Seem quite nice. Bread and coffee, no jam, for breakfast, plenty of it. Drove out with son and Frau and brought in wagon load of grass hay. Sausage and bread 1100 hrs, 1300 hrs, soup and meal 1545 hrs coffee and bread. 2000 hrs cheese and bread. Billets 2030 hrs. Have 10 cows and steers to bed down and feed 2 horses. Well I feel better fed than have for a jolly long time, if only one didn't feel he was helping these people. Terrific buzz in lager, relating day's experiences.
10th October - Reveille 0600 hrs. Lad Carl picked me up 0630 hrs. Cleaned out all stalls, fed, watered and bedded down cattle and oxen. Breakfast 0830 hrs. Out and cut and loaded Mangel tops (sugar beet) for stock. Cut these off with a blade one pushes through on the end of a handle. Sugar beet are left in the ground to be pulled at a later date. Patch is about an acre and a half. These people have patches all over the place. This little piece of land here and there seems so silly. Washed with a barrel arrangement. (baffle plates inside) 3 coppers of spuds and then boiled up for pigs. Grading spuds. Wet day. Had plenty of plain food. All our boys are in positions. Tubby Palmer with a farmer and stock dealer, Eisenbach. Self, Josef Hubner, and Jack Reeves with this brother-in-law, Edouard Hubner. Wholesale groceries. Jack, on account of his knowledge of German is our Dolmetscher (interpreter).
11th October - Reveille ditto. Cows, load mangel tops. spud cooking for pigs. After lunch out with Alfred and Carl spreading manure heaps. This calls for a little explanation of methods here. All farmers live in the town. Generally a two or three storey place. Ground floor his home, second is generally let to business people and above that in lofts and attics grain is kept and other junk. They keep sufficient grain to last 12 months after harvest. As they require flour it is taken and gristed. They mix barley, oats, corn and wheat. Poorer grade stuff is gristed for poultry and pigs. A small stone cellar, one corner with a huge cess pit and manure dump. About each three months this dump is carted out in their four wheeled narrow wagons and heaped in lines over land, later to be spread. (see wagon model at rear). The yard is hemmed in with the high 3 storeyed barns, stalls underneath and wagon and machine sheds. Tons of grass, lucerne, pea, bean etc, hay stored over top, besides all straw from previous year's threshing, used for food and bedding down. About 15% of this straw is cut into chaff with other grass hay. Over the swine pens is the fowl pen. Geese and ducks have a pen alongside swine. Over the lane another huge 3 storey Shiner or Barn. At the rear about an acre of garden and another fowl coop. These coops are double lined for winter warmth. Few fruit trees. At the bottom a stream between Hubner's and the local brewery (Braueri) in which the ducks and geese sport. Spuds, cabbage, cauli, lettuce, peas, beans, beet, swedes etc are grown in house garden as it is called. There are, of course, acres of spuds, cabbages, turnips and mangels grown out on plots. Rain, seems to be always so. These people are also forever in a rush, no time to enjoy a meal, about 12 or 15 minutes and away.
12th October - Reveille 0800 hrs. Family to church. Stalls and cleaning around yard. Even had to clean and scrub in all working boots. 1130, hot water bath and shave in stalls. Lunch and into billets 1300 hrs. 1700 hrs back and stalls again. Tea.
13th October - Stalls completed and breakfast Odd jobs and cup of coffee or beer, bread or cake 1100 hrs Lunch at 1230 hrs Afternoon coffee or beer at 1600 hrs Tea 2000 hrs. One can have as much as he desires but must gulp as these gormandizers do. Grading spuds. Delivered two wagon loads into a cellar old Hubner hires up at Monastery. These are for seed and later shoot in the warmth ready for planting.
14th October - Reveille. Stalls completed and breakfast 0800 hrs. Tons of coffee and milk and what they call cooker, or a meal cake made on an enormous round slide and baked at the community bakehouse. Load of mangel tops. Boss doing a bit of ploughing single furrow boards used and either two horses, oxen or even cows used. Grading spuds, delivered several loads around the town. Everyone has an awkward cellar down terribly worn steps. One is generally offered beer. This beer is very mild and quite nice. Take a lot to bowl a chap.
15th October - Stalls. Cleaned up spud tops of a patch which has been dug. Two huge loads and spread on patch where wheat has been sown. This will be up shortly and then will lay under snow over winter, they say it keeps quite warm and gets away well with spring. I find I can make these people understand me quite well, one soon picks up a little Deutsche. Started cleaning out manure pit, I load wagons and son takes out.
16th October - Stalls. Cut and carted in two loads of sugar beet tops. Cattle love them. Ploughed out acre of beet, they will lay so for a while to allow clay to crack off. Pitched out a couple more loads of manure from pit. Make Dad smile, great stuff.
17th October - Stalls. Manure turning out 7 wagons a day, is heavy work. Digging spuds and picking. Use a rotating machine and it throws them well out. Completed this patch, their last. Five local girls assisting, and the old Frau of course, everyone works in this country. Very tired. Wet day, hours are terribly long, our condition is very poor yet. Now have to remain longer with Bower (farmer) 21 hrs, lager at night.
19th October - Reveille 0600. Tended cattle. Did all boots and leggings. Bathed and shave, lunch and into lager 1300 hrs. Washed it down. Wrote 4 letters home. They are miserable efforts. There is very little time to oneself. 1700 hrs, cattle and horses again. Lager 1730 and lights out 2130 hrs.
20th October - Stalls. Out spreading manure heaps. After lunch out cutting off sugar beet tops until dark. Carted in two loads for cattle, they love them here too. Heaped up remainder out of way ready for ploughing out beets. Very tired. Belgians donated 5 cigs per man. Gave mine to Tubby and Jack.
21st October - Cattle. Spreading poultry manure heap. After early lunch, out digging out sugar beet, use a forked lever arrangement to ease them out. Carted two loads. The old lady and daughter out as well. Cold day. Very tired.
22nd October - Ploughing out sugar beets, leaving them for sun and weather to crack mud off them. Pulling rubens or mangels. Dry leaves must be pulled off, tops cut off with knife. (we use old Jerry bayonets) mud knocked off and then loaded two loads, carted into cellar. Always after 8 pm tea and lager after 9. Days are so long from 0630 hrs. Only a few minutes for meals. We are weak yet too.
23rd October - Stalls and cleaned out pig sties. Pulling rubens. Freezing job in morning, all frost and bitter wind. Ditto after lunch. Load of mangel tops in for cows and oxen.
24th October - Stalls. Loaded and carted wagons of spuds to railway. Forked into truck. Spud fork is about 14" long by 12 inches wide, has 12 prongs with a knob on ends to stop damaging spuds. Cut chaff for cows and horses. Pulling rubens after lunch. Terribly cold, snow fell. The slopes further over are white. Card from Red Cross, Australia, through the international Red Cross, Geneva inquiring after me. All lads are envious. This is first card of any description to reach any of us since 17th March 1941 at Mersa. Through Mr Basham.
25th October - Stalls. Bitterly cold, snow falling. Ploughing lout sugar beets with two horses hauling a kind of forked shoe fitted on single furrow mould board. Carted in load of mangel tops. After lunch pulling and cutting rubens.
26th October - Very wet night and day. Stalls and boots etc. Hot bath in stall in tub. Good lunch. Lager 1300 hrs. Parade and all marched up town to carry tiles up a three storey building from 1300 hrs to 1530 hrs. Each man a 3rd of a small packet of tobacco, gave mine to Jack and Tubby. Stalls again 1700 hrs.
27th October - I replied to Red Cross card last night. Stalls. Cold and wet. Snow falling and it looks pretty, but is terribly cold sugar beet pulling. About froze cutting tops. Thank God finished rubens today.
28th October - Stalls. Cold and bleak, heavy wind and snowing. Believe it is much warmer if no wind. Cutting chaff. Brought in load of tops. Started cleaning and hitting the sugar beet with mallets to get mud off. Freezing on fingers. Ground is sloppy and mud clogs on boots.
29th October - Up usual time. Bleak and raining. Stalls and milked after breakfast, looks as though I am going to pull teats as well. Grading spuds, snowed very heavily. Three zimmermen or carpenters in repairing barn wall and lofts. Carted in last loads of rubens, only sugar beet now.
