20th January 1943

Wednesday

Fine, S.W. wind, quite warm.  Thin, high, clouds.  Very busy.  The “cropping programmes” work is not going at all well.

An alarm shortly before lunch, which rather surprised me, as the sky was fairly clear.  No planes appeared, and an all clear came in 20 minutes.  Heavy firing all morning up on the ranges. 

Poulter seems rather better since he went to the hospital, and I think he is cheerful.  Hull came back yesterday, and made a considerable disturbance because old Simons had two nights off from the Castle to go to Southend to bury his sister.  I told Poulter on Saturday morning, but I suppose he thought no more about it.  There was a Museum Committee yesterday, and Hull did all he could to get Simons into serious trouble, the matter being referred to the Chief Fire Guard.  I went to the Fire Guard Office this morning and explained the whole matter to Manning.  He accepted my explanation and intimated that he quite understood how matters are in the Museum. 

  

Became cloudy this evening, and rain began about 8.  At 9, a German plane came over, very low, and was fired on as it went towards the coast.  At 10, just as I was going to bed, there was some more firing, over Bromley way, and the sound of planes.  I suppose there has been another attack on London.

Harold Poulter had been operated on for throat cancer and was released from hospital to await the results.  More details on Poulter's progress can be found in E.J. Rudsdale's book.