Thursday 13th February 1941
Benghazi was bombed for several hours last night, by relays of lone bombers. Must have been fairly heavy stuff; although we were some distance off, the ground often trembled. Amazing that Iti pilots can bomb a city which contains thousands of Italian civilians!
Today we set up an exchange, for the first time since leaving Tobruk. Eventually it was installed in a room in one of the buildings around the farm court yard and four of us are sleeping in there tonight.
As we're so short of men I borrowed two B Troop Signallers for today – one of them, Bryceland, is working on the switch board tonight also. They were a welcome change from the grumbling, arguing M1 personnel. Either they worked quietly or with much humorous repartee; when doing no work they usually sat silent, legs crossed, like a couple of Arabs!
Pay parade this afternoon. For the first time since leaving Mena, HQ Troop had to fall-in, in three ranks... The BSM tried to revive old bullshits - “Headquarter Troop – Troop – 'Shun! Troops reported present sir!” He then swung round, saw the whole squad registering amusement, chose the most lowly member (a wretched LAG gunner) and told him to stop smiling, what was the joke? I hadn't deigned to go to this parade – being busy with the exchange at the time – but Sid Pond had managed to limp along and told me it was damn funny.
Today we set up an exchange, for the first time since leaving Tobruk. Eventually it was installed in a room in one of the buildings around the farm court yard and four of us are sleeping in there tonight.
As we're so short of men I borrowed two B Troop Signallers for today – one of them, Bryceland, is working on the switch board tonight also. They were a welcome change from the grumbling, arguing M1 personnel. Either they worked quietly or with much humorous repartee; when doing no work they usually sat silent, legs crossed, like a couple of Arabs!
Pay parade this afternoon. For the first time since leaving Mena, HQ Troop had to fall-in, in three ranks... The BSM tried to revive old bullshits - “Headquarter Troop – Troop – 'Shun! Troops reported present sir!” He then swung round, saw the whole squad registering amusement, chose the most lowly member (a wretched LAG gunner) and told him to stop smiling, what was the joke? I hadn't deigned to go to this parade – being busy with the exchange at the time – but Sid Pond had managed to limp along and told me it was damn funny.
posted by Paul Wilson at 8:35 pm
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