1 Oct (Sun)
Slept all morning – had lunch at 1.45 pm. After lunch finished Judith Paris, first class book and generally frigged around. New system operates w.e.f. tomorrow – yours truly does all the work so far as I can see. On duty 6 – 11 pm. Bought thermo – 55fr. Very cold all day still got a stinking cold – lights out at 12.30.
To – L From L (Lilliput)
2 Oct
On duty very solidly from 9 – 9 – earned my pay – cold at its worst I hope – went over to see Munton – Neil after lunch re case of drunkenness (Sgt Nichols who I’m defending) – Wrote War Diary & to A in V after dinner. Drink with Phantom lad before dinner. Sat by fire nattering in B Mess before going to bed – read ‘a prince of Summer’ –
To A From A
3 Oct
Another v hectic day – nothing to report of interest. Wrote V1 after dinner. Tim did sweet FA all day. LO from 21 Army Gp says if all goes according to plan war over before Xmas. Hope he’s right.
To A From L, B
4 Oct
Move to Turnhout tomorrow. Worked hard 9 – 1.30 then 2 – 2.30. Went to Antwerp with Miles Morris – via Rear (Paymaster shut) Lievre – Paymaster Antwerp where I cashed a cheque for £8-10-0 (1500f). Lent Miles 400f. Good tea (ice and 3 cakes – shop (only spent 75f on lipstick – then bath at Century, quick drink and back home at 8 ocl. Wrote A & G in V1 after dinner, prepared Court Martial and wrote 4 days of War Diary.
To A From Nil
G G (after X)
5 Oct (Thurs)
Left Sautheven at 10.20 with Clifford Simpson in his Jeep – and arrived to est Corps HQ at Turnhout 11 ocl – remainder on about 12.30 – haversack lunch – a really bloody awful barracks we are in – very modern – very large and dirty – built just before war and used by Boche – drawings in charcoal to glorify war everywhere – now used as prison for collaborators – youths guarding – one block girls – many nice respectable people – ** Mayor & family cleaning our lats all dressed in Sunday best – on duty 8.15 – 10 pm – long day – v weary – hope room – Charles W. Johnnie B I hope we leave this place very soon.
To Nil From Nil (late post parcel A)
6 Oct Fri
Rest – on tonight.
Antwerp – Lyall Martin – stamps ***. Spent whole morning writing up cases for Sgts Nicholls & Clark, don’t like look of either. After lunch went in to Antwerp with Lyall & Martin. Bath first then shampoo & hair cut after good tea at Century. Walked miles round shops, bought some stamps. Met Lyall for drink and then quite good dinner. Drove back and arrived just in time to go on duty.
To A From A (World Dig) ECS
7 Oct Sat Visits
C.M. 1000 hrs – rush –
One hell of a bloody rush today. On all night, relieved 8.30, wash shave breakfast and picked up witness in TURNHOUT and at Shilde 0955 hrs! Hectic cases evidence completely against. P.P, v efficient but bullying type. Both sergeants found guilty of being drunk – first case 10 – 2.30 (3/4 hr for lunch) – second case 2.30 – 6 ocl (½ hour for cup o’char. Arrived back feeling v tired at 7 ocl, wrote A and read after dinner and so to bed. Some day!
To A From – L
B A, B, G
8 Oct
9 – 10. On duty all day, absolutely FA happening, off about 10.30 pm and after short read went to beddibies.
To Nil A
9 Oct (Mon)
Visit 49 8 – 10. Offrs shop 9 ocl.
Up early and on duty 8 ocl – marked maps til lunch-time after which went out with G1 to visit 49 Div, tea there then to 146 and 147 Bde – kept for 1 hr outside Div HQ while G1 had drink with his pals – poor show. Off at 10.15 wrote A, G & L til past midnight. Offrs shop round this morning bought
Shoes, pair, brown 186fr
3 pairs socks 54
3 handkerchiefs 15
Pair leather gloves 76
331fr
To A Nil
G, L
10 Oct
Rest Day – Duty 2200 – 0900 hrs. Miserably wet day – grey but fine when I left here – but got progressively worse towards Brussels and downpour there made golf out of the question. Cashed cheque for 500fr (£2-16-8). Coffee, news theatre til 3.15 – shopped, v expensive everywhere then tea and back via Antwerp where I had good bath at Century. At 8.20 arr back for dinner after which a terrific argument, usual stuff – Reg v TA was waged – G1 v Lyall, Ken H & myself – Cinity stoked it up by supplying cigs and Benedictine! On duty at 10 pm. No news.
