Monday 5th May 1941

Our own fire orders are phoned through very precisely and repeated back. Viz:

“Left – three degrees – two oh minutes”
“Left - three degrees – two oh minutes!”
“Angle of sight – zero”
“Angle of sight zero!”...
“Fire” “Fire!”
“Shot one!” “Shot one”
“Eleven – thousand” “Eleven thousand!”
“Shot one!” “Shot one”
“Right – three oh minutes – repeat”
“Right three oh minutes repeat!”
“Shot one!” “Shot one”
“Drop one hundred – two rounds gunfire”
“Drop one hundred! Two rounds gunfire!”
“Shot!” “Shot”

That's the usual sort of thing. It was very different at the OP tonight, when we were observing for some Aussie infantry, who were firing at a hostile battery with two Iti 75's. No repeating back orders now! And the orders! - “A lot more left” Bang! Bang! “Still more left” Bang! “Cock her up a bit” Bang! “About a fist to the left” Bang! Bang! Bang! “Good. The buggers have gone to ground now” Bang!

Message from the “gun position”: “Sir, can we use the other gun as well? The boys there want to have a go at the bastards”.