30th October - Stalls. Terribly cold wind and snowing all day. Started on a neighbour's threshing from 0700 hrs until 1100 hrs, then lunch then until 1400 hrs when completed. Very dusty job. I was lifting sheaves off machine and pitching through high window to loft. All neighbours help each other on threshing, about 20 work on it. Generally 3 women are on top feeding drum, about half a dozen men pitching them from barns. Four on discard straw, this comes out in huge bale like sheaves weighing about 60 to 70 pounds. Three men on sacks and various others on odd jobs. The farmer feeds all. Plenty of their mild beer, a terrific amount, is drunk. Cut and carted load of cabbages and another load of mangel tops in. Cigs in 5 packets 60 pfennigs each.
31st October - Snowed all day, inches deep. Cleaning out sheds for thresher. Boiling and mashing spuds for pigs. Paid tonight by Feltwebel, 14 marks for month. Rubbish.
1st November 1941 - Snowed all day. Boiling and machine spuds for pigs and poultry. The old man and I used the ancient flail method (a piece of wood on a long whip stock; tied on with green hide) to thrash out some grain. Talk about primitive. Bitterly cold. Lots of people didn't work today. A day of prayers. Lot of our lads returned to lager for afternoon. My people are pretty hungry. Ice inches thick on roads.
2nd November - Usual stalls. Completed copper of spuds for pigs. Boots etc. Bath and shave. Lunch and into lager 1300 hrs. Scrubbed it out. Stalls again 1700 hrs, fine day but snow and ice is thawing.
3rd November - Reveille 0630 hrs. Bitterly cold, about 6" of snow everywhere. Have our large sledge out. Plenty around now and bells sound lovely. Snowed all day. Odd jobs around sheds. Cleaning and oiling machinery.
4th November - Stalls. Terribly cold, all snow has turned to ice and is very slippery. Odd jobs. Out in snow spreading manure heaps; one sees a heap of snow and finds manure underneath. Threshing machine in this evening, we are ready to start in morning. I carted 9 shoulder pack drums of beer from brewery. Poured into barrels. Pack drum is open at top, holds 7 gallons, one has to be very careful of walking or get it down the back of the neck.
5th November - Reveille 0630 hrs. Milked etc. Started threshing 0730 hrs. Large machine worked by dynamo from light. My job cleaning up around machine. Very dusty and dirty. On oats for half a day and onto wheat at 2030, then in to tea. Long day. Bitterly cold. All neighbours here.
6th November - Stalls. Threshing all day, wheat and barley, nothing is wasted. Straw, cow food and bedding cocky chaff feed. Ten neighbours working with us as well. These people make it a kind of festivity.
7th November - Stalls. Raining and very cold. Threshing motor or dynamo being outside, belt slipping with water, had to rig a shelter over belts. Completed a shed of poppy seed 1215 hrs and shifted machine to neighbours. Out and cleaned up another load of mangel tops.
8th November - Stalls. Bitterly cold. Out picking, bashing ands heaping sugar beet. Terrible job in mud and cold slushy snow. After lunch out and cut two loads of cabbages, into wagons and to barn. Sliced up mangels for cows in machine. Cut chaff. Lager 2100 hrs. Lager has all frost on walls.
9th November - Stalls. Cut up mangels and mixed feed for night stalls and following. One treks over to other barn, gets 3 large baskets of threshed husk, couple more of cut up straw and two of cut chaff, hay and lucerne and then mixes in about 50 pounds of mangels. Cleaned and dubbin boots and leggings. Lager 1330. Scrubbed it out. Wrote card to Hazel, air mail. Stalls again 1700 hrs. Existence.
10th November - Stalls. Sugar beet bashing in morning. Cut one load of cabbages after lunch. Very cold. Chilblains on feet are giving me the devil. Not alone. I went and saw Jerry NCO about boots. Bought a pair for 16 Marks.
11th November - Stalls. Working on sugar beet with mallets. Cut and carted another two wagon loads of cabbages. Brought in load of mangel tops for stock.
12th November - Stalls. Three of the German land army arrived and assisting us with sugar beets, before winter really sets in and snow is too thick. Stayed in unloading cabbages into barn. Pulled out beans, they have dried, and stacked in corner of shiner. Pod them during winter.
13th November - Feet are terribly sore with chilblains. Three Jerries (Arbeit Army) Carl and self and after lunch old lady and daughter and self completed last wagon load of cabbages. Alfred, Carl and old chap drilling wheat. Six foot drill (drags) one drives two horses one steers with a bar and one uses stick with iron shoe to keep dirt flowing freely between drags. Picked up another load of mangel tops. Stalls, milling.
14th November - Bitterly cold day. Stalls, then out all day bashing mud off sugar beet. Lunch out. Feet very bad. These people love to get rations worth from one.
15th November - Stalls. Out on sugar beet. Left half hour later because cold and frosts have dried ground hard and bulbs break off. Unloaded 3 wagons of cabbages in cellar at other end of town. Old chap hired same for storage. Cutting chaff. Stalls and milling. My first five letters since Mersamatruh. 4 from Hazel and photo of Ron. One from Aunty Kit. Lovely to know all are well.
16th November - Usual jobs. Stalls, boots. Cleaning up shed and yard. No time for bath before lunch. Had it after and a shave. Lager 144 hrs. Sent airmail sheet home to Curlie and family. Stalls again 1700 hrs until 1930 hrs then tea and lager.
17th November - Stalls. Out on sugar beet, nearly completed, will be glad to see the last of them. Very tired, it is a long day. Always 2000 hrs when one is completed.
18th November - Stalls. Out loading and carting sugar beet, 4 wagons in morning. After lunch oxen hauled out 3 wagons and horses 3. Loaded 5 with beet and one with tops. That completes them, bar tops, very cold wind. Stalls then into lager.
19th November - Stalls. Odd jobs. Cleaned pig sties. Unloaded 3 loads of beets. After lunch out on beet, completed heaping them, carted in another 3 loads.
20th November - Stalls. Unloading beets. Boiling spuds for stock and mashing. After lunch loaded wagon with straw bales for neighbour. Out loading beet tops and shifting heaps ahead of plough, dozens of mice under each. Stalls 2020 hrs. Tea Lager. Wrote surprise sheet home.
21st November - Stalls. Out ploughing with oxen and horses. Shifting and loading tops. Completed ploughing beets patch 1500 hrs. Late lunch. Boiling and mashing spuds for pigs.
22nd November - Stalls. Unloading sugar beet. More spuds for pigs and poultry. Pulling cabbages in garden. Wet day. Stalls and into lager 2030 hrs. Our first Red Cross packets in. Mine from England. 12 articles. Most are from Scotland with articles containing biscuits, sugar, tea, coffee or cocoa, salt, jam or honey or treacle, margarine, diced carrots, meat loaf, lemon curd, chicken and ham paste, strawberries in syrup. apricots, raisins, etc. Lovely feed, after the perpetual spuds and black bread of these people.
23rd November - Stalls, boots. Mixed cow's feed, greens, chaff, mangels etc for night and morning, have to cover up from cold now, this will continues throughout winter. Lunch, into lager 1300 hrs. Jack, Tubby, Harry and self afternoon tea from packets. Stalls again 1700 hrs. Tea is always their Kartoffel salad.
24th November - Stalls. Loading beet into huge railway truck. They haul them down to me with horses and oxen and I’m loading 13 wagons. Dead beat, pitch black when I finished 1900 hrs. Helped in stalls, girl milked. Tea and into lager 2130 hrs. Slave drivers these people.
25th November - Stalls. Hauled 3 long pine logs in jinkers to mill, from Dallises yard. These are about 90' long. Had trouble turning. Odd jobs. Unloading 0700 hrs this morning, last 2 loads of sugar beet into truck, glad to see the last of them. Harry Burton transferred here from Hollstadt ARB KDO 7010. Pleased to see him come. He had a wretched place down there. A woman farmer.
26th November - Stalls, milking etc. Out with jinker, hauled 2 loads of 3 enormously long pines to mill. Unloaded mangle tops for cattle, dumped a load of beet into monastery cellar. Carted cow bedding, straw from shiner. Stalls.
27th November - Stalls. Unloaded mangles into cellar. Digging pits for cabbages. Winter food or essential. Digging out celery and leeks to be covered over in earth for winter. Everything underground.
28th November - Stalls, milking. Very cold, odd jobs. Hauled load of logs to mill.
29th November - Bitterly cold. Stalls. Cut fodder. The sick cow, one has been ill for a week, we dragged out (10 of us) to butcher's wagon. Scrubbed out kitchen, dining room and hall. Baled out septic tank. Buried cabbages, covered with straw, then earth. The cow had water on heart. Heart was racing double time.
30th November - Bitterly cold. Stalls, horses and cows. Boots and cow fodder. Bath and shave. Lunch and lager 1415 hrs. Wrote card to Hazel and Aunt Kit. Tubby, Jack, Harry and self had afternoon tea from Red Cross packets. Stalls again 1700 hrs. Tea is always what they call Kartoffel salad or spud salad.
