After a training period and transportation to Egypt, my father, John Langdon, was waiting near Heliopolis for his posting to the front line. He made good use of his time there with a friend he had met during his training in England. I imagine they were a cheeky pair of young (my father was 21) lads enjoying the excitement of a foreign country and momentary freedom. They pawned their rings in town (a risky business) and went skating at the ice rink and enjoyed a few drinks.
24.4.42. This has been a period
of alternate alarm and relief
because of the numerous postings
and inter-postings I moved
to another troop only to
be moved out again after most of
the men had been posted, the one
I am in now seems to be settled
for a while long enough to allow
me to spend my credits I hope,
on the first move Doug managed
to move with me and of course
is still so, it is great benefit to
have him with me during the
few days after the first move
we managed to ‘wangle’ all
parades and thereby keep out
of fatigues, after all I am out here
to train and fight not dig holes
in sand, in this new
troop today a bad start was
made by most of the 30 of us
being on fatigues if that cont-
-inues I shall continue to get
out of parades as I did today
When so many men were being
posted we decided to take ad-
vantage of what might have
been out last night here had
we been posted to regiment so
having 60 piasters we went out
and spent 50 of them on the
rink once – last Tuesday – and
got on quite well giving me
a taste of the thrills it carries
with it so that I am waiting
for the chance to go on again
on Tuesday we paid our debt &
got our rings back alright but
the trouble is that we are
short again and will have to
get a loan on security again,
this time I am going to try in
the camp for they do not change
interest and are safer. Doug has
received letters one with the
long waited for photo and he is
absolutely like a kid with a toy
we both are really for a sort of
sincerity competition
has developed between us and
we both are showing our two
Joan’s at all times of the day.
he is absolutely love stricken
and I just play along with
him because of the interest it
entails. The cinema has opened
in the camp and will be the
only one I shall be going to if
any at all. In the Thumbs Up
Café we get quite a pleasant
time and possibly will get some
contacts through a young
fellow who speaks English
quite well, the café is not to
be judged by the name
it is the usual blunder of
things out here to call it by
that name.
