Diary 1940 - Age 18/19

No more "Ships In" and "Ships Out" rubber stamped for each daily entry. Just "Weather" "Visitors" and "Post" on every day date until the end of the year.

More and more of his time was spent on board ship - that meant less and less time at home with family.
Usually at least one weekly bioscope - a list of which is at the back of this diary.
There is also a list of special letters. Also a list of books read in this year.

Tuesday January 2nd:
Got paid by Navy in am. 3 pounds 0/9.
Lent Steward of "Zwartberg" 1 pound.

Sunday January 7th
Was relieved by Grosvenor at 11am.
Came up in Paul's car.
Went and reported at RNVR base and then came home.
Collected 1 pound from steward of "Zwartberg".
Pixie went down to measure Paul's cabin on Zwartberg in pm and then brought him home.
Pixie and Paul went to Fairmead in evening.

Monday January 8th
Went in to RNVR base at 8am and taught chap semaphore in am.
Came home to lunch.
Started getting Argus from CNA.
Paul came up in evening.
"Dunbar Castle" 10,002 tons) hit mine 3 hrs out of England.
Captain Caustan and 2 storemen killed.

Wednesday January 17th
Went to Cape Town docks at 9pm and slept night on "Africana".

Wednesday 31st January
Got up at 4.45am and went down to Cape Town docks by car.Went out at 6 in "Aristea" with Richard Bennet and Disa.
Got back at 2pm.
Called in at office for my ducks.
Paul came up from S'Town in pm and took Aunt Theresa back home.
Pixie, Betty, Paul and I went to Savoy in our car in evening to see "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havviland, Basil Rathbone, Claud S...) 2nd time.
Was discharged from active service with RNVR.

Friday February 2nd
Went back to work at Union Castle Co.
Bought a monthly train ticket 16/9.
Did not come home to lunch.
Paul got our 1940 car licence in am 7 pounds 10/-
Pixie and Paul went to Standfontein in pm.
Pixie, Betty, Paul and I went to see Pat Byrne and then went to the Savoy in evening to see "The Saint in London" (George Sanders, Sally Gray)

Monday February 5th
Copie said he wouldn't have me in the Navy.

Thursday February 8th
Smith and I went to Garlicks for books at lunch time.
Paul lifted me in by car in am and went to see Copie.
He took our car to Simonstown.
Went to RNVR base in evening but there was no parade so I went to Colosseum to see "Dust Be My Destiny" (John Garfields, Priscilla Lane, Alan Hale)
Bought 19 apples from Mr Green for 1/-

Tuesday February 13th
Went to RNVR Base at 8.30am and saw 1st Luitenant who said I was to join up on 1st March.
UC Co granted me leave from 15th to 29th.

Wednesday 14th February
Visitors: Aunt Joyce in evening. Mormons.
Got paid today 9 pounds 3/6
Bought a shirt (8/6) and 2 prs socks (1/11, 3/6) at lunch time from Ackermans.
Went to RNVR base at 8.15am and 1st Luitenant said it was OK about my leave.
Got my ticket to Johannesburg after work 4 pounds 5/9
Betty and I went and brought Aunt Joyce up to see Pixie and then went to Colosseum in evening to see "Over the Moon" (Merle Oberon, Rex Harrison)
Took Aunt Joyce home afterwards.

Friday 16th February
Pixie and I went to Boulders and had a swim.
Paul transferred from "Zwartberg" to "Moocolee"(spelling?)
Pixie Betty and Paul came to see me off on 7.40pm train to Johannesburg.
Travelled with Mr Lombard and Bloch (?).

Sunday 18th February
Arrived Johannesburg 8.40am and caught train to Florida.
Roddy met me and we went for a walk to lake etc.
Mr and Mrs Edwards, Mr Frank Edwards, Roddy and I went to Homestead Lake in pm for tea.
Roddy went to church in evening.

Monday February 19th
Roddy and I fixed up wireless aerial in pm.
Went to get insulators down town.
Went by car to lake and fetched a poplar for wireless pole.
Met Joan Roux and Hammie on way home.

Saturday February 24th
Rod and I did a bit of collecting in Dan Street for the Mayor's fund in am.
Mrs Edwards, Rod and I went by car to R'poort in am.
Got some cakes on way.
Rod and I went to Maraisburg and took Mr Edwards' golf clubs to course.
Drove their car a bit.

Wednesday February 28th
Mrs Edwards, Rod and I went and picked up Mr Edwards and we went to see about Rod's job at Rietfontein.
Arranged that he is to start tomorrow.
The car had a puncture at home, so Rod and I changed wheel at 2pm and took it to be fixed up.
Picked up Joan at 2.30pm and then Mrs Edwards and they came to see me off on 3.10pm train to Cape Town.
Travelled down with Messrs Schoeman (cop) Fraser, Steenkamp, Levy, Miller (3 from Potch)
Mrs Edwards was supposed to take Rod to his mine afterwards.

