Collins Diamond Diary

1944

Thursday 1 June 1944

Moved to LST 384

No entries Friday 2 June 1944 to Monday 5 June 1944

Tuesday 6 June 1944

D Day – arrived off Ouistreham at 12 noon.  Nothing very much happening.  Waited about for rhino ferry – 3MEs bombed us at 2.15.  no hits – Gliders thousands of them in at 9 pm.  left ship and got on shore at 11.50 pm.  rhino doors wouldn’t open.  Bombed on beaches – phos bombs near.

Wednesday 7 June 1944  D + 1

Arrived 3 Br 0500 at Colville-Sur-Mere met Charles.  Visited 6 Airborne HQ road to Corps not yet cleared of enemy.  George in command.  Hutch wounded.

Thursday 8 June 1944 D + 2

Visited Corps + 6 Airborne. 

Not a good night – but nothing v close.

Friday 9 June 1944 D + 3

Visited Corps & 6 Airborne HQ.

Bloody awful night incl AP bombs v close.  Roger & Robert killed.

Saturday 10 June 1944 D + 4

Visit 6 Airborne Div and then over to Corps – on duty from 10 ocl until 8 pm, long day.

Good night’s sleep in Stephen Garratts tent.

Sunday 11 June 1944 D + 5

Camembert for Dinner!   Made pig of myself – Duty 0600 – 1500 hrs – Dug hole established

4 letters for A – 1 for L & G.  Wrote L & A

Monday 12 June 1944 D + 6

Quiet am.  Wrote A, L, G and B –

Duty 1400

Tuesday 13 June 1944 D + 7

Village in morning bought odd trinkets and some stamps –

Duty 2200 – 0600.

Wednesday 14 June 1944 D + 8

Morning in Town – bought more stamps – haircut – after lunch sleep from 1400 – 1815!

Dinner – soup, bully & new spuds, strawberries, camembert tea and vin rouge – Letter card to A – received ECS – morning with Rice.

Thursday 15 June 1944 D + 9

Duty 0600 – 1400

Mail up – letters from A (3), L and G (2) – Bill & ECS – Visited 3 Br, 6 Airborne, 4 Agra – long chat with Bill H.  After dinner walk with Owen Hunt.

Friday 16 June 1944 D + 10

Duty 1400 – 2200

AM spent letter writing to A & G – otherwise lazy time.

Saturday 17 June 1944 D + 11

PCB Birthday.

Duty 22 – 0600 Letters from L & G.  Read most of day ‘Bride of Bernadette’ wrote A & L.  bath?

Sunday 18 June 1944 D + 12

Brian Birthday.  Slept from 9.30 to 6.15!  Then wrote letters & read Song of Bernadette – excellent.

Monday 19 June 1944 D + 13

In pm went over to Bayeux bought scent for Eileen & a cheese for myself – letter from L dated 14^th but nothing from A – Saw Ian – in fair form.

Tuesday 20 June 1944 D + 14

Poor sweet Eileen and now I know why she hasn’t written these last few days – how grim for her and how very bitter is the pill to swallow but thank God she is alright – blast & damn the bloody WAAFs.