Monday 31st March 1941

Another “panic” today but rather more like the genuine thing, this time. I was peacefully cleaning out M1 after breakfast, when George came along and said that about 200 enemy armoured fighting vehicles were advancing so we'd better load M1, as much as possible. Which we did. Soon afterwards the guns began firing. They've been firing ever since, until about 30 minutes ago. The ranges shortened to about 6500 yards, then lengthened again.

We've had no shells back but worse – from the point of view of morale – a dive bombing attack by Jerry planes. At first we interestedly watched the planes – a score or more – circling and screaming down in amazing vertical dives on a point about two miles away. Then the tail end of the attack came our way and we went to ground. George used to be nervous of bombers, he isn't now! He crouched in the exchange trench and had a couple of shots at one of the planes!

2:45p.m. The enemy attack seems to have fizzled out for a while. The infantry is moving forward now and for B Troop at least, it is P.T. Ack! But where are our planes?

Altogether, it's been, so far, quite a busy hectic day.