To A From B Ian Colville
11 Oct 2¾ hrs sleep during night.
Cashed this month so far 11-6-8
In hand 431 francs 2-7-6
Spent so far £8-19-2
Quiet night – PCB prepared a real bull shitty sitrep as at 0800 hrs! After wash and shave and b’fast went out on ‘visits’ – left at 10.30 visited 4 Liaison HQ, Pol Armd Div, amazing photos of havoc round Turn and Chaubois – then on to 57 Div where I had lunch, back through Eindhoven, (saw gliders on way all parked neatly in rows) – to 154 Bde, to the Royals for tea & so back at 5.30. marked maps had glass of Benedictine then wrote A, dinner and so to bed v early.
To A From G, L
12 Oct Thurs
On duty 9 pm. Very slack day absolutely no business at all.
To – Nil From A
13 Oct Fri
On duty nearly all day – nothing to report – no mail.
To A From Nil
14 Oct Sat
Left Turnhout with Tim at 8.40 and arrived at 21 A Gp Brussels at 10.45 – met Tim’s brother and then to Waterloo G C – had 9 holes before lunch – beer and sandwiches. 18 holes, beer, and then back to 21 A Gp. At Club house met Madame Hamoir who was a Zuite and Camille Seyss now pro at W. only fly in ointment was frightful balls. Had drink and dinner with Gordon Conner then back at 8 pm arriving here 10.30 – a bit late for parade but couldn’t matter less. Very enjoyable day. V2? Oostmalle.
To A From A, L, DF Baccy, Mag, ECS
15 Oct
G birthday.
Quietish night though not much sleep. Took me time over shaving then went to Church at 11.30 a lot there after Corps Comds letter. After early lunch went over with Clifford Simmons to Second Army at Helmond, about 10 miles East of Eindhoven. Had tea there got back at 7.30 after bloody awful drive in wet and dark. Drink in B Mess with Tim and Eric Bayes. After early dinner wrote A, then to bed.
To L From Nil
16 Oct
On Ops all day – had off between 5.15 – 8.15 when I wrote to A and Collie. Nothing much to report except complete change of plan – we lose 7 Armd & 51 and go Westish.
To A From Nil
Ian Colville
17 Oct
Infm room & maps all day – on my feet most of them – felt bloody tired about 10.15 when I came off duty – otherwise nothing much to report. Tac goes out 19th? Main moves, not yet settled but large Tac will go out
To Nil From L, B.
18 Oct
V Enjoyable quiet restful day. Pottered most morning – doing accounts, tidying up my boxes and most imp writing to A. Early lunch, after drink with Charles then to Antwerp. Arrived at 2.45 where we both had super baths – no V2s! – and listened to music in Century from 3.30 – 5. Shopping bought pipe 65f and Eau de Cologne, Worth’s Je reviens – 90f. Left at 6 pm back here at 7.15. Dinner, potter and then on duty at 2200 hrs.
To A (2) am – night. From Stamp dealer!
19 Oct Thurs
Not too hectic a night – wrote A in the early hours. After b’fast washed shaved & then went over to 4 Armd Bde just into Holland on the T – E road – went alone & sang there & back! Poured with rain – after latish lunch pottered til 3 ocl then slept til nearly 6! Pottered, early dinner then in bed before 9 ocl.
To Nil From A
20 Oct Fri
Lazy day – attack started – on my feet most of time & at 10.30 when I was relieved feet v tired – wrote A and so to bed. Attack went well – about 530 PW taken.
To A From G
21 Oct Sat
On ‘maps & infm room’ all day from 8 am – again bloody tired by time I came off at 10 pm, straight to bed & asleep in no time. Attack still going well – Monty visiting us tomorrow. We are likely to move on the 23rd or 24th – probably 24th. Lovely day but not much good to me.