1st December - Started out on new job for week or so. 30 of us loaned to the Stadt Angora Farm. Digging tree holes, 7 feet square, 18" deep 0530. MARCHED a mile to a model flying club room, had half a loaf of bread and marmalade, coffee for breakfast and dinner, small piece of wurst as well. We took some of our Red Cross food too. Another parcel from the Red Cross issued yesterday and cigs, three of us missed out but Jack, Harry and Tubby fixed me. About 3 mile march to Angora Farm. They have 1000 rabbits in pens. Heaters etc.
2nd December - Out on holes. Work in pairs, Tubby and self are doing 2 a day between us. Quite enough for these Jerries. Very cold. Tea at night is stew and coffee, we are glad to get in out of the weather. The club room is lovely and warm. Into lager, pitch black.
3rd December - Bitterly cold, road is terribly slippery, a sheet of ice. Everything turns to ice, our wurst (polony) is a solid block at lunchtime. Breath freezes and there is ice around mouth and nose. Ground like rock, pick every inch. Terrible day. Oh for summer.
4th December - On tree holes. Carting cork packing for patches. One of our chaps slipped and broke leg. Ground is like glass or rather snow is frozen into a block of ice. These crates of cork compressed, weigh 3 cwt and two of us wheel them with barrows, slipping everywhere. Dark when we leave farm. Snowing and wind, sleet. Gosh we will be glad to leave this country. Lager 2030 hrs. The walls are white frost 3/8th of an inch deep like an ice chest. Another lovely letter from Hazel dated October 7th 1941. Paid 14 marks. 5 pfennigs.
5th December - Rabbit farm. Solid work. Tubby and self averaging 2 holes, must keep going to stay warm. Snow thawed out a little today, but freezes again 1600 hrs and like glass. Chilblains very bad. A young girl is shearing rabbits with scissors, 30 per day.
6th December - Rabbit farm. Ground thawed and not quite so hard. Tubby and self 2 holes. Bread and a little marmalade for breakfast. The old devil issuing it is trying to spin it out and we have to finely smear it on. Lunch, bread and blood wurst. Tea, spud stew. Lot of chaps received a third parcel. Self second. Lovely to get them.
7th December - Whole of our Commando out working on rabbit farm. Each pair had to dig two holes before knocking off. All worked with a will and marched into club hall 1530 hrs. Coldest day ever, high wind, snow and ice. Into lager, Jack, Tubby and self had fine tea from our parcels, pity we can't heat it up though. What a way to spend a Sunday. News good.
8th December - On rabbit farm. Holes. Terrible day, snow and sleet. Chilblains agony. Another Red Cross parcel. They are flowing in now and we enjoy them. Believe Japan and America are at war. Don't like this, hope home is safe.
9th December - On rabbit farm. Bitter day. We finished holes 1630 hrs. Into tea at model club building. Soup. Into lager 1900 hrs. Had beer.
10th December - Chilblains so bad. Stayed in and went to doctor. Only painted with iodine. Spent day in. lager. Wrote sheet to Hazel and card to family.
11th December - Back to Bower. Stalls. Spreading mist (manure) until 1500 hrs. Mixed cow fodder etc. Stalls. Germany declared war on America. Where will it all end? Getting more involved every day.
12th December - Stalls. All day on threshing machine. My old lady's brother's place. Self on bags and cleaning up. Odd jobs etc around machine. Back to my place 1900 hrs. Stalls, tea and lager 2130 hrs. What a life.
13th December - Stalls. Started on machine 0730 hrs. Finished 1100 hrs. Bread and wurst for lunch. Back to Bower (farmer) Spud cooking for pigs etc. Stalls.
14th December - Stalls. Fairds (horses) boots, leggings. Fodder for night and morning feeds. Bath and shave. Into lager 1330 hrs. All had our photos taken together, then one of we Western Australians. Stalls. 15th December - Stalls. Working on Burghermaster's machine. Broke down after 2 hrs. Told to return 1400 hrs. Odd jobs. Back on machine. Tea at Burghermaster's. Quite enjoyed it. He has quite an up to date home. Wet night.
16th December - Stalls. Wet day. Started on machine 0800 hrs through until 1200 hrs. Bread, wurst and cake for lunch, 25 minutes. Completed 1530 hrs to Bowers. Spuds for pigs. Stalls etc. The old lady plucking geese for feathers underneath. Seems cruel.
17th December - Stalls. Very cold. Bailing and mashing spuds for swine and poultry. Grub is very poor lately. Odd jobs. Took out load of charcoal from brewery and spread on land. This old devil does odd jobs everywhere and seems to be in any amount of rackets. Shrewd old fox.
18th December - Stalls. Bitterly cold. Ice everywhere. Out following snow plough around picking up little spuds missed during picking. They are soft and I can't see pigs eating them, appears useless. Bitter day and snowing. My fingers appear to be frost bitten.
19th December - Started working on threshers at Wagners for three days. Self straw pitching into lofts. Bread and wurst for lunch and very good tea. Tried to get on to BBC on wireless, only myself, 5 Poles and Mick Merrick in front room at a time with wireless. Old Wagner was a bit annoyed. These Poles are frightful animals at meals, dogs aren't in it. Bower 1900 hrs. Milked.
20th December - Stalls. On machine 0800 hrs. Pitching and pushing straw bales up a ramp. These bales are very heavy for forks. Bread and wurst for lunch. Good tea. 9 letters in three envelopes. Six from Hazel up to August 23rd. 1 Mother, 1 Bitza, 1 Mrs Johnstone. Lovely to get these and know all are well. I appear to be very lucky compared to others.
21st December - Stalls. Clear, bitterly cold day. Ice everywhere. Stalls. Cut fodder. Boots etc. Bath and shave. Into lager 1400 hrs. Another Red Cross packet, my fourth. Wrote card to Hazel, letter to family.
22nd December - Stalls. Machine at Wagners 0800 hrs. Electric power broke down 1000 hrs. To my place and pitching mist onto wagons until dark. Using 3 wagons. Stalls.
23rd December - Cows. Completed pitching out mist. Out and spread same up until dark. Snowing. Stalls, into lager. We are only allowed by Jerries to have a little from packets and they are then locked away, get 2 nights a week. The old lady gave me a few cookies and with our packets Bill, Harry, Jack and self had a tuck in, quite a merry night. Singing and yelling. Chaps put on a few acts.
24th December - Spreading mist. Snowing heavily. spuds for pigs. Stalls. My people gave me a pair of under trousers and a shirt. Another bag of cookies. Merry night.
25th December - Christmas Day. Wishing them all the best at home. Doesn't appear like Christmas. Stalls. Mixed fodder and odd jobs. Am now ready for dinner. Wish it were at home. Just a dinner. Into lager 1300 hrs. Very cold. Poor old Curlie and Ron and family. Wish I was with them. Stalls again 1700 hrs. Tea very nice. Goose, bud cabbage, sweet white bread and soup. I read through my 15 letters. Brought home nearer. Started writing 1941 diary into this new notebook which John Reeves gave me for Christmas. Just what I required.
26th December - Cows, odd jobs until lunch. Into lager 1300 hrs. Writing up old Wog Diary into this one. Bower 1600 hrs. Stalls, horses etc. Xmas card arrived for all of us to send home. Only the address to be written on. Sent some and photos of self and 13 other Western Australian lads. Jack's boss gave him a bottle of champagne, best French. We four celebrated.
27th December - Usual stalls. Feeding, cleaning out, milking and bedding down of cows and oxen. Then ditto two horses. Grooming etc. Odd jobs. Snowed all day and night, it's a great sight but cold and very gusty. Writing up old diary into this one. Into lager 2030 hrs. Lager is frightfully cold and we are forced to turn in right away. Our Red Cross tins are solid ice blocks. How we hate the Postern's keys rattling in the door 0500 to 0530 hrs, pitch black and freezing. His Austen! Austen! I will hear that as long as I live. Out, make up beds, and line the road, teeth chattering, arrive into the warmth of the stalls and very soon one is sweating, heaving out the steaming manure. Most unhealthy. These animals are never outside during the winter months.
28th December - Stalls. Four of us into lager 0900 hrs and scrubbed out. We have started a new system. Instead of spending the afternoon, we are going to take turn about on Sunday mornings. Back to farmer and had to grease harness, boots etc. Bath, shave and lager 1400 hrs. Jack, Tubby, Harry and self had a good feed from packets. Stalls again 1600 hrs. Horses. Lager 2000 hrs again.
29th December - Cows. Odd jobs. Bitterly cold, Snowed all day. Postern said a parcel arrived for me, must be from home, can't get it until Feltwebel comes back. Lovely to get a home parcel.
30th December - Stalls. Loading mist at Pop Hubner's. Jack Reeves's place. They have a wholesale grocery store. Good place for Jack. Freezing.
31st December - Last day of old year. Stalls. loading mist. Snowing. Bells doing a lot of ringing over Xmas, sounds beautiful. Hope I don't see next Xmas and New Year here. Roll on Armistice.

