The lads had a field day today with most of them receiving parcels and reading matter. Our first show this morning was an attack on DERNA, MARTUBA WEST and TMIMI by three aircraft each.
This "Tiger" country again proved dangerous and all three of our formations were attacked by enemy fighters, with adequate cloud protection however our boys eluded the enemy and two aircraft actually went on and bombed their target. All arrived home safely and the squadron breathed a sigh of relief!! Padre Davies from Wing visited us this morning to arrange a church service and we had a long chat in the "Angout” about "shoes and ships and ceiling wax, cabbages and kings”. We are going to run a series of concerts for the wing this Xmas .21 to the fore again!!
The afternoon show was the subject of much comment and excitement for we were given the task of bombing the Hotel at CYRENE where the enemy General Staff were supposed to be having some type of conference or celebration. The results were a flop owing to a mixture of inexperience, bad bomb aiming, bad luck and incorrectly given wind speed and direction. Anyway it was definitely not one of our better efforts!!
The stunning news of the loss of the ''Repulse" and the "Prince of Wales" in action against the Japs was heard this evening. The Japs have certainly started off with a swing, but he who laughs last....and when Uncle Sam going gunning for the murderers from the land of the Rising Sun, hon. sun will soon be in descending position!!
A side-light on Squadron activities: Yesterday afternoon the Intelligent, the Medical and the Armament Officers, set out on a duck-shooting expedition. Their destination was secret as they wanted no poaching on their reserves. They gave out that they would be calling in at 24 Squadron on their way back.This morning two of the gentlemen appeared for breakfast, one bearing up very well and the other very much the worse for wear the third, being unable to contemplate movement of any kind and able to think only of the blisters on his feet, spent the day in bed. It appeared that, when 16 miles from camp and shortly before sunset, the car had failed them and they had spent over six hours wandering about the desert. They were eventually brought in by friendly Senussi whose camp they had bumped into, and arrived just before midnight. Their bag - claimed but not produced - was one jackal brush. They were the only three in camp who saw no humour in the affair but it is understood on reliable authority that they will not be arranging another shooting expedition in the near future.No. 3 (S.A.) Wing advises that the aircraft will be arriving here on the day after tomorrow and instructs that all Senussi villages are out of bounds to all ranks and that there is to be no unauthorised or unsupervised firing or setting off of explosives by Squadron personnel. Wing called for two trucks and 16 details to assist off-loading fuel from aircraft about 8 miles South of here. About .5" of light rain fell.Routine Order No. 59/42
Nil operations. It commenced raining early in the morning and rained throughout the day and night.
Capt. PITCHFORD (Medical Officer) arrived to replace Capt. v.d. BURGH.