Saturday 5th April 1941

It was daylight when I awoke – on the main road at Barce. It had been bombed heavily; all civilians had gone. I found an old topee beside the road – this was a godsend.

Engineers were mining the pass as we came through; and one of our guns was left behind covering the road until everyone was clear of Barce. Then the gun followed into the hills and the pass was blown up.

We found Aussie infantry all around. Grand to see them again after the blokes we'd been with. Laughing and gay, they turned the whole show into a jolly holiday affair. They threw cigarettes, tins of fruit and milk at us as we went by. They told us where there was an abandoned stores dump so we hastily collected two sand bags full of tobacco, matches and cigarettes!

Halted in some woods, had a wash and a meal. Someone else took over the rear guard and we moved on at 3p.m. Moved into position in woody hill country in Derna province but still to the west of De Martino. No time for digging in and the enemy can't get here before tomorrow at the very earliest. It may be some days before we are in action again. Made a temporary shelter for the exchange, which is where I am now. (6:45a.m.)

Until breakfast, I'm going to read that thriller “Dangerous Curves”!