My Life by Lionel Graves. (Page 18)
Saturday 29th December. Had my driving test this morning through Heliopolis. Did not do too well but passed, the Cairo traffic was terrible. A draft of clerks was called out this afternoon. Had a Christmas card from Fred Large.
Sunday 30th Dec. Were confined to barracks this morning as a new draft was called out. There will only be 100 or so of us left in camp. Had a letter from Pat Clifton who is now in N.Palestine with the Kings Dragoon Guards. Weekend seemed like an ordinary day.
(Pat was an old school friend, I used to stay the odd night at his home, the paper shop just below the Lychgate, when returning from leave, he became Deputy Head of Dines Green and then Head of a Malvern school, like me now retired).
Monday 31st Dec (New Years Eve) Paraded at 8am as waiting man guard and as there were two short I was put on DHPM guard, (no idea what that means now). Had no duties for the rest of the day, went to Scots Corner in the evening as guard did not start until 10.45pm. Had letters from Auntie Jenny (Blackburn), Mum and Rory. There was a concert at Scots Corner being New Years Eve.
Was on guard outside the main gates watching out for drunks and troublemakers when the old year went out and the new year came in. No bad cases to deal with just a lot of cheerful good will. Guard finished at 2.15am.
Tuesday 1st January 1946. Spent all morning in bed, due to guard. Today is being passed the same as a Sunday. Wrote letters in evening.
Wed 2nd Jan 1946. Collected boots. Was on fatigues in the afternoon, loading rocks on to a lorry and unloading them at the sergeants mess we had driven out to a desert area by an old cemetery and found quite a few scorpions under the rocks.
In the evening saw James Cagney in 'Blood on the Sun'.
Thursday 3rd Jan. Moved barrack rooms, spent all day in lugging beds around and shifting kit, and in rotten rooms now with plenty of ants and other creepy crawlies crawling around – eugh! Only 200 left in camp now. Got fag ration.
Friday 4th Jan. Last night our barrack room and the one next door (previously occupied by an Indian Regiment) found hundreds of bugs crawling out of the mattresses and round the floor. We had the lights on all night and just sat on the metal framework of the beds. They splashed DDT around the two rooms and fumigated them properly this morning, they burned the mattresses we had thrown outside last night.
Was on fatigues this morning shifting beds for the new draft. Went to pictures in the evening and saw 'Meet the People', Lucille Ball, Dick Powell, June Allyson. Had letter from home and answered it.
(We must also have moved ourselves into the main barracks, massive stone buildings with hugh columns, built like palaces in 1914-18 or whenever, but very much cooler).
Saturday 5th Jan. Was waiting man on guard this morning and paraded at 8 ' clock, went to NAAFI at 9.15 after an hours dodging. No mail, collected films in afternoon, went to Scots Corner in evening.
Sunday 6th Jan. Was in bed most of morning. (I can see where Richard gets his doormouse like habits from) Went to quiet room in afternoon and Scots Corner in evening.
Email: Lionel Graves (lionel@graf-tek.com).
Copyright ©2000-2008 L. Graves. All Rights Reserved.