Friday March 1st
Reported to RNVR Base at 9am for service with Royal Navy.
Signed papers most of day.
Had a hair cut at 4pm 1/6
Pixie and I took Aunt Julia home by car in pm.
Betty and I went and fetched Aunt Joyce and Don and saw latter off on 7.40pm train for Jo'burg.
Trouble about luggage and John and Aunt Joyce stayed to see about it.

Thursday March 9th
Did telephone watch from 12 - 2pm.
Went to see Mr Kellow at Standard Bank and signed receipt in connection with Estate.
Went to Colosseum in pm to see "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haveland, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale.)
Pixie and Betty went to see Pat Byrne at docks in evening and Betty went to Canteen.
RMS "Queen Mary" (85,000tons) world's largest ship, arrived in New York on maiden voyage.

Wednesday March 13th
Got up at 4.40am and went to docks by car.
Went out sweeping in "Africana" with Babiana, Bennett and Disa.
Came in about 3pm.
Pixie went by car and fetched Fish's goods and also Betty in pm.
Played Bagatelle in pm and evening.
Peace treaty signed by Fiunland and Russia and war stopped at 11am.

Wednesday March 27th
Went to Base in am and was paid 8 pounds 15/6.
Came home at 10am and packed kit.
Pixie and Betty took me in by car at 12.30pm and we caught 1.24pm train for Simonstown.
Got hammock etc and went to Froggy Pond Camp.
Came up by train at 5pm.
Went To Plaza in evening to see "Judge Hardy and Son" (Mickey Rooney, Leslie Stone etc)
Pixie and Paul went to see Dr in evening.

Sunday March 31st
Steward Wilson (Mooivlei) tried to cut his throat.
Went as church escort for defaulters and went to 10.30am service in Dock Church.
Saw Aunt Joyce and Aunt Theresa on way back.
Did nothing all pm.
'Jock' Pate, Bruin and I went on Canteen Patrol in evening to Dock Canteen.

Friday April 5th
Took watch from 4 - 8am.
Went down to Dockyard Surgery in am and was innoculated with last 75%
Was drafted to PWSS with Willis, Johnson and we went up at 2pm replacing Hallas and Ramsay.
Took watch from 9pm to 3am (6th).
Rapidol and Milford came in in am (Simonstown).

Tuesday April 9th
Went down town for post in am.
Had a bit of flashing in evening.
Germany marched in Denmark and Norway.

Wednesday April 10th
2 German cruisers sunk.
2 British destroyers (Hardy, Hunter) sunk.

Thursday April 11th
Went back to Simonstown by 10 o'clock train.
Took watch from 9pm to 3am (12th)
Norvik Fjord battle.
Warspite and Cossack sunk 7 German destroyers.

Monday April 15th
Went down town in am and got stores etc.
British troops land in Norway.
Whalers 1 & 2 in in pm for asdic fitting.
Rapidol out in am.

Sunday April 28th
Caught 8.31am train up.
Fixed up gramaphone onto wireless loudspeakers in am.
Went for a walk with Rex in evening.
Played bagatelle in pm and evening.

Tuesday April 30th
Got paid by Navy in am 9 pounds 11/-
Changed watches with Willis and came up with 12.20pm train.
Pixie and I went into town in pm by car (Austin).
Had a hair cut and I went to Union Castle for pay 2 pounds 16/11.
Went to Colosseum to see "Four Wives" (Priscilla, Rosemary, Lola Lane, Gale Page, Claud Rains, John Grafield, Jeffrey Lynn)
Played bagatelle in evening and I walked home with Philippa (his cousin, my mother) at 11pm.
Called for my films in pm. (1/10)

Friday May 10th
Took watch from 12.30 am to 5am.
Went down town in am for post etc.
Caught 12.18pm train up.
Pixie tried washing machine in pm. (Thor 41 pounds)
Took our car in to Stanley Porter's at 3pm.
Went down to dock gates to meet Paul.
Pixie followed me in Austin and had puncture at Woodstock.
She fetched our car, picked up Paul and I and we took wheel to Porter's for new tyre (Goodyear 3 pounds 7/-)
Went to Fish's, changed wheel at Woodstock, went back to Porters, dropped our car and then went home.
I took groceries over to Aunt Theresa's afterwards.
Played bagatelle in evening.
Mr Chamberlain resigns.
Winston Churchill Prime Minister.
Nazi's invade Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg at 3am.

Friday May 24th
Went down with 10am train.
General Smuts' 70th birthday.
Listened to King's broadcast in evening.

