Wednesday 29 April 1942

I have received a rise of about 3½ piastre per day which is counter balanced by 4 piastres messing subscription (plus various little extra charges). So I was better off with two stripes. However we live much better now and the complete change of surroundings is refreshing.

From May 1st this Battery will have an official designation. It becomes 519 Battery RHA.

The mosquitoes are getting pretty wicked at nights. So I've repaired and rigged-up an old sand-fly net which I found on the miredam and automatically acquired. Now I lie secure within it at nights, whilst the baffled insects hurl themselves hopelessly against the mesh!

Jack and I went to see the touching and sentimental film, “Waterloo Bridge” at a Cairo garden cinema. Beautiful, but it makes one feel emotionally upset and is certainly not the film for a soldier to see. Jack and I felt profoundly depressed after, as we sat over our supper. Jack talked about his wife as he remembered her from their last meeting, 26 months ago.

Ultimately I said, “I'll go and see her after the war – if you don't go back – and tell her all about you.”
“Yes, do that will you?”
“Of course!”
“No, I'm serious.”
“So am I.”