Tuesday 10th September 1940

The “day” began at midnight when they awoke me (sleeping as usual by my hedge, not at a guard room) to do two hours sentry-go. Was on with Jim Hutley – it was a voluntary guard of NCO's. We prowled around for about an hour, then sat down and smoked beside some scrub bushes. Talked about our civvie jobs and other far away things until it was time to wander around the desert and locate and wake our reliefs. Sleep afterwards.

The gunners came today, by train. We met them at Sidihanaish, the nearest railway “station” and guided them to their various sites. A bloody impressive sight when the long train of guns, vehicles and limbers mounted on flat trucks, came slowly into sight. The gunners were standing on the trucks beside their guns. They said they'd been cheered right across Egypt, and no wonder.

My impetigo and septic sores get no better – on the contrary. Not very pleasant to live rough like this and be unfit.

Met some men of our brother RHA regiment, the 107th, today. They've been at Mersa, about 40 miles ahead, for three months and get bombed nearly every day. It has rather shaken them, apparently. We listened eagerly to their stories and advice.