| Year | Month | Week | DOW | DOM | Page | Summary |
| 1963 | Dec | 1 | Fri | 27 | missing | X, Paddy & I: BEA flight from London postponed (fog). Airport hotel. |
| Sat | 28 | 2 | BEA flight from London (to Rome, then, via other airlines, Beirut, Kuwait) to Bahrein. Sleep in airport, fraternise with locals (really nice people). | |||
| Sun | 29 | 3 | We meet Bill Clarke and Sayid Tariq. Meet Alastair. Visit Mrs Page. Gulf Aviation flight to Abu Dhabi. Met by Colin Dwyer. Feeling v ill. Sleep in hotel. | |||
| 2 | Mon | 30 | 4 | We meet Chris Willey (Waddell connection). Move our stuff (in Tarish' jeep) to his barasti. Sleep at Mike Egan. | ||
| Tue | 31 | 5 | Feeling much worse. New Years Eve party at Willies. Sleep at barasti. | |||
| 1964 | Jan | Wed | 1 | 6 | No sign of hospitality. We visit Tarrish house to meet wife and family. Meet Boustead. To Bhojerat's. Load food on boat | |
| Thu | 2 | 7 | X & I meet Sultan (younger son of Sheikh Shakhput), admire de-luxe yacht. To ADMA, PO, ADPC, Bill Clarke, Bhojerat's, cable office. God arrives. | |||
| Fri | 3 | 8 | To Grey Mac, hitch boat trailer to LandRover, Alastair hoists boat into water from jetty. Trip to nearby island. Diarrhoea and vomiting on return. Taken to Willey's. To bed, no food | |||
| Sat | 4 | 9 | X's pills helpful. Stay in bed. No food. | |||
| Sun | 5 | 10 | Stay in bed. No food. | |||
| 3 | Mon | 6 | 11 | Abu Dhabi flooded. Get up briefly, supper of boiled rice and boiled bacon. | ||
| Tue | 7 | 12 | Out and about in afternoon. | |||
| Wed | 8 | 13 | Out and about in aftenoon. Echo sounder to Wireless company, but still not working. God unwell. | |||
| Thu | 9 | 14 | To a local island by boat, echo sounder back to Ken. Doug (Shearman) arrives. | |||
| Fri | 10 | 15 | To another local island in boat. God & Doug geologise. | |||
| Sat | 11 | 16 | Collect winch from ADMA. Boat engine packs up. To stay with Boustead. Argument between us & Doug about Van den Platz accusations. | |||
| Sun | 12 | 17 | Staying with Boustead. Echo sounder still not working. Heavy rain out in boat. Echosounder to Ken. | |||
| 4 | Mon | 13 | 18 | Staying with Boustead. Boat back onto trailer. Visit Blueshirt to hire Dodge PowerWagon. Gets trailer across 100yd soft sand | ||
| Tue | 14 | 19 | Staying with Boustead. Boat to jetty. | |||
| Wed | 15 | 20 | Leave Boustead. Pack boat with supplies, X and I set off to Tarif. Reach Abu al Abeiyad, aground for night. | |||
| Thu | 16 | 21 | Boat afloat again. Maze of channels through Abu al Abeiyad, arrive Tarif. Meet Paddy, God & Doug plus Arber & Ali. Camp in tent with stores. | |||
| Fri | 17 | 22 | X & Paddy to sabkha, God & Doug geologise, I swing compass. Paddy & Ali to Jebel Dhanna by LR. X & I reswing compass (!). | |||
| Sat | 18 | 23 | Paddy & Arber leave for Jebel Dhanna, return later after 2 LR's pack up. X, Paddy & I by boat to Mirfa, Meet TOS officers Archie and Peter. We camp overnight on island opposite Khusaifa. | |||
| Sun | 19 | 24 | We head for Jebel Dhanna. Weather worsens dramatically. High wind, heavy sea, coastal fog. Anchor boat inland, sabkha flooded. | |||
| 5 | Mon | 20 | 25 | Dry-out clothes, blankets, sleeping bags; keep warm(ish); hunker down with books and booze. Flood receding. | ||
| Tue | 21 | 26 | High & dry. Gulf Aviation plane flies past early on; later, RAF (Sharjah) Beverley parachutes canister of water, rations, survival kit. Later still, returns to parachute 3 inflatable dinghies in canisters - one bursts and inflates - plus message that TOS rescue party coming overland. Paddy v unwell. | |||
