23rd August 1944

Wednesday
Dull, warm and foggy.  Wakened by the noise of ‘planes warming up at Langham.  An alarm for 10 minutes at 8, as I was eating my egg, and the noise of a ‘diver’ somewhere to the S.W.  Another at 9, as I cycled through Mile End.  Heard little boys calling “Look! There it goes!”, pointing to the west, where the steady thumping drummed across the sky, but could see nothing.

Cut through Defoe Crescent and down Turner Road, women at their doors, patients in the asylum fields, all staring at the sky.  Then the ‘all-clears’ came wailing across the valley through the golden haze, one siren after another.  The sun began to break through the fog like a little silver disc.

Went to Dedham tonight, and saw the Sissons.  Stayed quite late, and while there a great storm of wind and rain came up, but did not last very long.  Left for the Post, got there at 1.00am.  Divers came on at 3, and there was an alarm at 3.10, but it was a mistake.  Heavy rain during the early hours.  Terrible harvest weather.  Got into bed at 5.30.

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