• 16th April. Training syllabus included application of Fire, Section Leading, Map Reading, Bayonet Drill, swimming and night operations. The latter was a great success as the Unit evaded encirclement by the enemy (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) and reached objective without detection. All personnel show great enthusiasm for this type of field work, which is new to them, and in which they are rapidly becoming proficient. Instruction in M.T. driving is also a popular subject.

• 20th April. Further conference with Lt/Col. Jones. Extra rations have been approved and HQ ME state M.T. vehicles and technical equipment will be available at an early date. F/O. Fallon still not available for training. All personnel greatly improved in general fitness and morale at a high level. Soccer and Rugger matches played against local army teams. Unit still deficient of 2 senior NCO F/Armourers, which BPSO have been asked to supply. Also 1 Nursing Orderly. Several surplus F.II.E, F.II.A. and RAF Regt. held on strength.

• 22nd April. Training continued with tough tactics and unarmed combat as new subjects - the first lesson of the former causing one sprained elbow and one sprained thumb. Forced marches of up to 3 miles at 140 paces per minute found to be a severe test of stamina.

• 23rd April. Swimming lessons undertaken but conditions difficult owing to breakers. Preliminary trips made in four-oared dinghies. Unit rugger team beat 2nd Battn. H.L.I. 9-8. Exercises in section leading held and efficiently carried out against an "enemy" strongpoint. Further instruction on driving M.T. F/O. Fallon, T(A) arrived on April 26th from 246 Wing.

• 29th April. Unit left by train for Combined Training Centre, Kabret. Training commenced on May 1st, embracing use of scrambling nets, embarking and manoeuvring various types of assault landing craft, driving M.T. vehicles, off and on Tank landing craft, and waterproofing M.T. vehicles.

• 2nd May. Units M.T. consisting of 12 F.W.D. Chevrolet 3-ton, 1 Bantam and 1 motor-cycle, collected from M.T.B.P. and driven to KABRET by volunteer drivers.

• 5th May. C.T.C. course concluded by night exercise, landing personnel and M.T. on "enemy" beach and advancing to a landing ground by compass direction. Unit left by road for HADERA, arriving May 7th.

• 7th May. Unit administration transferred from H.Q. admin staff to OC Unit.

• 8th May. Training recommenced. M.T. vehicles checked over: maintenance inspections etc. 24 F2E's and A's detailed as drivers and instructions and practice carried out.

• 10th May. Night operations carried out, using M.T. sections marching using compass bearings. The accidental drowning of two airmen at Givat Olga Beach, the Unit's first casualties, prompted "precautionary measures" to avoid further accidents, and the subsequent inquest appears to have led to some personnel changes. A few days later the Unit was moved to Helwan for further instruction on the servicing of Spitfire aircraft, which necessitated a "pack up" of equipment and division for transport by the twelve trucks allocated for this purpose from the Motor Transport Pool. Personnel transfers from 3225 SCU brought the Unit to full strength.

• 11th May. Cpl. Moore and LAC Hughes were overcome during bathing parade at Givat Olga Beach. LAC. Hughes' body was recovered very courageously by LAC. Jones, and several other airmen. Artificial respiration was applied without success. The body of Cpl. Moore was not recovered. It appears that in the excitement of rescuing LAC. Hughes, his absence was not noticed for a few minutes. A Police Inquiry and Investigation were held to determine the cause of the accident, and allocate blame, if any. Following this tragedy, further precautionary measures were taken to ensure that no further accidents were likely to occur.

• 13th May. 24-hour Field exercise was held, involving flight and section marching by compass, and contacting M.T. at map reference points.

• 15th May. LAC. Graves and ACI. Wooller removed from training course as likely to prove unsuitable. Posting instructions requested.

• 16th May. F/O. P.L. Fallon with seven 3-ton vehicles left for 112 MU. to collect initial pack-up.

• 17th May. instructions received from HQ.ME. for Unit to proceed to 23 PTC. Helwan, on an immediate priority move.

• 18th May. Unit left for 23 PTC. at 0700 hrs. in M.T. Halted at ASLUJ and camped at Halt I.