JANUARY 1942 KONIGSHOFEN GERMANY STALAG X1116 ARBEIT COMMANDO FOO2

1st January - Cold day, everything frozen, tons of snow. Cows and stables. Cut up cows' fodder, mangels etc. Few odd jobs. Shave, lunch and into lager 1300 hrs. Wrote letter card to Hazel and family. Out to bower 1600 hrs. Cows. Each village has its church with a fine spire and set of bells, these sound very beautiful chiming all hours. Konigshofen is the largest town around these parts, a population of 3,500. The tiny villages which are only a couple of kilos away are Herbstadt, Lipthausen, Ottelmanhausen, oh, and a few more with the "hausen" tail. Larger towns within thirty or forty kilos are - Bamburg, Coburg, Bad Neustadt, Bad Kissengen and Schweinfurd; where our air force have been doing a bit of good work. Now and again we hear them doing their stuff. Would love to see a few of the bull's eyes fluttering over. Expect great things this year.
2nd January - Great news sneaked in, 60,000 Deutsche prisoners taken in North Africa. 5 weeks ago out on the Angora farm job, we heard North Africa was about cleaned up. Cows; odd jobs sawing hultz. Had to mix the dough for bread this morning, turned out a good batch. Rumour - All the bells are being pulled out of churches etc for gun metal, they must be very hard up. Paid this evening, one month, princely sum of 12 marks 91 pfennigs. I lost one day going to doctor for chilblains.
3rd January - Cows, fodder, cut chaff for horses and cows, cow chaff is very coarse and rough, even the fairds, (horses) chaff we would hesitate feeding to cattle at home. Use lucerne, meadow hay and even a few sheaves of old dry straw. The chaff cutter is very poor compared to ours but it has one improvement, that being an endless belt on the bottom of feeding slide, it ensures constant stream of fodder going through. Well the removing of church bells has commenced; one of our Western Australian lads, Lal Thomas is helping to remove them. They removed one weighing 2,600 lbs on Saturday morning; there are five churches around here. All very fine and have fine spires or towers, each has four or five bells, they are leaving one bell in each church. The bells are very old, some dating back 300 years. This is a good omen but what a frightful sacrilege, church bells for war, or to use the Deutsche, for Krieg. Surely a people committing such crimes can never prosper. My old boss and the son Alfred told me they were out cutting firewood. Lal Thomas tells me they are helping with the bells. I've certainly found a hundred times Jerry can't tell the truth or keep his word.
4th January - Cows, horses. Cleaned the family's working boots. Bath and shave and into lager 1300 hrs, and straight out again. The crowd of us had to spend our three spare hours carrying tiles up to the roof of a three storey building, 2nd time we have done that. Gee, we love these people. Back to bower 1600 hrs. Usual old thing, cows, horses etc. Another Red Cross parcel. If that really was a parcel from home for me it doesn't appear forthcoming. Believe Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt are holding a conference in Canada, we get a little news now and again, mostly grossly exaggerated. Deutsche war efforts.
5th January - Cows, odd jobs all day. Grading kartoffles (potatoes) down the cellar. Jove it was a bitterly cold business. My chief and the big lad carting bells to the rail; the bullets and shells should ring coming from those. I'm beginning to look like a kartoffle, I eat so many. Never let any one tell me that the Irish are great spud eaters. I'll challenge their crackerjack any day. News brought in tonight. Libya is ours again. Germany capitulated on the 2nd. Hope it is true. Let's hope the powers that be make a real job of Germany this time, no half measures. I'd prefer to remain a Kriegsgifangenen (war prisoner) for ten years than see Deutschland get off as easy as the 1914-18 war. There is no doubt Germany won the peace terms that time. Japs have Manila.
6th January - Cows. Snowed a bit today, pretty cold. Grading spuds and odd jobs. Have just tossed a tin of beans and tomato down to Gunner Hanrahan to heat up for me from Red Cross. I think in my other diary I have explained our home. Forty-seven of us live here; rather sleep in this two storey Jewish Synagogue. The ground floor has a heater; all buildings have them in this country of course. Our beds are owned with the bedclothes by the bower (farmer) tradesman employing us. Things could be a lot harder, ample very plain food, these people are terribly simple and don't know what it is to live. My old Frau is very pleasant and turns out some simple dish and says "Do Australia, Harry," I reply Nix and I'm sure she thinks we only eat wheat and grass or some old thing.
7th January - Bitterly cold weather. Cows etc. grading spuds. After lunch down to our keller at the other end of town and trimming Kraut cabbages, they are all going bad, water has been dripping from stone roof; we have about four wagon loads there. Horrible cold job, they are frozen. Gee, this cold just about makes one cry; water freezes in a few minutes. Believe Red Joe is fighting Jerry on his own soil now.
8th January - Cows, they become very monotonous morn til night. Cleaning out, feeding, bedding down, watering etc., grooming, milking. Mixing their meals, a barrow load of mangels, 160 lbs mixed into the feed, they love the mangels. Grading spuds. Afternoon trimming cabbages. Into lager 2000 hrs. The Huns are slipping even lower. My boss and the big lad are working on removing bronze statues and tombs out of cemeteries. Splendid omen. A few letters arrived last night, nothing for me but I've had far more than anyone else. Some haven't received any, marvellous the difference a few makes.
9th January - Cows. Usual old breakfast, dry bread and coffee. Still one shouldn't growl, they eat the same. There is always plenty of bread, one is lucky to always have a full stomach, been hungry often enough. Grading kartoffles in the cellar, it's a perfect ice chest. Gosh, it's a cold country. Today it was 18 degrees centigrade below zero. Translated into our Fahrenheit that is 32 below zero and 59 below freezing point and if that's not cold what is? Carted ten wagon loads of cabbages from cellar to the cow stalls and the old lady and I trimmed them in there. Usual fodder mixing etc. Into lager 2000 hrs. It's a cold place, all frost inside around walls upstairs. My people still carting bronze to rail. Jerries seem to have gone very quiet.
10th January - Cows, fodder cutting for cows and horses all morning. Washed floors after lunch, baled water out of cellars, took 2 bags of wheat down for gristing (pigs and animals) Load of cabbages and trimmed them. Alfred is carting ice to brewery, a pond behind it has ice 8" thick and each year they slab it and stack it for summer; temperature only reaches 25C which at the very outside is only an absolutely maximum of 80 degrees f. Self on - blow! someone interrupted, forgotten my thoughts.
11th January - Cows, horses. Cleaned all boots. Bath and shave and into lager 1300 hrs. Red Cross parcel from Red Cross and St John's War Organisation, Prisoners' Parcel Section. The Lord Chamberlain's Office, St James Palace, London SW 1. Fourteen articles, they do a wonderful job. Back to Bower, his name is Joseph Hubner, 1600 hrs. cows etc. Wrote to Hazel and family, usual small card and one letter sheet.
12th January - The usual cows etc. Sawing fire wood. Kneaded dough for bread, becoming a handyman. Ahem! Hauled the small wagon full of spuds with the chief to a place and lumped them down a cellar. Boiling and mashing spuds for pigs and a dozen other odd jobs. Believe conscription has come in at home. Some of the boys get onto the BBC now and again. Very cold day. A Polish prisoner was fined 30 marks for drunkenness today. The penalty for any prisoner associating with German women is death. To me that appears fair enough.
13th January - Cows, spuds for pigs etc. Sawed up heap of firewood, mostly apple timber, use mostly pine firewood here; burn a lot of coal briquettes in their heaters. Snowing nearly all day. A little warmer. Most of the days are too cold for snow.
14th January - Cows. Unloaded wagon of coal. 45-50 kilo corbs or baskets. I had to weigh corb, 100 lb each. Trimming kraut. Few letters in, nothing for me. Eddie Hutton had a brother killed in Syria, he was 16th Bn. Looks as though they've been at it.
15th January - Cows. Odd jobs all day. Trimming blow kraut etc Bitterly cold. Not exactly looking forward to summer either, the work is practically doubled, we tasted the tail end of it.
16th January - Cows. Trimming cabbages. Frightfully cold; spill a drop of water and it freezes straight away. Days average 30 degrees odd under zero. Wonderful, nine letters for me tonight. Three from Hazel, 5 Mother's and one the Vic Park RSL. Little Ron is walking and speaks a little. Mollie has been to Wongan. Linda died. All are well. Aunt Kit sprained her wrist.
17th January - Cows. Odd jobs. Very cold. My people have two sons away fighting, one in Norway, one in Russia and one killed in Poland.
18th January - Cows. Mixed fodder, greased the log timber. Usual boots cleaned. Bath and shave and into lager 1310 hrs. John Fowler must be in the air force, make a good lad there I'm sure. What yarns we do get. Someone brought in that England expects to be cleaned up in North Africa in a month of so. Sounds very strange without the lovely bells chiming all hours here. Back to bower, 1600 hrs. Cows, horses etc. Bitterly cold.
19th January - Cows, odd jobs. Another Red Cross parcel tonight. Snowed.
20th January - Ditto. Odd jobs. Chilblains bad. Very cold. Wrote sheet home to Hazel and card to family. 21st is my birthday.
21st January - Twenty nine today. Cows and odd jobs. Nothing new to enter. Feet very bad.
22nd January - Ditto. Odd jobs.
23rd January - Couldn't get boots on, so wore an old pair of slippers to work and used Alfred's clogs; they keep the feet warm. Killed a pig. These people are very good. Cook the whole animal, make wurst (sausage) etc all in one day. Great feed of pork; weighed 250 kilos, about 450 lbs. People very sympathetic over my feet. Quite a number of letters in. Self, two. One from Hazel, all well, and one from Jeff Fowler, 3rd November. John and Graham both abroad in the AIF. Frank and Nell married. Frank in the Tank Corps. All Well. Crops better than ever been.
24th January - Cows. Odd jobs, a bit warmer, snowing all day. German papers featuring Australian Government wavering as to capitulation to Japan.
25th January - Cows, horses etc. Boots. Bath and shave. Into Lager 1330 hrs. Cleaned out several Red Cross packages. Instead of each article (generally about 14) being all punctured, we are able to leave some in the office. There are another 2 packages over in Corporal's rooms for each man. Snowed all night and today, very deep. Lager is like an ice chest. Scrubbed out this morning and is now ice. Cows etc. at 1600 hrs. Alfred out all afternoon on snow road plough.
26th January - Cows. Sawing wood. Cleaned out pig pens. Shovelled snow etc. Carl off work, chilblains. So the Jerries feel them too.
27th January - Cows. Sawing wood. Trimming krauts, odd jobs. Very cold. Red Cross packages in, Canadian ones this time. Very good.
28th January - Cows. Trimming krauts. Delivered 50 kilos and went to a place where they burn barley for coffee, got 10 lbs out of it for 40 lbs of grain, old barter system. Took palliasse to work for new straw. Sledges are everywhere, looks and sounds fine with jingling bells.
29th January - Cows, odd jobs, chaff cutting, sawing wood. Snowing.
30th January - Ditto. Chaff cutting for cows. Dragged two sledge loads of kraut from cellar to cow stall. Benghazi fallen into German hands again. Means nothing. No troops could hold it and must fall back to better ground. Too flat around Benghazi, enemy can get around anywhere. Believe America is sending troops to England. There must be some scrapping going on in Libya.
31st January - Cows. Dragged last 3 loads of krauts from cellar. Odd jobs. The little girl 3 years old, at my place, has taken quite a fancy to me and fills the dish with feed each time I empty it when feeding the cows. Last day of January, I hope we don't see another here.
1st February - Cows. Into lager 0930. Scrubbing it out, 4 above and 4 below. Silly using water, it freezes on the floor as fast as we try and wash and it is terribly slippery. Scraped snow back. Back to bower 1200 hrs. Lunch. Boots and fodder. Into Lager 1400 hrs. Writing up '41 diary. Bower 1600 hrs. Cows etc.
2nd February - Ditto. Another Red Cross packet from Canada. Wrote card to Hazel and home.
3rd February - Very cold. Usual odd jobs. Pay night, one month's pay, 14 marks 5 pfennigs. 14/5 - get rick quick place.
4th February - Snowed all day. Carted two wagon loads out of yard and 2 from front. Odd jobs. Two letters. 1 from Hazel, 22nd October and one from Mother, 25th old but lovely.
