Friday 21st June 1940

Had to go to Nathanya today to appear before a medical board. One humourous point – I heard the Battery MO tell his colleagues that I had been X-rayed. “Yes, and where is the radiologist's report?” “Oh, you know the Army,” said the MO apoogetically, “The plates were apparently lost!”

The whole thing rather “shook” me though. They did not want to cure or give advice, only to decide my medical category. The MO rattled off some technical stuff about my chest, a trouble which was “More pronounced on the right side than the left” The others examined me and seemed to agree. “Are you off duty or do you manage to carry on?” they asked. They then discussed grading: -

“Definitely B5, I think,”
“He looks pretty fit though,”
“I'd feel insulted if they put me B5!”
“Don't forget, all this fine weather has failed to make it better,”
“Might be only a temporary condition, though”
“Of course if he's B5, he'll go to a different unit” (Ye Gods! I hadn't realised that! Leave the Yeomanry?)

To my relief, they graded me “D” - temporarily unfit – which means that I'll have a further exam at some later date. It has made me feel rather a pariah though. If the unit went to war whilst I was “D”, I'd have to stay behind...