News. Americans doing OK, but coastal batteries and naval forces of Vichy France are opposing us. Rommel still flees, with awful bombing of Halfaya pass. Scare headlines in Telegraph ‘Only 28 tanks and 20,000 men left’. If it is true, or only exaggerated x2, it looks pretty hopeful. A lull at Stalingrad, which is dwarfed out of all proportion to its size in the news—many more Germans there than in Libya. zwf zlb zwc zru
Tuesday 10th
Normal day. A letter from Mommy in the morning—Daddy is in Guy’s, having broken down after long months of hard work, but she doesn’t think it’s anything worse than fatigue. He’s going to have some weeks holiday at Glatting. Poor old Daddy—he always works himself too hard, and Guy’s were awful to him. … zfl zil zmt zmw
Wednesday 11th
Germany entering rest of France, Corsica, and troops landed in Tunisia—Rommel’s retreat continues. Things are certainly happening. … zwe zwf zlb
Letter from Daddy at Guy’s, dictated (he apologised for laziness). I do hope there’s nothing more than fatigue. zfl zil zmt zmw
Soc. Soc. was a talk by Rev. Coleman [an American] on America. Besides telling some very funny stories (blue silk pyjamas) he was very good and fair on the colour problem. Negroes have the vote, but the poll tax is too high for them to pay; in the South tradition and prejudice are very strong. I enjoyed it anyhow. zcb zlu zra zpn
Friday 13th
… We had a grand Chemi period, sitting round the fire while Oscar [the teacher] told stories about one Hughes [himself] who in his youth had ztc zsw zgk zop
