Wednesday 10th March 1943

Well '   Yer I be' in my bunk but not in bed, all my clothes on and everything I want to take with me- handy. There was nothing yesterday, just the usual routine. The old Carrier dodging around and planes flying on and off her.

Played Chippy crib and beat him again. Early to bed and late up this morning, my lay in. The seas are calmer now and much warmer though cold on deck. There was a lot of flying today and it's a marvel how they can land on the pitching decks. Sometimes they have to try several times. It has been right away from us two or three times today with, destroyers, looking for something. After tea tonight, I went down to the frig to throw away some bad fruit. I had dumped one lot over the wall and had gone back for the other, when all BUMP! I knew then where the carrier and destroyers had been all day. I dashed out, as all my gear was in my cabin the other side of the ship. I bumped into the gunner on duty who was sounding the alarm. Dashed on deck and saw it - a column of smoke sky high, the stern of the vessel blazing furiously. It was an ammunition ship, she sank, her bows in the air in four minutes. She was the second to be hit in as many minutes but I did not see or hear the first one. The sub, saucy bugger, came right up in the middle of the convoy 15 rows of us, and had one each side of him. But it is believed that our destroyers got him, for they were over the spot soon after and made our ship jerk with the concussion from their depth chargers. I wonder how many were saved. I soon got my things together, mum's glasses as well and out. But came back where Chippy joined me and played crib. He beat me tonight. it is moonlight and cold and calm, bad for us, and so I leave you for now. I'm going to try and sleep. The whole convoy has put on speed for that sub may have wirelessed to others, as last trip when we had 11 subs around us. One tells the others.