May 29, 1942
Well, we’ve had a hectic three days since I last took up the pencil. It’s just a case of pack up and go on a moment’s notice regardless of whether we ate or not. Our supper hour was 11:30 on two occasions and dinner around 4:00. Our cooks have a miserable time of it, as quite often they have everything ready but due to an enemy “breakthrough” or an order to advance, everything must be packed up and away we go. When we finally reach a new spot, the whole process of preparing a meal must start again.
The weather has been simply foul, cold and wet, though the sun is shining brilliantly at the moment. I have never seen the weather to equal it anywhere. It can be beautifully warm one minute and within 20 minutes, clouds spring up from nowhere and it’s raining cats and dogs. The rain has done a world of good, however, and the fields are a beautiful green. I have seen fields of grain in the last few days as thick as wool and about 14 inches high.
“The enemy” attacked in force again this morning but were driven back. This will enable us to have dinner in peace – I hope – and the cooks are busy preparing the noonday meal post haste. I am still doing absolutely nothing and getting rather bored. Today marks the tenth day out and, though tomorrow is payday, we have as yet heard nothing to confirm our hopes that we will return to camp today. At the moment, I’m sitting on a pile of wood about twenty feet from the cooks, watching them open cans of stew.
We see plenty of fighter craft these days and, as they frequently dive on us, I’m inclined to think that they too have a part in the manoeuvres. When they dive down with throttles wide open I thank my lucky stars it is only a manoeuvre. The modern fighters are a beautiful piece of work and my heart thrills every time I see them, even after two years of it.
Our camp is situated in a field under the shelter of numerous spreading trees which afford excellent protection against spying enemy aircraft. A little brook threads its way across the corner across this field and you should have seen me this a.m. standing on a gravel bar doing my morning toilette. Well, I think this pretty well sums up the local situation, so I’ll close now.