| Wed | 22 | 27 | Paddy starts digging trench to channel. Gulf Aviation drops message that TOS are stuck. 4 American oilmen arrive in 4 LR's, bringing emergency supplies of coffee, sandwiches, cigarettes & whisky. Gulf Aviation drop birthday message from X's mother. Paddy returns with Americans, X & I supplies of coffee, sandwiches, cigarettes & whisky. Gulf Aviation drop birthday message from X's mother. Paddy returns with Americans, X & I continue digging trench. | |||
| Thu | 23 | 28 | X & I continue trench. Archie arrives in LR, with 3 Arab soldiers - other TOS LR's and Scammell truck still stuck. They take away unwanted dinghies etc. Paddy & Bill Ashe arrive in 2 LR's, bring vital whisky, beer, cigarettes and fruit. They leave separately, Paddy back to Tarif. | |||
| Fri | 24 | 29 | X & I finish trench, then geologise to summit of local jebel and back. | |||
| Sat | 25 | 30 | Long day geologising to local headland and back. | |||
| Sun | 26 | 31 | Refloat boat down to channel, off to Jebel Dhanna. Quartered with EBC. Eat biggest meal of my life ever. | |||
| 6 | Mon | 27 | 32 | Doug & Paddy arrive in LR. Furious argument between X and Doug (re accusation of drunken behaviour by us on Gulf Aviation flight to Abu Dhabi). Leaving boat behind, all set off in LR for Mirfa. Stop overnight at police post, argument continuing. Sleep in a barasti. | ||
| Tue | 28 | 33 | Arrive in Mirfa, meet Ali. Doug to Tarif with letters plus sitrep to discuss with Brian Light. Returns with good news: Gulf accusations now dismissed as baseless. To TOS camp with bottle of brandy, but Archie & Co attitude offhand. | |||
| Wed | 29 | 34 | Paddy wants to scrap field work, just have holiday. He drives X & me past "Shipwreck Point" LR engine firing on only 3 clinders. Make camp. | |||
| Thu | 30 | missing | Paddy departs in LR | |||
| Fri | 31 | 36 | Much geologising, sample collecting, exciting new theory emerges re fresh-water oölites! | |||
| Feb | Sat | 1 | 37 | More geologising. | ||
| Sun | 2 | 38 | Paddy returns in LR, we all head for Mirfa. | |||
| 7 | Mon | 3 | 39 | To Abu Dhabi, via Tarif where meet Brian Light (all now evidently OK). See 3 mighty Scammell trucks stuck in mud. LR puncture. Boustead waves. Unload in AC shed, our new base. Doug & God turn up later. | ||
| Tue | 4 | 40 | Doug, God, X & I geologise in area behind Muqta. | |||
| Wed | 5 | 41 | Acute diarrhoea. Nothing else happens anyway. | |||
| Thu | 6 | 42 | Doug returns to UK. LR under repair in suq. Paddy drinks 19 cans of beer. | |||
| Fri | 7 | 43 | Nick Page turns up at shed, asks us to lunch. LR fixed. Load LR and all (inc Paddy & God) to Mirfa, but X's new radio malfunctions. | |||
| Sat | 8 | 44 | Paddy, I & Ali back to Tarif in LR. Collect letters then back to Mirfa. All (not Ali) set off for Raselaish. LR puncture. Wot crappy tyres. Excavate cave in side of wadi for accommodation. Paddy back to Tarif in LR. | |||
| Sun | 9 | 45 | Lengthy geologising: X, God & I. | |||
| 8 | Mon | 10 | 46 | Lengthy geologising: X, God & I. X has acute diarrhoea. | ||
| Tue | 11 | 47 | More geologising, but intense heat, totally exhausting us and disorganising us. | |||
| Wed | 12 | 48 | More geologising, but intense heat, totally exhausting us and disorganising us. | |||
| Thu | 13 | missing | ||||
| Fri | 14 | 50 | Pack up, break camp, wait all day for Paddy to collect us. He arrives 7:45 pm. We visit Archie at Mirfa TOS, v friendly. We camp somewhere. | |||