5th February - Cows. Spuds for pigs and fowls etc. Alfred on snow plough. A 6 horse job. Huge structure does whole road, 10 yards, at once. Heavy for team too.
6th February - Odd jobs. Very cold. Little snow falling.
7th February - Cows. Fodder snitting. Odd jobs. Good news tonight. Chap heard the BBC Russians giving Huns hell. In Libya we have fallen back to Derna. Singapore Japs very quiet. Push spent.
8th February - Cows, horses, boots. Bath and shave. Lager 1330 hrs. Jack Reeves, Mick Merrick and self up with guard to see one of our 11th Bn chaps in hospital with pneumonia. Arthur Fenwick. They treat him very Well, but have little to give him, we took up cocoa, tea, Ovaltine and soup cubes. He has been in a fortnight, improving now. Very cold, this lager is bitter; floor all ice from today's salbamocking (cleaning) Bower 1600 hrs, cows etc.
9th February - Cows, odd jobs. Japan supposed to have half of Singapore. Gee, these are terrible times for those at home; wish I was there. One of our chaps heard the BBC. Says no cause for anxiety and everything is under control. Mmmm. Crete was supposed to be too. Two days after we capitulated. Looks as though our Navy can't hold the Japs back. I feel very uneasy about S. I think if she goes Australia is about done. I would say capitulate.
10th February - Cows. Grading spuds etc. Alfred and chief out with sledge, brought in a huge load of logs, marvellous the load which slides so easily. Jerries say lot of Aussies killed in Singapore, terrible fighting. Hope they hold out.
11th February - Believe Singapore finished. God, I wish I was home, it's a sad lookout for Australia. Let's hope it is propaganda. Odd jobs. Keeps one going from 0600 hrs until 2000 hrs, we have little time to ourselves. Look forward to getting into lager at night.
12th February - Cows. Odd jobs. Believe only Indian and Australian troops in Singapore.
13th February - Cows. Odd jobs. Snowed all day. On the 11th I wrote to Hazel and home.
14th February - Cows. Ditto. Out with all our boys after lunch, shovelling snow off road, 5' deep, road plough useless. To Bower 1800 hrs. Cows etc. Red Cross packet. English one this time. Very good too.
15th February - Cows, horses, boots. Into Lager 1300 hrs. All out shovelling snow. Rotten devils must rob us of our couple of hours off. Bower 1700 hrs. Cows etc. Three letters, one from Hazel, Oct 15th. Two from Mother, Oct 10th and 17th. Old, but jolly nice to get them. I have had November airmail a month ago. Young Bill in for duration. Looks as though home may get it.
16th February - Cows. Odd jobs. Cleaned out all pigeon's boxes, ready for spring. BBC tells us Singapore capitulated. No food, water or ammunition. Poor chaps. God, we of Greece and Crete know what it is. I only hope they didn't get the bombing and air terror that we had. I feel pretty bad for home.
17th February - Cows, odd jobs. Alfred out on snow plough all day.
18th February - Cows. Out with our lads shovelling snow all day.
19th February - Cows. Snow shovelling in morning. Afternoon, chaff cutting etc.
21st February - Odd jobs. British have the Deutsche surrounded at Benghazi.
22nd February - Cows, Horses, boots. Into lager after bath and shave 1300 hrs. The Deutsche don't bathe in winter, say we are foolish and will cause us trouble. The chimney sweep in these places wears a black dress suit and top hat. One sees strange things. The people are very primitive and don't know how to live. Bitterly cold. Bower 1630 hrs. Cows etc. Turned in 2130 hrs. One of our bombers over. I heard bombs on Saturday at 1200 hrs.
23rd February - Cows, odd jobs. Bit of a blue. Guards are on to us for getting the BBC. Some mugs appear to have blabbed to their people.
24th February - Guards were very liverish last night. In and inspected us for cleanliness, found two with lice. Dirty devils, they will give them to all of us again. They came in again 2330 hrs and inspected to see if any were sleeping in their clothes, found a number. All a good scheme but one would like a little peace in our few hours off work.
25th February - Ditto. Letter from RSM Brown, Hamelburgh telling us there are two BD outfits, boots etc for each of us, our sizes to be forwarded. Gift from home.
26th February - Ditto. Picked ice away from big side gate and we backed big sledge into mist heap. Took 2 loads out to plots.
27th February - Ditto. Days are warming up. Spring coming. The pigeons are lively; there are thousands of them. I always admired them in old pictures but now half the romance is spoilt by the fact of them being kept merely for food. Ice and snow is thawing.
28th February - Cows. We killed a young steer under the lap, it is verboten of course. Half of anyone's beasts go to the Army. Killed it at 1600 hrs and we had some for tea 2000 hrs. They are the same with swine.
1st March - Quite warm, snow and ice melting. Cows. Into Lager 0930 hrs. Four of us upstairs scrubbing it out, 4 below. Back to farm 1100 hrs. Boots and lunch; into lager 1330 hrs. Box of sports gear arrived, a few games. Table tennis, no table though. Chess, dominoes, drafts, soccer ball. I had a couple of games of drafts. Bower 1630 hrs. Usual old thing.
2nd March - We had the boxing gloves going last night. Had one go with Ian Farr and no trouble and 2nd with Vince Bash and was knocked out. Vince knows a lot about the game. Couldn't eat anything for breakfast, felt rotten all day, headache etc. Usual jobs and also loaded and unloaded 3 wagons of coal at brauerei, or in English, Brewery. Wrote letter card to Hazel and home.
3rd March - Busy day. Loaded and carted 9 loads of mist. Killed a huge white pig under the lap. Issue of cigs, 25 English per man. Payday, 14 marks 5 pfennigs.
4th March - Cows. 5 loads of mist. Metsker here all day making steer and pig into wurst and pickling as well. Red Cross packages in, Canadian ones. Number 11. Don't like the news in today's German paper. Lot about Java and Wavell and Australia.
5th March - Ditto. Weather warming up. Thawing out. Alfred on bells.
6th March - Cows, odd jobs. Still pulling bells out of churches.
7th March - Ditto. Rained today, first for about 3 months. Quite warm.
8th March - Snowed all night. Cows, horses, botts. Lager 1300 hrs. Cows etc. again 1600 hrs. Wish I knew how things are at home, about a month since I have heard and that was October mail.
9th March - Cows, odd jobs. Snowed all day. Most unusual now.
10th March - Ditto. The jobs around these tinpot farms are astounding. My people, Hubner's are the second biggest Bowers.
11th March - Ditto and carting mist. Wrote to Hazel and family. Red Cross packages in last night, none for me, it will come.
12th March - Cows and odd jobs. Little to write. Still bells.
13th March - Usual old things. Had to collect our beds at lager today. They have three decker beds made for below and we above have two decker. Gives a lot more room. They are to cost each Bower 20 marks, paid at 20 pfennigs a month.
14th March - Ditto. Fodder. Hurrah, letters, one from Hazel 6th Jan and one from Mother 7th January. Mother's leg not too good, hope it is okay now. Hazel and Ron fine. Horrie not too good, had to get glasses. All flat out. Blast Japan. Sgt Merrick heard that two of his chaps got away from Crete after he had been a POW for three weeks. Lal Thomas heard that Capt Honor is home. They will be able to help in the coming struggle, lucky devils. Poor old Aussie, I don't like it.
15th March - Cows, boots, bath and shave. Lager 1300 hrs. Usual at 1600 hrs. Believe America is giving Japan a bit.
16th March - Cows etc. one calved today Mist loading. Digging out our cabbages which we buried 3 months ago. In fairly good condition. News a little better.
17th March - Cows. Loading and carting mist. Cleaned out fowl pens. All snow is melting. Very little news in Deutsche Papers.
18th March - Ditto. Little rain. Very slushy with melting snow.
19th March - All Jerries had a holiday. Joseph's Day. We all had to toil. Odd jobs. Hurrah, a letter from Mother, air mail, December 28th. Have already had January the 6th and 7th.
20th March - Cows. Kartoffles boiling for poultry and swine. Digging up buried cabbages, condition is very good. Made bread.
21st March - Cows. Cleaned out our large Shiner (barn) to take fodder for military and store it. Old Hubner is certainly a big noise around here and onto anything where a few marks can be made. Bells, statues, log hauling. Cleaning out cess pits, shovelling snow in streets and dozens of other things. Scrubbed floors.
22nd March - Cows. Into lager 2130 hrs, scrubbing it out. Refused to do all boots. Bath and shave. All rigged out in our new battle dress, boots, socks, singlet. All look well and we feel quite human again, instead of a bit of English, German, French, Greek, Belgian and other strange rigouts. Another uniform is to come and boots. Lager 1300 hrs. Wrote to Hazel, card and family sheet, sneaked another to Wongan people. Hope I get away with it, only supposed to get two at a time. Bower 1600 hrs. Cows and horses. Lager 1930 hrs again. Spirits are good. Sailor Brown and I are planning a surprise, hope it comes off. Weather is good. Believe April and May are very wet.
23rd March - March - Cows, cabbage trimming. Beautiful day. Snow about all gone. Cut chaff for horses and cows. Walked out of my place at 2000 hrs without tea tonight; left stalls unfinished, supposed to be in lager 2000 hrs but I'm always after that. They brought tea for me to lager, bread and wurst. They like to keep friendly with one, know which side of their bread is buttered. News good. Jerry papers are very quiet, things can't be too good for them.
24th March - Stalls. Old chap wanted to know why I walked out, said "Baroom nix essen heute Harry". At lunch time the old lady said the same in such a pitiful tone. Loading mist and out spreading it. Lovely day. Red Cross packet, Canadian one. Wish I could get some tins of meat unopened. Spreading super over two of our plots, the old hand method. Mix two types together.
25th March - The usual. Loaded 5 loads of mist and took it out with oxen. Three tanks of cess water. Spreading super after lunch. We have zwei and zwanzig hectares scattered North, South, East and West. Usual half weekly shave tonight.
26th March - Ditto. Supper etc
27th March - Ditto. Little mail in. Nothing for me.
28th March - Cows. Cutting fodder. Filled hot boxes with mist. Other odd jobs. English landed in France this morning. Hurrah! Won't be long now.
29th March - Cows. Bath and shave. Lager 1300 hrs. Red Cross packet and tin of cigarettes per man, 50. Deutsche Radio is all Krieg. Reading 'The Romantic Prince" Raphael Sabatini. Cows again 1700 hrs.
30th March - Reveille 0530 hrs and in at 2100 hrs at night. Day is far too long, terribly tired, only have about three quarters of an hour off for the three meals during the day. Spreading super. Chief and I did a little lugging with oxen.
31st March - Spreading mist and super. Sawing wood and the usual other odd jobs. Wish we could have more bed.
1st April - Cows. Out ploughing until 2000 hours. Slavery.
2nd April - Huge truck of fine snit sugar beet after sugar has been extracted into station for us. Filling sacks all day, weighing them and local cockies getting wagon loads from us. Terribly windy day and rain. Dust eddying in truck, horrible.
3rd April - Good Friday. Cows, horses. mixed fodder. Into lager 1300 hrs. Turned in fearfully tired all of us, bar the few on fabrics. Wrote card to Hazel and one to family. Bower 1700 hrs. Cows, etc. Germany is certainly getting a hammering from our bombers now. Hear them now and again. Scheinfort, Munchen, Hapsburg and a few other places around here.
4th April - Odd jobs. Raining. These Jerries are good church people. What propaganda when years ago we heard they had abolished churches. They are a Catholic race, yet that can tear the bells out for war purposes.
5th April - Cows, horses. Bath and shave. Lager 1300 hrs. Red Cross parcel. Reading. Out 1700 hrs. Usual Lager 2000 hrs.
6th April - Another Easter holiday from 1300 hrs. Had a bad row with my people over cleaning boots. Won.
7th April - Usual. Half a truck of sugar beet to unload on rail. Dirty, dusty job. Cut fodder.
8th April - Cows. Filling in cabbage pits. Out and drilled a plot of wheat. 3 men and two horses. Gee, how would they sow 1000s of acres. Soaked.
9th April - Cows. Drilling. Fine, four letters, two from Hazel, 9th and 27th Jan and two from Mother, the same month. All Well. Mother's leg better. Snap of little Ron in gardening gloves.
10th April - Usual milking etc. Carted the barley after it had been through the beer process. Cow food now; they enjoy it. Drilling plots here and there. Ploughed, then harrowed before drilling (6' drill) then harrowed again. The head lands must then be titivated with a mattock.
11th April - Cows. Alfred sick in bed. Pop harrowing, the girl and I drilling. had the cooper in doing up 7 beer casks.

