Saturday 7th February 1942

The road party – about 1/3 of the battery – left today for the camp to which we shall go before being re-equipped for the journey to our ultimate destination. The rest of us will be going badin.

Ling and I are learning French and doing quite well. Curiously enough we both got the ideas and started swotting the same day, although Ling was on leave in Egypt at the time and I here in Sarafend. It is nice to be making some progress with a language; apparently my brain can still make some constructive effort – I began to fear it had been dulled beyond hope!