Friday 13th June 1941

Moved the exchange yesterday, with much chaos, about a mile forward, onto the escarpment. The switchboard is now in a musty-smelling cave (about 20 yards long) which runs into the hillside. We are right by B Troop gun position. (414 is moving back to some rear position and a totally new Regiment is taking over the 414 positions on the Derna Road.)

I've been in the cave nearly all day and am there now – about midnight. Qute cool in here during the day and at night it is almost chilly. It's rather damp and there are some mosquitoes. On the other hand there are no lice or fleas. Mice of course; probably a few rats too!

The ration of food has been cut down again. We should fare very badly if we lived on Army water and food rations, but as it is, we draw water from our secret water hole and augment our rations considerably by looting and scrounging. It is surprising what an amount of extra stuff one gets through looting and scrounging! As it is, we feed – spasmodically – pretty well.

We're quieter here – one hardly notices the Tobruk raids here – and there is some hope still that we may be relieved, but I feel DEAD. Just waiting, listlessly, for life to start again.

I have a little tobacco but only a few matches and two crumpled “Wog” cigarettes. Zift!

End of High Noon 1941