Tuesday 27th May 1941

HMS Hood has been revenged. After being pursued and cut off by 10 major ships of the Royal Navy, the German battleship “Bismarck” was eventually torpedoed and sunk by HMS Dorsetshire – a light cruiser I think. After sinking Hood, the German had been chased 1700 miles. If only our Army and Air Force could be like our Navy – powerful, superior and inescapable!

British Troops are being forced back in Crete and Jerry columns have again crossed the Sollum frontier into Egypt.

All is quiet here. Our turn will come. “I'm getting out of this, mate!” is Newton's usual exclamation when hearing bad news. “Back to the Base, me! I'll read about all this in the papers”. He's not felt well today (suppose they'll be some sickness, now that the weather is growing hotter). “The Playboy's mad!” he told us all tonight, “'E's a maniac. Dangerous, that feller. I was lyin' 'ere 'elpless this afternoon, and there 'e sat glaring at me with 'is dark eyes, whilst I lay 'elpless. And tonight 'e was outside with Mayhew, telling 'im poetry, all about blue skies and such like. Yes, 'e's going crazy. I'm getting out of this, mate!”