Wednesday May 29th
Took middle watch from 12.30 to 4.30 am.
Went down town for post etc in am.
Lost dog that we had at PWSS.
Used S/P for first time sending messages to "Blomvlei"
Norvick captured by Allies.

Periodic entries of the progress of the war...

Kign Leopold of Belgians capitulated to Germans, but decision not valid.
Paris bombed by Germans.
Italy declared war on the Allies.
SAAF bombed Abyssinia.
Germans occupy Paris which was not defended.
France negotiating for peace.
Mr Reynaud (premier) resigns. New cabinet.
Fighting stopped in France.
Peace signed between her and Italy.
French battleship "Dunkirque" 35,000 tons disabled by British Navy.
HMAS "Sydney" sunk Italian cruiser "Bartolmio" "Colleoni" in Med. No British casualties.

Concurrently "Philippa visited..." "visited Philippa" "Philippa taught me dancing" becoming more frequent in the daily entries.

The watches he took detailed from day to day with times.

Friday July 26th
Paul Dymond.
Went down town for post etc in am.
Came up with 12.18pm train.
Paul and Pixie's kid Gillian (girl) born at 1305.
Betty and I went down town by Austin in pm
Saw E about gram.
Went down and spent evening with Philippa.
Saw gram and decided to take it.

Friday August 16th
Went into town by car at 9am
Picked up Jock and wireless.
Picked up Jan at Wynberg and carried on to PWSS where I learnt that I was to go on draft.
Came up with Stan Atkins and fetched my kit and got back to S'town by 1330.
Went with Boyd in lorry and he went to "Queen of Bermuda" and I to Klaver Camp.
Got leave and went to PWSS to collect suit and binoculars.
Came home with 5.26pm train.
Stan brought car back in pm.
Walked home with Phil at 10.30pm.

Monday August 19th
Spent morning doing army maneouvres around Klaver Valley.
Went to range in pm and did some shooting.
45% rapid at 200.
Came up with 5.7pm train.

Now these type of entries after the details of the day...

Went for march in tin hats etc down hill.
Went to butts in pm and did some marking.
Did kit packing evolution in am.
Went down to West Yard to get tropical kit in am.
Took sentry from 6 - 8am
Went for route march round Redhill to Klaasjagersberg and then did maneouvres into Klaver Valley all day. Aprox 12 - 15 miles.
Did marking of range in am.
Had gunnery lecture in am and went for route march.
Put out bush fire at 1800.
All leave jammed at 1000 and then granted at 1240.

Sunday August 25th
Cloudy and drizzly am and fine pm.
Gillian's christening party - Aunt Theresa, Aunt Julia, Aunt Ethel, Phil, Peggy, Ruth and Ulick, Dorothy, Marjorie and William, Corrie v Tonder, Mrs Ethel Grant.
Evening - Phil, Peter, Auntie Winnie and Uncle Arthur,Peggy dinner and evening.
Went to Klaver by car at 7am and came back after divisions etc at 11am.
Betty and I went and fetched Christening cake, cups etc, at noon at Mrs Carter and Aunt Ethel's.
Betty and I went in our car with Aunt Ethel and Phil, picking up Aunt Julia at Seapoint to St Albans where Gillian Ann was christened.
Paul and Pixie took Peggy and Aunt Theresa etc and they all came to tea afterwards.
Took Marjorie and William and Aunt Ethel and Phil home at 6pm.
Took Phil and Peggy home by car at 10.30pm.

Tuesday August 27th
Had kit inspection in am.
Came up with 5.7 train.
Peter, Leslie and I came and picked up Phil and took Rex (dog) into station to go off to Durban.
Pixie, Paul and Peggy came on afterwards and Pixie Paul and Gillian left for Durban by 9am train with Rex. 1 pound.
Peter, Phil and I came and had tea at Aunt Ethel's and then went to fetch gear at Glencot.
Betty and Leslie went in Austin to take Pickles and Wally home and had puncture.
Betty and I came to sleep night at Aunt Ethel's.

Wednesday August 28th
Phil and I went to Glencot in evening where we met Betty and did packing.

Thursday August 29th
Phil and I went and met Betty up at Glencot in evening and did some packing.

Sunday September 1st
Took some stuff to Aunt Theresa's in evening.
Picked up Peggy and took cat to Miss Drury's place.
Dropped Peggy afterwards and took car back to house and walked down.
Went down with 6.22am train.
Had church in am and got off at 11.30am.
Went to PWSS to see Jan and Jock and also to drop photos.
Came up with 1.40pm train.
Betty, Phil and I went up to Glencot and brought some stuff down together with cat (black and white one).

And that is the abrupt final entry of this diary.
I feel sad not to read any more entries for this year... and also grateful to be spared what might well have been have been hard reading.