Sunday 14th April 1940

If every day was a Sunday, I could stand the Army! Reveille 6:30, Roll Call 7:00, Breakfast 7:30. Kits have to be tidy – that’s all, if there’s no Church Parade. So there’s absolutely no rush in the morning of a Sunday! After breakfast the four snakes plus Jack Chenery (once more together all) hiked southwards along the coast to the Snakes Pit. This is a stretch of golden sand, discovered yesterday, where the cliffs droop down to a wide sandy bay beyond which there’s a great expanse of desert-like sandiness. There are no rocks in the particular bit of water which we call the Snakes Pit (‘cos no one else comes here) and the water is clear as crystal. Marvellous to swim there, wickedly, as we’re supposed to bathe en masse under supervision at the bathing beach and nowhere else.

Some of us had bathing slips and some had not. We had two swims and bathed in the sun. Suddenly realising it was nearly lunch time, we tramped back through the desert. Ling got away ahead and this irritated me so I sloped after him. We strung out and all lost sight of each other for minutes at a time. Eventually I got in front and led the way until we came to a great pile of grapefruit, just outside a grove. Ron, Stan and I stopped and ate grapefruit here – luscious, juicy fruit! but did not wait for the other two, being still afar off. Despite the hurry, we were too late for lunch so had chips, tomatoes and eggs with five good old pints.

How disgusting! Soldiers paddle and splash in the water of the blue Mediterranean, whilst there is a war on!