Friday 29th September 1939

The Sergt. Major daren’t let me have a sentry-go, after all. (Rather humorous, a bloke begging for a sentry-go and being refused – “More than me jobs’ worth”!) However I was allowed to understudy the NCO i/c Regent Garage Guard for a couple of hours last night, to get an idea how things should be done.

I have not done any work with the squad at all, this week. They’ll soon realise I’m superfluous, there! Today I went out with Pond on an “A” Troop exercise, to get an idea of how troop work was done. Quite interesting. We jolted around in M2, found the OP area, jolted back to the proposed gun position and then puffed across the fields laying line. Gilbert was with me. Pond and Willoughly followed, tying up and insulating. Butler was OP operator and Sid Sorrell was Troop operator. A good team, too, Pond says.

We found the observation post, with a specialist and two officers crouching in the bushes, searching the hills beyond, through their glasses. Once through to Troop and first orders – “Map Reference” – being passed, we withdrew into a clump of thorn trees and lay talking and smoking for half an hour or more, until the “Reel In” order came through. Then we trotted back, reeling in the line as we went.