Tuesday 13th
… News—Stalingrad lull over (one day only), counter attacks in Caucasus. We sit. The British paper in Moscow publishes a photo of pigeons being fed in Trafalgar Square (typical, but hardly propaganda!). zru zlb znw zpg
Wednesday 14th
3 studies [private study periods]—having no Chemi books and having read the Physics book I finished off a novel—’Night in Bombay’; the steamy heat and continual alcohol consumption depressed me—presumably it was well written, but I did not really enjoy it. zbn
A very brief note from Margaret and some scalpel blades. zfl zpv
Analysis in chemi …—Barium Carbonate would not dissolve in HCl so Mr. Hughes and I decided that an evil spirit had broken it. … zsa zgk
News—little from Russia; naval success for Americans, but I’m sometimes sceptical because they usually announce heavy losses months later—The Yorktown [aircraft carrier] and 3 cruisers or something. zru zws znb
Thursday 15th
… Potato digging … in the afternoon; to get on quickly with the field, we worked from 2.20-4; I was with M and we did more than anyone except R and H—the rest stayed together and talked too much. We didn’t work frightfully hard but just all the time, which is much more satisfactory. There’s an enormous pile of potatoes now. zhk zfd
A postcard from Daddy—he’s read parts of Bernal’s ‘social functions of science’—which I read a summary of in Physics today—the period ended with a discussion of patents and libel law—two iniquities. zfl zpn zsw zbp zsa
Saturday 17th
[Rugger match in Truro] We arrived, changed and went to the pitch, where we had an altercation with a local farmer for “climin’ in his bliddy ‘edges”. The pitch was small and on a hilltop, the ball was small and they were big; the game at first was very fast and good. … 4 nosebleeds (one me slight), many shirts and trousers [torn]. … R … bust a collar bone, T’s forehead was cut open. Then showers and a little zsp zac