| Sat | 15 | 51 | Paddy & God to Tarif in LR, return mid-afternoon with Nick Page. God & Ali to Harmija in LR. Paddy off somewhere (else) in LR (?). | |||
| Sun | 16 | 52 | X, I and Nick geologise in morning. X v unwell in afternoon with diarrhoea | |||
| 9 | Mon | 17 | 53 | Uneventful geologising across sabkha. Expecting Paddy to return. | ||
| Tue | 18 | 54 | Morning geologising, afternoon sunbathing. Paddy returns in LR mid-evening, LR has been v troublesome, he very depressed. We all return to Mirfa, LR puncture en route. | |||
| Wed | 19 | 55 | We all set off in LR to Abu Dhabi, dropping Nick off at Tarif, 3 punctures en route. Thumb lift from passing Dodge, Paddy staying with LR. Dodge gets puncture, veers wildly off road. Boustead gives us lift rest of way to Abu Dhabi. Graham Evans has arrived. Paddy adamant about return to UK. | |||
| Thu | 20 | 56 | blank [I inactive all day]. | |||
| Fri | 21 | 57 | X & Paddy to palace for audience with Sheikh Shakhput, but he runs out of time. | |||
| Sat | 22 | 58 | X & Paddy off to boat in LR. Paddy, God & I to suq for LR repairs. Lunch with Boustead. Collect LR. Tricky encounter with Arab wanting to present God & me with hunting knife in silver sheath inlaid with gold. Nick Page invites us all to supper. | |||
| Sun | 23 | 59 | blank [Chris, I & Nick collect boat from somewhere, Jebel Dhanna perhaps, sleep in it overnight] | |||
| 10 | Mon | 24 | 60 | Wake to find boat underway. Rendezvous with Paddy at Tarif. Set off back to Abu Dhabi, anchoring at Rodaim for swimming. Wade ashore to see Ted Bates at GGC, discuss faulty LR pump, dead radio & echosounder. Pump fixed, so unload boat onto LR and back to Mirfa I can't understand what goes on after that, doesn't seem to make sense geographically. | ||
| Tue | 25 | missing | Maybe this is when X & Paddy have audience with Sheikh Shakhput | |||
| Wed | 26 | 62 | Awake with agonising abdominal pain. Paddy returns to UK. I to Suq for excruciating injection in stomach, but very effective. | |||
| Thu | 27 | 63 | With Nick to meet Danish archaeologists on local island of Umm al Nar, to see burial mounds from the "Time of Ignorance" 3000 years ago. God to airport in LR to meet Ray Murray. Backwards and forwards to Muqta in LR or Paige's Dodge. Dinner with Pages. Ray v amusing. | |||
| Fri | 28 | 65 | X, God I with Ray to sabkha, peering at anhydrite. To hotel for dinner, courtesy of Ray, who succumbs to diarrhoea halfway through. | |||
| Sat | 29 | 64 | V odd day. Early morning with Nick to Municipality for chitty (why?). Off at 7:15 am by taxi to Tarif, dense mist, sandstorm, top speed, jolts & bounces all the way. Then hang around for midday charter plane, 8 top geologists. Off halfway to Mirfa, where X & God deliver commentary while I & Nick dig trenches to reveal anhydrite, massive enthusiasm from top chaps. Back to Tarif for their return plane. Us all back to Mirfa in taxi, then God back to Abu Dhabi in taxi; X, I & Nick tidy up, overnight in tent. | |||
| Mar | Sun | 1 | 66 | Load boat with tents etc, then X, I and Nick off in boat to Rodaim. Porpoises! Wade ashore to GGC, beer & sandwiches with Sarkis. "Bullshit Bert" arrives, talks and drinks incessantly, but then drives us to Mirfa (leaving boat, shimal) - but why? Drinks half our whisky, Ali drives him back to Tarif. | ||
| 11 | Mon | 2 | 67 | "Bullshit Bert" arrives early and drinks the other half, then drives us back to GGC in Tarif, where we board boat. X with dead echosounder to IAL. >Then by boat back to Mirfa - why? | ||
