During the months we were in Ain Mokra much attention was given to keep the Squadron occupied, not only militarily but otherwise. Consequently, a couple of weeks after settling in, rest camps were set up for the purpose of granting seven days leave to one and all. Of course, everyone was hoping for leave at home but this was just not possible, however, a party of thirty-one had the good fortune to be selected to escort POWs to the UK at the end of July.

Just to the east of the encampment a narrow road winds its way, first through Ain Mokra then, some miles later, at Herbillon on Cap de Fer. Sitting on the edge of one of the most beautiful bays on the coast of North Africa to which it gives its name, Herbillon (now Chetaibi) is where our "special" Rest Camp was established. Although only a small village, for over two-thousand years stone from near by quarries has been shipped to places as far away as Egypt.

Not only did this writer have the good fortune of twice spending leave at the Herbillon camp but many were the daily visits made to this delightful spot. One of the greatest joys was diving off the small jetty into waters so clear that the many colourful stones on the sea bed seemed to be just a little way down rather than the thirty or more feet they actually were.

On one occasion, a group of us decided to hike across the peninsula to El Mersa, another small sea-side village. We hoped to find some evidence that Cap de Fer was so named because, as we had been told, it was there that the Romans had once mined iron ore. We found nothing but it proved to be a wonderful day all the same!

Earlier we mentioned that Compo Boxes that contained tins of Spam were much sought after. One day, while enjoying a glass of the wine outside Herbillon's one and only estaminet, evidence that Grass is Greener came from the lips of an American Top-Sergeant who suddenly appeared on the scene. Waving his cigar as a salutation he wandered down to the jetty. Later, when he returned, we invited him to join us for a glass or two. Almost immediately he said how lucky were we Limeys to be fed on the contents of Compo Boxes. Apparently, in February, the German Army had captured their store near Tebessa so, for a couple of weeks, GIs were fed British rations which they thought "were just great!"

As we had come to consider Herbillon as being British "property," we tentatively asked our American friend not to spread the word of its existence. Being a true Southern Gentleman, from Fort Polk, Louisiana, he told us "no sweat," apparently he was just exploring the area and he was based in Phillipeville anyway.