Wednesday 26th
… we went to two really bad films—but not bad enough to be funny—’The Man who came to Dinner’ and ‘The Stork Club’—both Hollywood at its worst. The news had some quite good Malta convoy pictures. … zfm zwe
Thursday 27th
… 2 exhausted soldiers (Canada) came in for a wash, eventually stayed for supper and night. One was feeling (and looking) rotten—he had eaten too many apples (whose??)—we gave him bicarbonate of soda, which worked. zso zbe zhy zmt zil
News—flare up expected in Egypt; fierce sea and air battle in Far East; Stalingrad threat held at the moment, serious. Big Russian attack N.W. of Moscow—35 miles advance. zwf zlb znb zws
Sunday 30th
John’s birthday. Not very good weather. During the morning and after lunch I painted a beehive and then helped in a glorious honey separation and bee utensil wash, which only ended just before tea. zfl zcl zdc zfd zdq
After tea I went for a ‘nice quiet’ walk on the downs with Daddy. Up the green slope, and then we found ourselves in the middle of an enormous camp of soldiers, with all the lorries etc. hidden under blackthorn and a nice white table cloth for supper (officers). Our quiet walk caused some amusement. We went on to Bignor Hill and down through the woods, back past Salter’s. zfl zwk zso zmh
2 soldiers arrived, to whom we gave tea and sandwiches—one had fallen down the hill, hurting his knee and back. The food was George’s, taken away in punishment for being 20 mins. late yet again for a meal. Eventually Mommy took them off in the car to the Bury-Arundel road, as they were making for Goring (Worthing). zso zhy zfd zev zmh
As she left, a cyclist (soldier) came in, who was similarly fed. All three were very nice. Then as we started supper, 4 ‘whacked’ ‘deserters’ from the HQ platoon came in—we gave them a wash and then they came and had supper—minus the first course. All were very nice—[Canadians] from the country. Amused at scale of [English] farming. From Angmering, which one failed utterly to pronounce. zcy zso zhy zfd zbe
