Three chaps off a Catalina Flying Boat who have been in here for twelve days have some horrible wounds. One has a gash in his stomach near where an appendix opp is opened, five large wounds in his back & seat, one even now as large as a cup. They came down to attack a Sub & thought they weren’t observed, & the pilot was just going to press the bomb button, when the sub opened fire, killing the front gunner, seven cannon shells through his head & body & wounding the rest of the crew. They dropped their depth charges; later reports came in that the sub was damaged. They flew back to P.D. landed & their plane sank, the wounded had to fight their way out of the plane under water.

Friday 11th June
Am fed up with lying in bed my back & side are getting sore, so I’m pretty cheesed off, feel well enough except for a slight headache. Doc Wilson brought in the news tonight that I had been awarded the D.F.M. Our Skipper F/L Walker D.S.O. Navigator F/O Simpson D.F.C., & Eric Fuller W.O.M. the D.F.M. These awards were made immediately by the King, hope the rest of the crew get something later.

Saturday 12th June
Got up this morning & walked round helping the nurses etc. After lunch went into the grounds for a walk & was adopted by two kids about three years old so had to walk round the grounds with them. Red letter day for two of the ‘Cat’ crew they had the use of their bowels for the first time for twelve days - phew.

Sunday 13th June
Got up in the morning & helped the nurses in the ward, bed making taking round the meals etc. In the afternoon walked from ‘Woodbine’ Hospital Pembroke, to the Station at P.D. about 2 ½ miles & got some clothes as I expect to go to Oxford on Tuesday got a lift back with my case in the ambulance. Two more cases came in towards evening & F/L Laid & I were shifted to the R.A.F. Hospital ‘Holyland’ about a mile from Pembroke.

Monday 14th June
The food is a lot better here, we have a Swiss cook who used to cook at the Ritz in London. The beds also are better, men orderleys, a Sister Lawson comes in twice a day & the M.O. once.

Tuesday 15th June
Walked round the grounds, the house garden is very neglected & overgrown, is alive with small birds of all kinds. Later in the morning went into Pembroke in the Ambulance, got out & had a hair cut the barber & the Post Office were the only two buildings open, it was Whit Monday & everything was closed. Later in the afternoon had another look around the grounds, found several small Wrens nests one with five eggs in it. A Robins nest with five young ones in it built on a small hollow in the ground even though there were plenty of shrubs & trees within a few feet.Was to go to a Hospital in Oxford tomorrow, have just been told I’ll have to wait here until they have room for me. Put up my bit of Ribbon today.

Wednesday 16th June
In the afternoon went with Staff Nurse Hughes to Temby a small town on the coast about 12 miles from Pembroke. Again this week the shop were closed, still it is quite a quaint town & has a very nice beach. Walked round to the second beach & had a look at a monument to Some very nice gardens, the roses were rather nice, one walled in garden has a wonderful lot of vegetables. Caught a train back at 9:10 this train was supposed to leave at 7:20PM. Back to the hospital where I had an injection for the Herpes Zoster.

Thursday 17th June
Walked round the grounds & the fields near the hospital. Later on went into P.D. & got my mail.

Friday 18th June
Rained nearly all day, so had to stay indoors, was rather fed up at the end of the day.

Saturday 19th June
A Robin & a Bullfinch came right into the kitchen for crumbs, if you remain still they come in even when you are there... cont.