PREPARING FOR OUR TRIP - 12th April 1942

12th April - All supposed to go out to Angora farm. I didn't owing to Alfred being crook. Stalls, cleaned out beer casks, looks like beer dragging tomorrow. Bath and shave. Lager 1330 hrs. Lads in from Angora farm work. Preparing for Sailor Brown's and my trip. Have hidden civvy trousers, coat and overcoat under the hay at my place. About Tuesday or Wednesday. Intended leaving it until next month, finer, but believe another two are preparing. Must be first away. Going to be tough. Think to head for the South of France or Switzerland. Am leaving a note for Harry Burton. He will get this home I think.
13th April - The usual. Drilling and harrowing and cultivating.
14th April - Ditto. Cultivating and drilling with horses and oxen.
15th April - Cows Drilling etc. Terribly windy lately.
16th April - Sailor and I have had to call our stunt off for a time, trying to get a compass. Drilling etc. Three letters, 1 from Mother and photo of Xmas day, lovely to get one of home. All look well bar Horrie. Two from Hazel 18th Jan and Dec 12th All airmail. Makes me homesick.
17th April - Drilling and cultivating, harrowing. Very windy.
18th April - Ditto. Sowed 1 hectare of poppies also.
19th April - Cows and horses. Scrubbing Lager in morning. All out at Angora farm filling in tree holes. Rained a little. Pity we can't get a little time off. Red Cross packets and pullover, pair of socks and under trousers each.
20th April - Odd jobs. Brought 1 wagon load of seed spuds from Monastery cellar. Cut chaff. Rained a little. Two years today since I left Fremantle. Wireless news is out now.
21st April - Cows. Loaded 2 more wagons of spuds. Grading time for planting. Furrowed a patch ready for tomorrow's planting. Two more letters from Hazel. Dec 18th and Feb 5th. Another snap of little Ron in the garden.
22nd April - Wrote sheet to Hazel and card to family tonight. Cows. Loaded wagon of spud seed. Graded them. Ploughed up and with a team of local Fraus, planted about 2 acres this afternoon. Fifteen hours a day is too long, we are all exhausted by night.
23rd April - Cows. Another load of seed spuds from keller. Spreading super. Grading spuds. No news though.
24th April - Spud planting. Completed patch, about 8 women working with us. I have to keep their baskets full. Want rain badly, hope it holds off.
25th April - Another load of spuds from keller. Cooked up spuds for swine. Ploughing and chaff cutting.
26th April - Cows. Bath and shave. Lager 1230 hrs. Out 1700 hrs again. Usual stalls, milking. Brought in bread and wurst. Ten of us out 5 miles to a forest and plant trees.
27th April - Out with Poston, a long uphill walk. We are grubbing holes and a team of girls are planting behind us. I don't know the pines. They have them growing in pockets through the hills, same as at home. Things are going to be very pretty up there soon, trees are all shooting and violets and snowdrops grow everywhere, strawberries are thick. Left Lager half past six and arrived there 8 o'clock, passed through Althausen village, very old, usual German lines, dirty. See them taking cows through the front door. Breakfast, coffee at a big shooting lodge, has its fish pond. Stands and stages are made throughout the forests for deer hunting and wild boar, saw a couple. Start 0900 hrs. 1200 lunch, we buy two or three bottles of beer per man for same, 39 pfennigs. One hour for lunch and work until 7 o'clock. 8.30 pm into Lager, to Bower for tea. Not worth going for.
28th April - Bower. Cows. Planting spuds. Rained a bit.
29th April - Out in forest. Prefer it to bowers. Other lads had enough bread so didn't go near my old devil. Red Cross food makes a good meal.
30th April - Ditto. Very cold. Snowed and sleet.
1st May 1942 - ditto. Haven't been going near my Bower.
2nd May - Forest. Bitterly cold snow and ice. To my place for tea, bit of bread and wurst. Little mail in. None for me.
3rd May - Cows. Had a row again with my people over spuds for swine. Wish I could get onto a forest job. Lager 1300 hrs. Wrote a card to Hazel and family.
4th May - Loaded wagon with stones in behind shiner. Wants cleaning up. Smashing lumps in garden and raking it. Planted four apple trees. Very cold day.
5th May - Cows. Loaded another load of rubbish and carted it out to a dump. Cut chaff. Loaded wagon with spuds from monastery keller. Left barn at quarter to seven, out 3 kilos and spread super on grass plot. Jove, my old chap is hungry. Lager 2130 hrs. Red Cross packets in. Young Sid Coates in here from another Commando. Godfrey King has changed. Both 11th Bn chaps. Sid was A Coy. Good chap.
6th May - Both oxen and horses out with wagons for holtz, fire wood. Self odd jobs. This is a wonderful dry spell, hope it keeps.
7th May - Odd jobs again, cleaned out sties gardening etc.
8th May - Ditto. Cows. Watering the garden patch from the stream at the bottom of it. Takes 3 hours a day. Fine mail in tonight. I got 4. Two from Hazel the 18th and 24th. February, snap of Ron in the 18th. Hazel and Ron in garden, Watermans' the 24th. Ron in birthday suit with Mrs W. Two of Mother's 24th February and 4th March. All are well. I have now had 47 letters, far ahead of anyone else. Larry O'Brian says the milkman and the butcher must be frightened to go near my people. Little Ron looks a fine kid. Hazel looks very well. Strikes me it will be a long time before we see them. The end looks a long way off. God give us patience.
9th May - Cows and odd jobs. Swept street etc. Both horses and oxen have been out every day for holse this week, carting for other people. It is sawn into metre lengths and split. Silver birch, fine wood, grown under forestry conditions. Our news source has been stopped and we only know what the papers print. Definitely German.
10th May - Cows. Into Lager. Scrubbing. Bath and shave. Lager 1300 hrs. Cigarette issue. Red Cross. Jerries held a search, located my store of unopened Red Cross food. Not so good, actually it looks as though opportunities for escape are thin. It's a long way and well guarded. Am on the track of a compass. Intend to go across country. Water crossing is the problem. Well, the two Poles who killed one of these rotten Gestapo, or (Polizie) Deutsche, are to be publicly hung tomorrow along with 18 others who were in prison for various offences. All Poles around are to go and witness it. These Huns are terrible people; the more one sees of them the less he likes them.
11th May - Cows. Splitting metre lengths of wood. Loaded wagon of spuds and delivered to a restaurant. A black day. Twenty one Poles were publicly hung, nineteen for very minor offences. One can believe all one hears about these wretches. They have slipped back 100's of years. Jove, we hate them. I am drinking a lot of beer these days, it is only 7% better than their home made coffee.
12th May - Cows. Wood splitting. Snided fodder. Brought piece of bread and wurst into Lager, going to forest tomorrow, wood cutting. Wrote to Hazel and family.
13th May - Left Lager at 0630 hrs. At 0800 hrs had coffee at shooting lodge. Splitting and falling wood, 4 of us cut 7 metres, metre long high and square. It was very hot. Bit of a thunder storm on. Tea at my Bower's.
14th May - Out wood cutting. Drinking a lot of beer these days, 7 half litre bottle cost us 33 pfennigs, Well over our pay but it accumulates. Very heavy rain.
15th May - Ditto. Feeling very tired. The 7 kilo walk up the steep hills is a killer. Told today that the four of us will be working with the forestry (or in Deutsche, the Sambok) all next winter. God preserve us from another here. Probably mail tonight, hope so. A big search for maps, compasses etc last night. Three officers and some NCO's here searching. Foreign coin as well. I have now a compass and a map. My cigarette issue prevailed. Next is to build up food again, mine is all gone from Sunday's search.
16th May - Out wood cutting. Very full day. Lager 2030 hrs, then out for tea. Spuds and a little bread. In at 2130 hrs. Postern gave me a letter that Mollie sent Bill Rowtcliffe. Bill asked his guard to give him one of mine.
17th May - Cows. Lager 1300 hrs. Grudge fight with gloves. One of our chaps, Lal Thomas and Arty Hall. ASC Lal had the best of it. Bower at 1630 hrs. Cows and horses in at 1930 hrs.
18th May - Cows. Splitting wood. Out after lunch and hoed the spinach, it is very poor. The turnips didn't come up, all failed badly, they want water. Let's hope it persists. Expecting mail in.
19th May - Ditto. Loaded wagon of wood and unloaded into a 3 storey loft, hard work. Splitting wood. Out All afternoon hoeing weeds out of crop. Jerry paper says Aussie plane sunk an American cruiser.
20th May - The usual. Cows. Out all day hoeing weeds in patch of oats. Am getting very brown wearing no shirt. Quite hot today, looks like rain. Wrote card to Hazel and sheet to Mother and family.
21st May - Rained during the night unfortunately. Calf born during the night. Old chap and Alfred out for wood. Self splitting same. Cleaned out pig sties and various other jobs. Wish we could get the BBC.
22nd May - Odd jobs, cut chaff. Hauled out a circular saw and bench which I didn't know they owned and sawed a couple of loads.
23rd May - Ditto. Not feeling the best. Hoeing weeds in crop.
24th May - Finished stalls and came into Lager and started shivering badly. Couldn't eat all day, have a temperature. Two letters, one from Hazel, March 15th. Doesn't sound too good. Japs were in New Guinea at this stage. One of Mother's March 11th, which numbered the 27th letter. All are well. Postern said he will take me to the Quack tomorrow.
25th May - Holiday, only stalls for all. All into Lager at 1300 hrs. Not feeling too good. No doctor. Reread a lot of my letters again and enjoyed them. Red Cross packets in and a ton of medical suppliers and sports gear although we never feel like football, too exhausted and generally sleep on Sunday afternoon. The 21st packet.