To Nil From L
22 Oct Sun
Day off in morning went to Church at 10 ocl then to office at 11 to meet Monty who never came in – saw him. Wrote L before lunch afterwards went in to Antwerp with Charles good cheap pm.
Arrived A 2.45
Finished bath 3.35
Tea & music offrs club til 5 ocl.
Walk & cinema (Chavivani) til 7 ocl.
Drink & ice with Miki til 7.45.
Dinner at X – v good til 8.30.
Arrived back – 10 to 10. On duty for night at 10 ocl!!
To L From Nil
A
23 Oct Mon
Not a bad night but very little sleep from 3.30 – 6.15. After b’fast got myself tied up to visit 12 Corps but plan had to be cancelled as John R was called out – on duty 1.15 – 4 ocl when I went into town & bought some stamps (109fr) at the Poste. After tea wrote A & packed parcel up – drink with John Hardy before dinner then took letters & parcel to office heard news – well done the RUSKIS – & so very early to bed.
To A (R.L. + Hampers) From – Ken Davis
A (Parcel)
24 Oct
Moved today at 10 ocl from Turnhout to Camp de Brasschact rather in the heart of the V2 country – hectic day – came off duty feeling very weary at 10.15 straight to bed and to sleep – sharing room with Charles Woodford
To Nil From A, L, B.
25 Oct
Up at 7.30 – very busy all day with not a quiet moment. Monty came down and visited the Ops Room but not the information room of which I was in charge! Several thumps quite close today – ? V2s. I think they were. Late news that 4 Br Armd Bde are near TILBERG excellent show – War news our area good all day.
To A From DF Baccy, Argosy ECS.
26 Oct
Wrote most of morning – light in my room now fixed up makes no end of difference. At 1.15 C and I went into Antwerp & were in there by 2 ocl – bath, ice, listened to music in Century then tea in Excelsior – short walk then Ginger Rogers in Tom Dick & Harry. Glass of beer dinner and so back in time to go on duty at 10 ocl.
To Mrs TKD. From Nil
Peter Rawson
G
27 Oct (Friday)
Battle has gone extremely well today – on all sectors of 1 & 12 Corps fronts. Frightful night – slept 3.45 to 6 ocl then rush, rush, rush til 9.25 when I came off. After wash and shave went to see Doc about this awful can’t-stop-ping-racket – pills (he gave me) – then out on visits – went to 4 Cdn Armd Div (lunch there) then to 49 Div back in time for tea.
To – From
28 Oct
On duty all day 9 – 10 pm. Very busy but all went well. Phoned Charles in great form – meeting him on Monday in Antwerp. Saw Doc – my ‘urine’ ok but loss of spec gravity – pills to cure. Marvellous post incl SUPER leather waistcoat from A. GBH. Battle went well today good show.
To A From A L, G, Parcel A super
Tattler} L
******}
29 Oct Sun
On duty just after 8 am – had cup of char before going to Church, with Alistair Gold ex 339 Bty. Nothing much to report today but good progress made by Poles who captured and cleared BREDA
To L From Nil
30 Oct
Excellent day. Wrote first part of letter to A in am then in to Antwerp at 10.15. Charles out when I called so went to C, good bath, ice & lunch with Geoff Lambe at Excelsior. After lunch met Charles W as arranged and went to see Charles C in great form also ‘old Wright’ – he came back to C where the 3 of us had chat & tea. Charles W & I then had tea & then to ‘Lover Girl’ – Rita Heyworth – v good. Met Tim & Cinity at E – dinner, drink & so home arriving just in time for a night in the office.
To A From L
J. James B
J James
31 Oct
Only 1 ½ hrs sleep during night usual morning flap but for once had all the answers. Tac out today. Wrote 2 days of war diary in am. Slept v solidly from 2.15 – 7.15 then dinner and wrote A afterwards before turning in at 11.15 after short read. Nothing very much on the Ops line.
To A From – Nil
The Bay Museum & Research Facility 