9/1/43 Saturday. Cold
as death in the mornings in this plain, but no dew at nights. Moved off as a Division at
8.30am. Great sight to see trucks moving off as far as you can see on this limitless
plain. Actually saw a rabbit running along. What they feed on I don’t know.
6.00pm Down for night after 40 miles of good smooth going.10/1/43 Sunday. On again at 9am. Good going.
10.00am Halt for a few minutes near a 'drome. Actually crossed
two wadis.
12 noon Halt for lunch, 40 miles. Home letter no 56 at last
chased me back here.
3.00pm Halted for night some 50 miles
behind front line. Have to dig in. Cold night again.
11/1/43 Monday. Stayed in bed till 8am.
Had my day planned out, to air my blankets and have a bath. Order came at 10.30 to move at
11.30. A lick and a promise wash was had. 41 Battery is the only one to move forward,
probably to give protection at a narrow place for the Division. Jerry is thought to have
moved off. Have hung my washing in the orderly room to dry as we go along.
2.30pm Joined the Diamond track [NZ Division track markers
– a black diamond shape enclosing a silver fern] and passed through the Wadi Tamet. A
huge broken wadi with steep escarpments. A great bombing place. Bofors are all lining the
wadi to guard the Division. What a thrashing of trucks there will be tomorrow. Sandy too,
with a pumice bed. All lava and pumice flats here. Good soil if watered.
12/1/43 Tuesday. A warmer night on good dry
ground. Since daylight the Division has been streaming by, and a huge cloud of dust is
blowing for miles. We are too far away to see clearly but there are six lanes of traffic.
Jerry bombed a drome to the north, but so far (2pm) he has not bothered us. Sent cable to
Dad last night.
6.00pm Division still moving and we have moved up closer to join
in our place.
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