D +56 Tuesday 1.8.44
Cool morning... very misty...useless for aircraft. Everywhere quiet. Little activity all day. Letter from Jess. We are scheduled for a dem. with the inf. at 3.0am tomorrow.
D +57 Wednesday 2.8.44
Reveille 2.15am. "Slept" in the open last night: just lay awake from midnight until called by guard 2.15am. Some Jerry planes over meanwhile: fair amount of A.A. Our artillery busy all night... Maybe Jerry is pulling out in view of our break through at Caumont. Artillery perhaps shelling his lines of retreat.
Tanks moved off 2.45am to area 2 m. N. Dem with infantry making use of art. moonlight. Seemed quite successful to me. Back to harbour 6.30am... breakfast 7.15.
Saw a little of Fontenay le Pesnel on return journey. Just like most other villages... almost entirely a mass of ruins... with a few German tanks lying along roadsides. Free day for 14 & 15 tps. because of dem. Slept all afternoon. Wrote to J. during morning.
Shaved off moustache: can't stand it: prefer torture of lousy blades. Heard resume of Churchill's speech, on radio. Turks have severed relations with Germany. More "Jackals"? Good news for us, anyhow. Americans making fine progress... Now in Brittany! Our push from Caumont making good progress too. Haven't seen a single Jerry plane since coming to this place. Fair number of ours operating every day... especially Typhoons.
D +58 Thursday 3.8.44
Usual routine... but vehicles have to be ready for possible move. Something in the wind. Informed later that fairly large infantry attack went in this am. & we may be called upon for assistance if any stiff opposition develops. Received details of our possible area of action, from Mr. Francis: opposition expected close to Villers Bocage & east of the village. Saw another dem. by Petards after lunch. Inspected wrecked "Panther"... too many bits of humanity in it for my liking. But am now convinced that "Churchill" is far superior... apart from that darned "88". Gun mantlet hollow! Further orders 4.0pm. We are moving further S. at 6.30pm. Mr. Francis & I "L.O.B." Bill Geary in my place... being tried out as "commander". Much activity during next couple of hours: dismantling bivvys: packing kit: transferring my kit from tank: area clearing: tea etc.
Tanks departed 6.15pm for area nearer front. Possible action pending, but I suspect that Jerry will pull out. News seems excellent: our advance from Caumont going well. Americans have gone forward without opposition from Avranches: Nearing Rennes! This looks like a real collapse of Jerry's defence... altho' he is still strong around Caen.
Regretted having to bid farewell to my crew, but hope to get back to them. The most argumentative & "ticking" crew in the whole unit, I imagine, but good blokes nevertheless..."Tiger" (Johnny) Boland, Ted Pestell, Derek Pedder, Bill Geary & self. Have been in every action so far... & am now going back to "A" ech for rest.
Left harbour at Fontenay le Pesnel 6.30pm in half-track. Arrived Cristot (A & B ech.) about 7pm. Slight trouble with W & S. Almost refused to go forward as Co driver! "Mucked in" with Sid Shaw. Had best cup of tea since arriving in France! One or two resting colleagues here. Frank Hudson, Tom Phillips, Vic Crowe-Haynes: also Moran - Moran! He has just seen Psychiatrist. Believe Pinkney has been sent forward again. George Banning(?) in hospital at Bayeux. Bill Starkey now with T.D.U. as wireless instructor!
Radio news tonight comprises capture of Rennes & Dinan by Yanks: damned good. Hope Jerry's withdrawal is now too fast for Churchills... especially in this country. It is suicide for tanks: Paradise for A.T. gunners! "Petards" were going to help us, but they are useless for the job, in my opinion. Am "bedding down" beneath Shaw's lorry tonight. Not a sign or sound of a Churchill here... seems like a holiday camp....! Two letters from Jess. Poppet had his first "dinner" on (Diary entry ends inexplicably here.)