Tuesday 16th March 1943

We are running down the Irish sea, we have stopped at Belfast and left again within two hours. We were to have a balloon but the gear broke so we have not got it, the other ships have though. Running into Belfast, the darned ship went astray into a mine field, lucky old "Opal".

 We heard a bit of news there. The first, that our attack was published, the second, that an American rammed a sub. once, turned round and rammed it again right midships, goodbye sub. it had come up to see what ship it had sank, another tanker. We saw it had her bows smashed in a collision. Oh! The American sailors thought they had been torpedoed and jumped overboard, as it was ammunition, and when we arrived at Belfast, a search was made for survivors.

Jerry must have been pleased with that night's work though.

We have painted our galley out tonight. White and green it looks nice too, ready for dock tomorrow. They are rushing our ship in, as we have 100 octane on board for the Yanks use it here. And lucky Cook we shall arrive on his wife's birthday.

Later.  Again the lucky "Opal" has done it. Coming down Bristol channel, thick fog, yoo, yoo, yoo blowing all the while we missed the light ship, which had broken its mooring and was adrift, by no wider margin than our log line which got caught in her bows. The log line is on a branch two feet outside the width of the ship, how's that? for luck.