Saturday 1st May
We lost an air craft on practice bombing today. For some unknown reason it dived into the deck from 5000 ft. - possibly a faulty George.
Allied armies held by Germans on all African fronts. The Germans are bitter and there is every indication that he will hold his position a long time yet.
****part missing****
cola bear eats only rubber tree leaves and drinks very little water. He is remarkably free from bugs because the rubber material is excreted by his sweat pores.
Sunday 2nd. May
The climate is deadly now. The temperature all day averages 110 in the shade. To make matters worse there is a south wind blowing making it like a blast furnace. Lying in the tent with only shorts on does not stop you from sweating like the dickens.
Scot is in the hospital with Typhus - In this country Typhus is a very dangerous disease. As a result our sqd. is under very tight Quarantine. I think the disease is caused by fleas and lice from the natives. The water which is quite muddy doesn't help either.
Monday 3rd. May
Things are starting to take shape these days.
Tuesday 4th May
scheduled for take off at 22.30 last night but were help up by inter come trouble. We were airborne at 00.30 hrs. left the target at 04.30 hrs. which is just at dawn.
There was no moon last night so night fighters don't have much chance.
Flak was negligent.
The 8th army has moved two strong armoured divisions over to the 1st army is going to start a push by sheer weight of numbers. Monty says he will be in Tunis within 36 hrs.
The 8th army are in the foothills and they are just going to sit tight.
Last night things were certainly blowing up in Tunisia.
We received a B.B.A. to Castle Benito. I was so tired I fell asleep on the tile floor and would have slept till noon if some one hadn't stepped on my legs.
Friday 7th May The allied armies are in Tunis and Biserta. Montgomery kept his promise once again. The enemy have very little left in North Africa now.
Our kite did not take off last night because bad weather "Z" crashed last night five miles from here with 9 X 500 bombs on board. One man F/S Smith escaped death by a miricle. He was thrown or rather blown some 50 yards from the turret by the explosion. What ever the cause of the accident, the men would probably all be alive today if they had dropped all their bombs instead of obeying orders to drop only half the load. It was certainly the worst crash I've seen so far. - I hope to see none worse. Green is still missing from last nights operation.
Saturday 8th May
No raid tonight because of lack of good target. Klimans, Conyn, Sherry, Poppelston and McFarlane buried today. Five more men who gave their lives for their country and five friends who exist today in memory alonge.
Smith is suffering from shock along with bruises and burns - none serious.
Arnold Guy of Woodstock is now a pilot officer of England.
Monday 31st. May.
I have left blank pages from 8th to 31st. This is not because nothing has happened either. During this month the Axis have been driven completely out of Africa, I do a few ops and had one crash at Gadabia.
This is the best month we have had since the war started. I hope we can keep it up.
