Wednesday 30th September 1942

A pretty bloody drill order today, in the desert near Cairo. It was the third day of a torrid khamsin. Weary flies dropped continually onto my face, crawling hopefully on my lips and into my eyes, in search of water or moisture. It was not enough to brush them away; sometimes they did not move even when touched and then you could pick them up, struggling listlessly. Flies have rarely been so numerous or maddening as this.

I got 99.5% for lamp reading (6wpm) and 8/10 for buzzer sending (10wpm)

Tonight we had the dread buzzer reading exam – running hand at 12 wpm. I got 99.5% ie there was only one mistake in 200 letters...

Dewhurst, from whom I copied most of the message, got only 99%. So, I, the cribber got one more mark than the cribbee... how the wicked prosper!