Youman, Lawson (Staff Sergeant), 1907-1978

Typed transcript of a diary kept by NX8258 Staff Sergeant Lawson Youman (Workshops Platoon, No. 1 Company, Australian Army Service Corps). The diary covers the period January 1940-May 1942 when Youman served in the Middle East, Greece and Crete. It describes Youman's maintenance, workshop and convoy duties with heavy vehicles operations in Palestine and Egypt (Gaza, Port Said, Tel Aviv, Kantara, Cairo) and his impressions of battle action, air raids and the effects of fighting in North Africa (with references to Bardia, Sollum, Mersa Metrah, Tobruk, Derna, Barce and Benghazi). Crossing to Greece in April 1941, after initially being stationed near Athens, he joined the retreat before the German offensive. The diary describes his work repairing and maintaining trucks involved in carrying troops in the evacuation in the face of German air attacks. He was evacuated by ship to Crete and then to Palestine in May, before returning to Australia in May 1942.