Scans of original diary pages - transcript below each page
Enlisted voluntary reading 15th April 1940 RASC
Promoted corporal Bampton 1st of June 1940
Sergeant Bradninch 18th September 1941 ACC
Joined 1st Armoured Division troops company 19th September 1941
Left England Devizes 27th September 1941
Landed Durban South Africa 11th November 1941
Tewfik 25th of November 1941
Arrived Amarva 27th of November 1941
Bir Gibni 30th of December 1941
Captured Antelat 23rd January 1942
Arrived Tripoli 6th Feb 1942
Left Tripoli 13th Feb 1942
Torpedoed 14th February 1942
Arrived Trapani Sicily 16th of February 1942
Campo 98 19th of February 1942
Campo 65 Gravina in Italy 1st April 1942
Campo 21 Chieti 19th of August 42
Sulmona 22nd of September 1943
Escaped 29th of September 1943
Recaptured Pescasseroli 29th october 1943
Bombed Colleferro 2nd of November 1943
Rome 3rd of November 1943
Arrived Germany 10th of November 1943
I remember well Bourton on the Water Gloucestershire I was there for my first course and found it the prettiest village I had ever seen Putting cascara in the OCs tea because he got us out to bed at 1 a.m to do it
Parting from my wife at Reading prior to leaving for overseas
Leaving Devizes for Avonmouth the band played 'There's a boy coming home on leave'
The tropical storm the night before we reached Freetown and the heat of the place the natives diving for coins
Crossing the line
Seeing Table Bay and mountains
Durban and how English it seemed
The vastness of the Neue Amsterdam and her speed
Aden
Tawfik I learn my first few words of Arabic the first being baksheesh
Suez transit camp highly indignant on being asked to pay two shillings for a bottle of very poor beer.
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