A feature of the Western Desert campaign has been the regular and frequent delivery of private mail to the squadron – a most important factor for morale, particularly in the forward areas.
In fact, so regular has this delivery become, that today was the first occasion since we took up domicile in this area that the bi-weekly post truck has failed to "deliver the goods".
A practice net has been rigged up in the camp and cricket enthusiasts are getting down to it. A challenge has been made to and accepted by the S.A. Basecamp for a match on Wednesday.
No operational flying today. Oprep. No.220.
Lt. CHISHOLM admitted to 25 M.R.S. at EL ASSA suffering from flu. The convoy (65 Vehicles) got away right on time. Half way to ZLITEN it got held up by a huge convoy that was just moving off after the night-stop. This held it up until 09.00 hrs. The Adj. went on to TRIPOLI to get the timing for the convoy to get onto the Main TRIPOLI-ZUARA road, and met the convoy again at the turnoff to by-pass TRIPOLI some fifteen miles East of same. (All convoys have to go through a veritable maze of roads Just South of TRIPOLI.) The Adj. had the cheering??? news that the road West from TRIPOLI was so booked on the morrow that it would be impossible to get through.
The Movement Control had therefore instructed that the Squadron had to move tonight and had to be at the OLIVETTI control point, some 15 miles West of TRIPOLI ready to move off at 20.00 hrs. As it was then 17.30 hrs. it was impossible to stop for tea especially as the sky was overcast and the maze of unknown tracks South of Tripoli had to be passed before nightfall. This however was a forlorn hope as some of the vehicles took a wrong turning and the Adj. sent the rest of the convoy on whilst he went to look for the messing vehicles. Some of them were found and turned back but some half-dozen were nowhere to be found.
After a long and tedious drive the convoy at last got to OLIVETTI at 21.00 hrs. By this time most of the vehicles had used not only the petrol in their tanks but the spare petrol carried on board as well. This was due to the fact that the convoy had had to crawl in the wake of an army convoy almost all the time which moved very very slowly and had even to travel in low and second gear for considerable distances. Some vehicles had used 25 gallons of petrol todo the 135 odd miles!!!
The convoy was drawn off the road here and all ranks were given an opportunity to have a snack and something hot to drink. In the meantime the missing vehicles turned up and the vehicles that had enough gas to complete the 45 miles to ZUARA were sent on whilst the other vehicles were refuelled from the M.T. Bowser. The last vehicle pulled out at 23.30 hrs.
This however was not the end of our troubles. At this stage some of the vehicles started giving trouble and although the main convoy arrived by about 0200 hrs at ZUARA the last vehicles did not get in until 0430 hrs. on the morning of the 10th. The last of us bedded down at 0430 hrs. Tomorrow morning at about 0830 we push on to EL ASSA after a good breakfast.
The large majority of 24 Sqn Vehicles came through with us but 12 Sqn. and 3 Wing decided to stop at TRIPOLI and try to come on tomorrow. They have a hope!!