A Story of War

Just played a game of cricket, first for four years and made top score (31). A little flying, not much good. A young I.A.F. chap tries to land in coarse pitch with wheels right back, overshoots, opens up and turns then stalls into the ground. I get the clock as its my old kite 4808. Passenger killed and we have a funeral.

Reggis Cox a Brigadier here, 23 Brigade, with Marriott of 2nd Leicesters as staff captain. Barlow, Clarcoates, Barder and alot others killed. Also Langford-James in a Blenheim. A letter from Bill (Robinson), now in Ceylon. Some girls in uniform arrive in Ranchi, attached to signals, and Tom and I get in on it with tennis and dancing and whatnot. One of them, one Patience Farraday, knew Malaya and the folk quite well. Much drinking in the Club, though I haven’t been tight here yet. Robin White and Teddy have a session ending about 6am in our mess truck, filled with dhotis and ghandi caps which they tear off people in rickshaws. Very hot here just now and I collapse on my bed after lunch which I never did before.

We are exchanging untrained pilots for trained ones from 20 sqn so I suspect we shall have to go back to the war again.