| Tue | 3 | 68 | To island of Salala, dead echosounder, dead radio, geologise all day, then back to Mirfa. | |||
| Wed | 4 | 69 | To Salala again, geologised, samples of sand & coral. To Juneina, more marine sampling. Return to Mirfa, fried fish with Adrian. | |||
| Thu | 5 | 70 | Nick leaves. Breakfast with Bedu. Boat won't start. Hitch-hiking to and from between Mirfa & Tarif. | |||
| Fri | 6 | 71 | Khansaheb mechanic eventually fixes engine. | |||
| Sat | 7 | 72 | I very busy all day, X very sick, but much geologising. Back to Mirfa, Ali brings supper of fried fish from Bedu woman | |||
| Sun | 8 | 73 | Feeling v poorly, 1/2 hour cranking engine, then X, I & Ali to Tarif. Try to locate echosounder, not yet repaired. Supper in coolie camp. | |||
| 12 | Mon | 9 | 74 | X still very sick. Breakfast in coolie camp. Thick fog. Back to Mirfa. X & I packed samples. | ||
| Tue | 10 | 75 | Radio dies again. X & I to Shipwreck Point by late afternoon, wonderful marine life en route. Sleep on board. | |||
| Wed | 11 | 76 | Dense fog. By compass to Bazam al Gharbi for mangrove pictures, but colour camera has died. Geologising, then to Marawa, pack samples. I feel very ill, strange intense deams. | |||
| Thu | 12 | 77 | Still v unwell; high winds & huge sea make sampling v difficult. Beach boat, improvise tent. X excited by high-quality mangrove swamp. | |||
| Fri | 13 | 78 | Off early to see mouth of mangrove creek. I break tiller link to rudder, steer with feet. Later I fall overboard, levitate back in view of possible sharks. On to Mirfa, X ashore to telegraph Rodaim (why?). Eat with Bedu, terrible headache. | |||
| Sat | 14 | 79 | Off round outside of Abu al Abayad, take becalmed dhow in tow, aged naukhada, on to Abu Dhabi. Run boat ashore at new jetty. Still feeling rotten. | |||
| Sun | 15 | 80 | X & God to Mirfa to collect Ali and rest of stores. I check boat to see safely aground at jetty. | |||
| 13 | Mon | 16 | 81 | Whole day spent packing samples & equipment, and tidying shed. | ||
| Tue | 17 | 82 | X, God & I to Dubai by ADMA taxi. Taxi to Sharjah. Party at TOS officer's mess, celebrating new CO, afloat in vodka cocktails etc. Taxi to Fishing Club, (drinking den for OR's), whisky galore, black-out, dim recollection of being dragged outside then scrap with NCO. | |||
| Wed | 18 | 83 | Wake bemused in military hospital (was brought in unconscious after scrap). V queasy, PA plays "You'll Never Walk Alone" over and over all day, ugh. | |||
| Thu | 19 | 84 | X, God & I to Dubai, TOS Landrover, then Agency bodyguard in taxi to Abu Dhabi. | |||
| Fri | 20 | 85 | Broken nose examined by Agency doctor, then organise ADMA flight to Bahrein. Dinner with Boustead, TOS CO and Sheikh Zaid; Gallipoli campaign discussed, on which I'm unexpectedly well-informed. Boustead offers me job at 150 rupees/month, reluctantly decline. | |||
| Sat | 21 | 86 | ADMA flight to Bahrein, stay at BP Guesthouse. | |||
| Sun | 22 | 87 | See consultant at hospital, nose operation under general anaesthetic. | |||
| 14 | Mon | 23 | 88 | Eyes checked at hospital. Consultant OK's the post-operative nose as functional. | ||
| Tue | 24 | 89 | Return via Das to Abu Dhabi. Finish wrapping loose tubes & squeezing samples, for transport to UK. | |||
| Wed | 25 | 90 | Finish squeezing samples for transport home. X & God work out the accounts. I get £50 for 12 weeks' work, pretty good. | |||
| Thu | 26 | 91 | Field work with God. Return boat equipment to shed. | |||
remaining pages missing |
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