0130
hr. |
Lt. Max Hansen Bradbury, an "F"
Co officer, left his tent in the bn officers area
(to the west of camp) and started toward the latrine. Flashing his
flashlight, Bradbury saw a man, brown clad, no arms
(weapons),
sleeves rolled down, maybe a fatigue hat. The man jumped from the grass
and ran over the hill into the gully to the north. Bradbury had hardly
returned to his tent to recount the incident when a terrific explosion
(TNT, or grenade?)
occurred in the vicinity of the 3d Bn officer’s area which is
located 50 yards to the south of us. No explanation of either the
man or the explosion.
The man is unusual. The
explosion is not unusual. |
TNT was issued in packaged blocks about
3”x3”x4”, and dynamite caps were also issued, and also stuff called Primacord, and anyone who put those things together right and lit the
thing could get a real loud “bang.” |
|
Lt J. Dick returned from
advance supply base and left again. A type of insulated wire had
been issued, the insulation burned off, the strands separated and
rerolled. The results is a strong, almost invisible, wire which
will be used for booby trapping. The last small items of ordnance
repair are being taken care of. Jump master records ie, the exact list of
man by plane loads for the operation were turned in today to regtl HQ.
This is the first copy. Before the men adjust their chutes actually pack
themselves into the transports several times, due to men going from duty to hospital or being marked
“quarters”, for sick soldiers not sick enough to send to the hospital. No
man who is marked for duty will be permitted to refuse to jump. Any man
who hesitates in the cycle of fall-out-with chutes, entruck, detruck,
enplane, and jump will probably be left at the spot of the refusal and the
next-of-kin notified. The knowledge of the Bn Cmdr,* the S-3, the Exec**
, and the surgeon*** as to the capacities of each of the individual men
down in the rifle squads would seem an impossibility to a layman. Only
two men out of the Bn are suspected of weakness. The following men****
joined from the rear base
(Gordonvale): Pvt Wooten, Green, Ownsby, Dablock, Co D.
|