• 19th May. Moved off at 0700 hrs. and arrived 23 PTC. at 1500 hrs. Instructions from HQ. ME. for additional establishment of 25 personnel as reserves. 16 airmen arrived from 3225 SCU. Strength of Unit - 2 Officers 151 OR's. Unit initial equipment pack-up (Daisy) had been assembled at RAF. Helwan under the direction of F/L. Strange. This was found to be about 97% complete, and was checked and divided into 12 approximately equal parts for loading onto the 12 3-ton vehicles. H.Q.M.E. authorised a further allotment of 3 3-ton vehicles which were collected from M.T.B.P. Unit was accomodated in tents provided by P.T.C.

• 20th May. Arrangements made with RAF. Helwan for instructions of personnel on Kittyhawk II & III aircraft. W.O. Parr and F/S. Foster of 145 Sqdn. arrived to instruct personnel in the latest methods of refuelling and rearming Spitfires.

• 24th May. Instructions received from HQ.ME. for Unit to move to 24 P.T.C., 103 M.U. Their destination was Aboukir, a transit camp a few miles north along the coast from Alexandria, where some of the men were instructed on servicing Spitfires while others undertook instruction on bomb disposal and mine detection:

• 25th May. Unit left at 0800 hrs. in M.T.and arrived Aboukir at 0700 hrs. O.C. interviewed Station Adjutant and C.T.O. to arrange details of instruction on Spitfire aircraft.

• 26th May. Personnel commenced work in A.R.S. and Test and Despatch Flight.

• 29th May. W/C. DeSalis arrived for Armourers' course on bomb disposal.

• 2nd June. Cpl. Gardner, RAF. Regiment, arrived under orders from HQ.ME. to give a course of instructions in mine detection. Two parties consisting of 1 Cpl. and 4 men carried out the course, which lasted 4 days. The mine detector was handed ...

There are no reports for the period from 2nd-9th June. Preparations were being made for Operation Husky, the planned invasion of Sicily and some units were probably given Leave in Cairo before converging on Alexandria to embark on Infantry and Transport Landing Craft (L.C.I.'s and L.C.T.'s respectively). After an "uneventful" two-day voyage the Unit arrived in the Grand Harbour at Valetta on the island of Malta. The city of Valetta, a target for continous bombing raids by the Luftwaffe, was defended by "box barrages" of anti-aircraft guns firing vertically. Many ships had been sunk in the Harbour, making access to the shore on improvised floating causeways a difficult obstacle to disembarkation. However, they all succeeded in getting ashore and with some sense of relief encamped on the heights above St. Paul's Bay:

• 11th June 1943. Unit left Alexandria in convoy for Malta. Conditions on both ships were fairly good. Uneventful voyage, fringing on the North African coast to Tripoli where convoy was joined by other vessels and L.C.I.'s, bound for Malta. Unit provided Bren guns and crews for ships A.A. defence; fortunately no air attacks developed.

• 17th June. Arrived Valetta in evening. Disembarkation carried out under difficulties owing to unsuitable pontoon bridges. Unit proceeded to Camp 11 at Dingli, a hastily erected transit camp which was in a totally disorganised state, but this was rectified in a few days. Unit M.T. which had been loaded in SS. "Fort St. James" was unloaded during the night and driven to the camp, after two personal kits and the Units canteen supplies had been pilfered, in the absence of a guard, which had been promised by AHQ. Malta. After a light meal (tiffin), delivered to the aerodrome at Takali, the unit returned to camp at Dingli, considerably shaken by two more casualties from an anti-personnel bomb left lying on the airfield runway.

• 21st June. Under arrangements made by Malta Command Engineering Officer, the Unit assisted in maintaining and servicing Spitfires of 322 Wing. Personnel were conveyed to Takali aerodrome in Unit M.T., tiffin was delivered to the aerodrome and personnel returned to camp at 1730 hours. On this day, LAC. Goodman and AC. Cannon were killed by the explosion of an anti-personnel bomb which was either lying on the surface, or partially buried near the Maintenance Flight.

