Tuesday 11th March 1941

The second leave party is back, also some replacements. Among these was a signals bombardier, Cowell, who only left England eight weeks ago. He told me, in a quiet, pleasant voice, about the air raids. He was a West Country man and had a faintly blurred accent. “Oh, the civilians are fine,” Cowell said very quietly, “They haven't altered in the least – it's just as though the bombers had never come... I can assure you England will still be there, when we get back – and just the same... Jerry? Needless to say, we all hate and despise Jerry”.

We moved from Mersa Matruh today and are now in that awful tract of country between Barrani and Sollum. Very dusty. Very rough.