26th May - A poor old sleep and felt very tired this morning and decided for the first time in my life (some will laugh but nevertheless it is true) to bludge another day in bed. My throat is a little sore. Boiled me a lovely tin of cocoa and breakfasted on biscuits, apple and raspberry jam, covered with Nestle's milk. Lunch will be a tin of sweetened vegetables and some Oxo cube sup and tea a tin of Lusty's beef and vegetables followed by creamed rice. Again I say the Red Cross are marvellous. At 0930 hrs the postern or guard came over to take me to the doctor, a very decent fellow and sympathetic. Asked me how I felt. I said much better but very weak; he looked at my throat and said "Oh!" He then told me to strip, couldn't help laughing at that, because I've worked without a shirt for a fair while and am well tanned. He whizzed on his head phones and thumped me a couple of times and said "Beautiful! Beautiful!" and laughed. Guess I'm a long way off pegging out. Told me to go to bed for the day. If I have a temperature tonight return in the morning. The only way I can think of raising it is to over-eat and guess it's not worth the bread basket turmoil. Whenever possible these people will find me a liability. For instance, my miserable old skinflint with the biblical defilement in being named Joseph, would Doonawasser, Gott in Himmel and Saccrament himself into being a good Hun (deadun) were he to see the amount of crop I hoe up on the weed killing racket, they are so simple and appear to think it is an honour to arbeit for them. There is little one can do and it is extremely dangerous. For instance, three Poles were shot. Working on the threshing machine, they dropped a stone into its vital organs (namely the peg drum at home) got the full effect of a large chunk and found it beyond its powers of digestion. The extremely intelligent Jerries realised that no grain of Deutsche wheat could wreck their plant and assumed the Poles responsible. (None saw the affair, but that is neither here nor there where three men's lives are at stake). One of our guards, Axehead, we call him, swore he saw it done and those three martyrs died. While on the subject of guards, it would be of interest to keep a record of their nom-de-plumes designated according to their merit in our eyes.
Commencing at "Fladungen". We have "Sir Echo". My first and last to bestow up to date. Well "Sir Echo" wasn't a bad old stick, large and portly and perpetually calling out Hallo! (As time passed we have found the Hun method of addressing another). "Walleye" liked his plonk, generally merry and quite popular, one eye with a pronounced cast. "The Weasel" (interpreter) sly and cunning, small. Wore windows, very unpopular. A couple more just plain dumb. Konigshofen - "Noisy" - always bellowing like a bull, happy-go-lucky, free and easy, nearest approach to an Aussie I've seen among these people. We liked "Noisy" and were sorry to see him go. The hated "Axehead" is always with us, from the day we arrived, nice and suave until we found him a thing of low animal cunning (only last night again, about 1230 hrs, lying awake I noticed a shadow cross the window, the light flicked on and he counted us. Didn't hear his rattle of keys or boots on the stairs. They have wind of escapes I guess. Next down below and ditto also examination of haversacks. It's their job but surely it could be done as men would.
"Slap Happy". Dumb, easily fooled, limps; bad chest wound, looks unhappy. He left us and returned a couple of months later (or rather, looked in) walked into the Lager with the "Mouse" about 2100 hrs. A general cheer went up and strange, that fellow actually blushed. The "Mouse" - small but extremely active and strong, a live wire. We like him in spite of his bluntness. Says a thing will be done or will get something and does. A couple more but unprintable, at Saloniki and Hamelburg. Just had a brain wave and carried it out, one track mind asserting itself again. Broke a little mirror in an ornamental tin frame the other day (green) (Hope it's not another seven years fanging). Have set Hazel and Ron in it. The snap where the little chap looks a real -- (must have another close scrutiny and see if my intellect is capable of improvising something. A souvenir of love and the incarnation of fondness, happiness and virtue).. Wish I could remember a line or two from scripture, which the moment I saw this snap, tried to find shape in my mind. Something like - A very help in trouble. We have a Holy Bible here containing Old and New Testaments. I will spend the rest of the day perusing it. Wish one could write decent letters home. According to last letters, appears the cable and letter sent from Crete went astray. I am frightfully sorry over that, because I considered it a masterpiece for me. Also the two very long ones which I compiled over my first month of captivity and the book full of Crete, Greece and Saloniki Prison camps, hospital etc., taken from me in SALONIKI cell. I'll always regret that and could never commence again even if desired. All finer points go. One sees most of the good and the dark side is blotted out. Mmm! Is this a diary? Must whizz up my grub. My people haven't worried about bringing me in anything.
27th May - Afraid I was a little ahead of myself yesterday over being OK. Had a very bad night, no sleep, perspiring, getting all little sores around my mouth and nose; gums are scalded and back of throat. Thinking back to my bad time at Saloniki now, I have a hazy recollection of the Doctor telling me I had a slight touch of malaria. I was too dopey at that stage to know anything. Anyhow I decided to go to work before the humiliation of having the guards kick me out. Did the stalls and felt rotten, sweated like a pig etc. Into Lager and the guard took me to the doctor and blowed if he didn't ask me if I had had malaria. Looks like a few more days off. Have company, Jack Sheppard AASC Tasmanian fell off a wagon yesterday onto the prongs of a pitchfork and they went well into his arms, very nasty. Jack can verify my wanting them to get Bill at home, shifted to any other unit bar AASC Hell's own job, Greece and Crete.
28th May - Bad day yesterday and last night. Shades of SALONIKI alright. Feeling pretty rotten this morning, eyes feels as though they are being drawn out and down, headache, body aches and perspiring. Just boiled myself a mug of Ovaltine on our little electric heater (the lads at the sawmill secured that, only small, 4" diameter but just the berries for a cup). Had a wash and have my bed airing. My people didn't come in with food yesterday and up to date, haven't today. Good old Red Cross. Little rain yesterday and during the night unfortunately, crops grow.
29th May - Very wet day. Feeling a bit better. My people not in with food. The unter officer asked me if they had and was very indignant, but I told him I didn't require any. No mail in last night, maybe tonight.
30th May - Feeling considerably better. Rained a lot all day. Mail in tonight. Self three, one from Hazel March 7th and two of mother's 18th. and 8th of April. All are well. Young Bill and Maurice have both gone East. Training I guess. I'm glad they will have a look around. Somehow I feel happy about Aussies now.
31st May - Turned out 0930 hrs. To Bower, had bath and shave and lunch. Don't feel particularly robust as yet. Lager 1300 hrs. Cows again 1630 till 1930.
1st June 1942 - Cows. Sawed up wagon of wood and split it and other odd jobs. Seemed such a long day. Not feeling the best really. Wrote home.
2nd June - Cows. Dug up patch of garden. Out hosing ruben patch. Whole lot of Red Cross gear, books and games, cigarettes.
3rd June - Hoeing weeds in rubens, backbreaking job. The daughter and one of the son's wives (she has been here over a week, little Reggie's mother, one other little kid, 2 years; she is very nice. Three of us out all morning and old lady and friend each afternoon as well. Red Cross packets in. No. 21. They are all about 12 pounds.
4th June - Cows. Chaff cutting until 1400 hrs. Had sleep for 3 hrs. Catholic holiday. Very hot. Last two nights our planes over. Believe they are doing plenty of bombing. Lovely to hear them. I'd like to see them do this place up. I'd take my chance. Someone ratted our Lager yesterday. All cigarettes stolen. Jerries only get 2 per day now. They and food are very scarce. Safungens are better clothed, fed and kept than these people. They must feel it. They say it's propaganda.
5th June - Hoeing weeds in ruben patch, about 8 of us on it during afternoon, only the daughter, young sons, frau and self each morning. She left Hamburg because there isn't any food there and English planes are giving Hamburg and other cities hell. The food question is very acute. Planes over again last night.
6th June - Completed hoeing rubens. Hoeing garden all afternoon, vegetables coming on well now. Weather is becoming very warm, never wear a shirt or singlet. The two girls strip down pretty well too; the old chap doesn't approve but they ignore him.
7th June - Cows. Into Lager 0930 hrs. Cleaning. Bath and shave. Lager 1400 hrs. Cigarettes in, 50 per man. Planes over again last night. Believe England has started into her second month of intense bombing. We want bigger better, British bombs thudding down as fast as they can load them.
8th June - Cows, Young Jerry and Alfred out for logs. Chief and I sawed a load of wood and I split it small and stacked it in a loft. Hoeing weeds in spuds for a while but too sticky. Very heavy thunderstorm yesterday.
9th June - Ditto. Hoeing weeds. Lovely day but terribly long. Out at 5 am and finish at nine. These people love rubbing it in. All feeling terribly weary. Little mail in tonight. None for myself.
10th June - Sawing and splitting firewood. Rained heavy. Wrote to Hazel 25th and Family 24th. Couple of chaps have parcels from England and Cairo.
Thursday 11th

Cows. All out planting cabbages. Planted 4000 and about 3000 rubens. Pulled them out from the drilled patch.