• 23rd June. A Court of Inquiry to inquire into the deaths of these two airmen found that they had been accidentally killed on duty, and recommended that further steps be taken to clear the aerodrome of unexploded bombs etc. The Unit mine-detector party assisted in this work and two other bombs were found.

• 24th June. LAC. Goodman and AC. Cannon were buried at Royal Naval Cemetery, Capuccini, Malta.

  Intricate preparations were now being made for the Sicilian invasion, including the water-proofing of vehicles, the provision of facilities to improve troop morale, detailed experiments to determine the most suitable distribution of weapons and equipment, and precautions against malaria.

• 25th June. Unit M.T. was checked by REME. for water-proofing Stage one, and a satisfactory report was rendered.

• 2nd July. The growing depression at the lack of private mail was relieved when the first mail arrived. As the C.A.O. M.E. had refused the Unit application for a grant to finance a canteen, the officers provided funds for this purpose. Supplies of cigarettes, beer and soap, and other canteen facilities were extremely meagre on the island, and airmen's welfare was considerably improved since the introduction of this facility. Instructions were received from Force 545 attaching L/Colonel Volin and Lt. Talmadge (USAAF) to the Unit as observers. These officers were given facilities for acquainting themselves with Unit organisation training etc. and offered many useful suggestions.

• 3rd July. Arrangements were made by W/Cdr. DeSalis for a Kittyhawk to be flown to the aerodrome in order that personnel would familiarise themselves with the two X 250lb bomb gear and general points of this type aircraft.

• 4th July. A daily route march was commenced, and experiments were carried out to determine the most suitable type of equipment to be carried on the operation, and it was finally decided that clothing and equipment should be worn as follows: Dress, boots puttees, stockings, KD, shorts, long-sleeved shirt, F.S. Cap, with identity discs. Equipment: filled water-bottle with emergency ration at the bottom of the carrier, slung by a long webbing cross brace over right shoulder, naval type life-jacket will be worn over this, and, on top of this, webbing belt with basic pouches. Large pack is to be carried, containing KD. Slacks, 1 long-sleeved shirt, 1 pair stockings, small towel, razor, tooth brush and soap; Army type mess tin containing mess-tin ration, rolled blanket; (after landing life jacket to be stowed in crown of steel helmet ), which is secured to the pack by straps supporting; Pouches contain 40 rounds S.A. for riflemen, 3 filled Sten magazines for Sten gunners, or 4 filled Bren magazines for Bren gunners. The left hand pouch contains canvas tool roll, less hammer and 2-10" files which are stowed in pack.
  
  Bren gunners do not carry tool rolls. Sten gunners carry the the fourth filled magazine in the top of the right of the large pack. First Field Dressing is carried in the top of the right-hand pouch. Clasp knife is secured to lanyard, and fastened to adjustment buckle of shorts, or carried in pocket. One airman carries the mine-detector pack His blanket is rolled beneath the pack, and his rations are carried in the pouches. It has been found that with equipment carried as above, the weight is distributed, and there is no tendency for the webbing belt to ride upwards towards the chest. It also allows life jacket and steel helmet to be readily available, and water-bottle and emergency ration will be available for use should personnel have to abandon ship or swim.

• 8th July. Instructions were received for the Unit to assist a detachment of No. 3 Sqdn. (RAAF) at Takali, to maintain 12 Kittyhawk bombers. Valuable experience was gained during the next few days in servicing this type of aircraft. Despite preventative measures, the incidence of sandfly fever rose quickly at this period. Very strict precautions were taken, as five airmen were off duty or in hospital with this complaint.
  
  A course of Atabrin tablets was commenced, to reduce the likelihood of casualties from malaria on the operation and to prevent personnel suffering from headaches etc. after taking the tablets on arrival at new location. Replacements were received for the two airmen killed on 21 June, and urgent replacements were requested from BPSO for two airmen who had been left at 24 PTC. and one who was not expected to be fit for duty within the next week. It has been found essential that a Unit of this type should have an Admin officer, as the two officers on present posted strength have been fully employed on admin. work. It was decided not to include a F/O. ASD on this Unit at this stage as aquainted with Unit training etc. before the operation orders were received.