Monday, January 12, 2009

Monday 9th August 1943

Paced 2640 yards (1 ½ miles) today. I've made quite a track in the sand with my pacing!

Terrible khamsin wind since 10a.m. Hot and powerful. They are only slightly diminished in strength now, at 8p.m. However, we've been able to close the windows and close the wind out. The very air is khamsin and the cigarette I'm smoking – one of my steadily dwindling stock – does not taste one tenth as pleasant as it would in a normal atmosphere. We both posses 6ozs. of tobacco but have no matches. The Sister has given us tooth paste and shaving soap from Red Cross sources.

William is fairly happy but he has a more unfortunate imagination than me. I do not speculate on anything beyond the next meal and don't care (this is strange!) whether I go home or not. William however is very anxious to get home and has many things to worry about in addition – such ridiculous things as: Shall we be bombed? Will the ship sink? Will the water be warm? Will they keep us in an Army or civilian mental hospital? If so, for how long? Will people jeer at him and ask if he has been in action? Will he be able to go home? Will his trouble recur? If so, will he have to go back to a mental hospital?

And so on – ad nauseam.

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