Friday 12th Raining a little. Hoeing the spud patch. This place is getting on my nerves, never a second to spare.

Saturday 13th Cows Hoeing spuds in the morning. Last night the Unter Officer told us we have to now work until 10 pm. Immediately on getting to work I told my chap I wouldn't work til 10, he was very annoyed. At lunch time things came to a head and I walked out, refused to work here and was finally dumped in the boob. Nothing to eat or drink for 48 hours, at the end of that they tried to bluff me into going back to Hubner's, nothing doing. At two day intervals the Feltwebel and Burgermeister tried me; finally gave me up after 15 days and I returned to the Lager, Sunday the 28th. Lovely lot of letters for me. Hazel's, March 22nd, 26th, 30th, April 5th, 12th and 19th. Mother's March 18th, 25th and April 14th. All Well. These bring me up to 60 All told. Two Red Cross packets waiting for me so I had a great feed. June 19th Ron's birthday and Hazel's the 24th. Spent in Ein Spart gaol.

Monday 29th Unter Officer took me around to a new place this morning. Frau Weaver's. She has a small farm, the old chap is dead. A very nice girl of 28 (Ahem Hazel!) is to be my workmate, Hilda. I did the stalls one horse, 2 milking cows and 3 calves. Cut and raked up fodder.

Tuesday 30th Cows. Greased harness and other odd jobs during morning. Out and hauled in wagon load of fodder and Unloaded it. This place is much easier than my other.

Wednesday 1st July Cows. Fodder. Little rain. Cultivated two patches of spuds, the girl leads then horse. She is a wonderful sport and understands quite a bit of English.

Thursday 2nd Cows. Out and scythed a load of green fodder for cows and cultivated ruben patch.

Friday 3rd Raining. Carted out 3 loads of mist, water and other odd jobs. Brought a load of hay from shiner.

Saturday 4th Stalls. Carted out 3 loads of mist. Another load of hay in. Scythed and carted wagon of fodder.

Sunday 5th Stalls. Bath and shave. Lager 1300 hrs. Have spend afternoon writing and milked my two cows. (3 calves)

Monday 6th Stalls. Hilda and I hilled up both patches of spuds.

Tuesday 7th Ditto. Carted out 3 loads of mist. After lunch we drove out 4 kilos to the hills and cut a patch of clay and also a load of grass fodder. Had a feed of cherries and strawberries. Life is much better.

Wednesday 8th Hilda and I out hacking rubens in morning. Her sister Rosa as Well during the afternoon. Had plenty of laughing.

Thursday 9th Rubens during morning. Load of fodder after lunch. Correspondence in from RSM Brown. Hours are nine not ten at night and full 24 hours off once a week. These people are liars.

Friday 10th Cows. My offsider not too Well. Letter from Mother (No 30 April 2nd). Out hoeing rubens. Very warm, working up to a thunderstorm. It broke at 1830 hours and fairly teamed down. Flooded everywhere. Flattened a lot of crops, means we will have to censor or scythe them when ripe.

Saturday 11th Stalls. Carted two loads of straw and lucerne (clay) from the other shiner. Out and scythed a load of green for cows. Cut fodder.

Sunday 12th Stalls. Hilda, my offsider, heard her husband will be home from Russla in 10 days; jove she is excited, 15 months away. I’m very glad, she is a very decent girl and I am quite looking forward to seeing him according to what she tells me. Red Cross packets in and another pair of under trousers, shirt and socks, cigarettes. Wrote to Hazel and card to family.

Monday 13th

Stalls. Very little news through, our people must be holding the Huns in the desert since Mersa went. Wonder if we are holding them in the Bayous Box, Sidi Anneish. They claim advances in Russia on the Don. Japan is very quiet. Hacking rubens, jove they are terribly dirty.

Tuesday 14th Little rain. Out hacking rubens. Carted load of straw.

Wednesday 15th Splitting wood All morning. Afternoon on rubens, little mail in tonight. Nothing for me. Postons in bad mood tonight.

Thursday 16th Hoeing rubens in morning. Out and raked up a wieser of fodder, then out for a load of lucerne.

Friday 17th Wet day. Cut chaff. Greased harness. Carted load of mist water.

Saturday 18th Wet day. Carted out 3 loads of mist water. Scythed a load of green for cows. Speaking to a young girl from Slongen. English planes are always over there. This girl is staying with Hilda. Ron’s birthday.

Sunday 19th Stalls. Blackened my horse’s feet. Bath and shave. Lager 1300 hrs. Red Cross packet. Cows. !800 hours. No mail in. Deutsche still 40 kilos Alexandria.

Monday 20th Stalls. Wet day. Splitting wood All day.

Tuesday 21st Ditto. Wood. Took couple of bags of wheat to mill for flour. These places All have a little mill. Poor grain and rotten flour.

Wednesday 22nd Stalls. To dentist 0900 hrs. Waited 3 hours and found I had nothing wrong. Afternoon, turned a wieser of fodder, out about a week ago. It’s going mouldy so much rain. Splitting wood. Wrote to Hazel and family. Red Cross packets in.

Thursday 23rd Wet day. Splitting firewood. Stalls etc.

Friday 24th Wet. Wood splitting and stacking for winter. Load of green

Saturday 25th Completed wood. Heaped up fodder and spread another wieser. Going mouldy. Load of green.

Sunday 26th

Cleaning Lager. Cows, etc. Bath and shave. Lager 1300 hrs. Little mail in, nothing for self. Stalls 1800 hrs.

Monday 27th Stalls. Hilda and self out and heaped fodder, in at lunch time and old lady said there’s a telegram for you Hilda. Jove she was excited. Her husband home in the evening. Out and carted in oaten fodder. Rained.

Tuesday 28th Stalls. Hacking rubens All day. Hilda’s husband and I had a solid argument. He is too German for mine. Things got warm when he ran England and Churchill down. Otherwise he is a very fine chap as Fritzies go.

Wednesday 19th Hacking rubens nearly All day.

Thursday 30th Stalls. Out for a load of green. Two English planes over 1100 hours and dropped pamphlets. Good ones, a mass of graves one side and iron crosses the other. I have one for a souvenir.

Friday 31st Stalls. Hacking rubens All day. Ten letters in tonight, 8 English, 1 old Aussie one from Hazel October 2nd to Kokinia. 10 months old, it is a wonderful souvenir, with postmarks.

Sunday 1st August 1942 Stalls. Bath and shave. After lunch I had to take the wagon to bahnhof (station) and shovel coal. Jove it was warm and I got filthy. Home and had another bath. Stalls and Lager 2030 hours.

Monday 2nd Stalls. Carting out mist All day.

Tuesday 3rd Feeling none the best. Knocked off 1030 hours and to bed in Lager.

Wednesday 4th In Lager. Feeling much better. News appears very good. Intended British large scale attack in France. Our planes are always over and giving Germany and coastal French bases hell. These papers are very quiet now. Good news.

Thursday 5th Stalls. Carting mist water All day. A Jerry told one of our lads I caused his horses to bolt today. I knew nothing about it, will see them tomorrow. Feeling weak.

Friday 6th Mist water. Load of lucerne and hay from other shiner. Out and scythed a load of green. Jerry denies he blames me for horses bolting. Actually to have caused it and smashed his wagon would have been good but Someone is telling deliberate lies.

Saturday 7th Stalls. Carted out mist water in morning. Afternoon, old lady and I cultivated between rubens.

Sunday 8th Stalls. Lager 1300 hours. Jerries wild, so no packets or cigarettes. Returned to bower 1100 hrs. Two of our chaps, Morrison and Porter, rode straight off on bikes. Things are rather strained. I think they are foolish. One must go cross country to get anywhere.

Monday 9th

Stalls. Carted out 1 load of mist and wagon shaft stay broke. Took it to Smith. Spread mist. Wrote to Hazel and family.

Tuesday 10th Stalls. Carting mist All day. I appear to have missed a day with my diary. Crowd of refugees came here from Dusseldorf today, they look done. Well we like to see it.

Wednesday 11th Stalls. Carting out mist All day. More and more people coming here from bombed areas. Letter from RSM Brown re no work for NCO’s. Have decided to stop work tomorrow.

Thursday 12th Refused to work, 13 of us and were marched up to the gaol, six to a cell. No food. Feltweibel promises an answer form Hamelburg some day. No food until it comes unless we work.

BARDIA LIBYA, 1st January 1941

This soldier has been researched by the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial. Information can be accessed on this link.
Harry Armstrong