May, 1943

Saturday May 1: Washed my shirt and towel. On stand off. Went to Souk el Arba, met local Priest and went to confession. On night duty. A Beau fighter just airborne at 4am crashed quit close to use. Amo going off all around. The Observer OK. He walked back to us at 6am.

Sunday May 2: Seven Messerschmitts 110 shot down. S/L Hill from 11 Squad got three. Just got a report 7am from 898 that a pilot Sgt Talbot had arrived with a broken leg. Great. Off duty and went to Souk el Arba with J & J - ATS girls there. Washed clothes and in the evening took some fags to the local priest.

Monday May 3: duty 8.30am Mateur taken by the Yanks. Wash shorts. Duty 5pm 100 bombers bombed Bizerta. No opposition.

Tuesday May 4: Rather cold day. Duty 1-5pm not busy until 4pm then Bizerta heavily bombed again. On night duty, very busy - enemy aircraft over all night long. The Drome was lit up by flares but TG no bombs fell close to us. It was a bloody awful night. My work has praised by the officer on duty.

Wednesday May 5: Went to Tyba with the lads and Souk in the evening. The attack is to start in the morning at 5.30am.

Thursday May 6: duty 8.30am. Told by the officers to apply for a commission. Very busy, over 300 sorties. Washed shirt and towel. Duty 5-10pm. Bombing raids on Bizerta. Army advancing.

Friday May 7: We left at dawn for Medjez el Bab.

Saturday May 8: Pitched camp at Long Stop and Grenadier Hill. We soon became operational. Army on outskirts of Tunis. Germans retreating - making for Cap Bon. Tunis fell later today.

Sunday May 9: We reached Tunis. Took part in an unofficial Victory Parade. French hysterical with happiness. Flowers-kisses-souvenirs - the RAF got a great welcome. Set up camp for the night.

Monday May 10: We discovered that the Tunis drome was full of mines, booby traps etc. and we could not operate just yet, so back through Tunis with another great reception. We went to a Drome 15 kilometres north west of Tunis. There were mines all over the place and many also many German planes but we had to pitch camp. We examined German tents and contents. I felt ill. Terrific pains. We became operational at 5pm. Spent most of the night crawling outside to go to the toilet (a hedge).

Tuesday May 11: Reported sick at an Army depot about six miles nearer Tunis. Temperature 100. Have dysentery. Put into another ambulance and went through Tunis to a hospital for a further examination. Temperature 101 . Arrived at Tyba, never been on a stretcher before, up nearly all night.

Wednesday May 12: Breakfast = one slice of bread and a few beans and tea. First food for 36 hours. Scottish nurses very good to us. Left hospital in an ambulance bus. Went through Tyba along Beja Road to Sidi Smail railway station. We were put in a wagon which had the following notice - 32-40 men or eight horses. The German and Italian prisoners were given the best compartments. I complained and an Army Major told me off. We were given some loaves, biscuits and Bully Beef, six rolls of toilet paper and six buckets. We were locked in for a part of three days, the train broke down twice. We lay on boards all night. What a stench. We passed through Souk Aras and Divivier, arriving at Barrel at 3pm on May 14. Taken by ambulance to a field hospital - 5th HQ given hospital Blue. Had a good night's sleep. Heavy raid on Bone, Ack-Ack all around.

Sunday May 16: Feel fine. Washed shirt and socks. Good meals all day. Another raid, rockets everywhere. We lay under hospital beds. The Army made us work. We had to empty much buckets into a huge barrel placed on a small truck and we had to push and pull this across a field and pour the contents down a sluice into a huge pit. We were splashed.

Monday May 17: Very hot. Washed towel, vest and shorts. Issued with Army kit, asked MO for discharge.

Tuesday May 18: Ill with severe pains.

Wednesday May 19: Had to stay in bed.

Sunday May 23: Breakfast 2am. Arrived railway station at 3.30am. Train arrived at 7.30am.

Monday May 24: Still on the train. A long wait at a station. Walked along the platform, saw Italian prisoners locked in wagons shouting for water. The French soldiers in charge refused their request. I went over and they gave me their water bottles through the bars. I filled them all and gave them what food I had with me. Some of the prisoners threw a few mementoes to me.

Tuesday May 25: Arrived Algiers at 11am, an officer told me off for being dirty and unshaven. PM. Shave and bath.

Wednesday May 26: Lay on sands. Mam's birthday.

Sunday May 30: Posted back to Tunis. Left on a convoy at 6am. Only had Bully Beef to eat. Arrived Certif.

Monday May 31: At Guelma.