Fall of Singapore - papers of Sergeant Jack Warren Corey part 3

value to us.  

June 9th to 23rd 
During this period 9 men including Lt Smith returned  
to Changi as medically unfit. Smith in a bad way  
with suspected [[fever?]] dysentry. Other 8 were 2/4MT men 
(elderly). Working area very bad due to rain & 
cutting up of ground. Many colds amongst men. 
Boot position serious as no replacements available. 
Work well forward and less carrying to be done. 
Large sick parades. Platoon depleted by colds & dysentry.  
22nd. Reinforcements arrived from changi. 6 men for my 
platoon. should help. 
with money we are able to purchase biscuits, fruit & 
cigarettes & tobacco 
Nippon go names replacing English names on street signs  
business houses, buses etc. 
3 Train loads of English troops on way North. We can 
set trains from job. Civilians making Veg gardens 
on every available area. Scarcity of sugar, Rice & flour 
no milk (tinned) very little salt. surprising on how 

few commodities we can get along on although lack of 
vitamins must have some affect. 

Saturday July 4th. 
Considerable air activity lately. Fighters up a lot 
mostly having combat practice. At Changi we could  
see them doing Aerial Target Firing. Here on the  
job its mock fight for hours. Plenty of bombers about 
We are close to the civilian Airport and see plenty of 
air activity. Large flying boats also operating.  
Early in our captivity we saw plenty of Naval activity 
in the straits. 47 Warships in one effort and often 
8-10 or 20 warships moving in & out. Several large  
merchant convoys also. Now we see the air side. 
Apart from the usual amount of troops about not much 
army movement. About 1/2 a dozen tanks paraded along  
Changi Rd occasionally.  
Towed several crippled armored vehicles to Anson Rd. 
Singapore during last few days. City getting cleared 
up gradually. Natives on drains, cutting grass & bush 
Buildings being repainted. In fact Nippon is

doing a good job with his rebuilding. At last we 
have been able to send home a card. Very brief but 
it is something (July 2nd). Owing to addition of [[2???]] 
& [[1W02?]] we sgts now are able to [[steel]] home every few 
days. 
Went out twice to Buena Vista on their party. Prefer our 
own crowd. Better devil you know than one you don't. 
Our scrap is being carted to this place as well. So many 
vehicles about that I think they are more intent on hiding 
the scrap than any thing else at present. 
Several bootmakers on job using tyres for soles. Remedies 
most boot trouble. Several blackout trials have been on 
last one lasted over 1 week. 
Burgess & [[Olds?]] returned to Changi injured. (July 3rd) 

Saturday July 11th 
Monday 6th. looked like nearly finished our job. 
Holiday on Tuesday. & Pay day 29 days this time. 
Wed. we started at Hume Works & Ford Works shifting 
scrap & good scrap to the wharves. About 8 ships in 
loading & unloading. Troop embarking. Rice coming 
off. Yesterday Friday troops disembarked (very young)

wed. was evidently a big Air Force day as 48 bombers 
& 11 fighters flew about in formation during part of the 
morning. Have seen more of Singapore during past 2 weeks 
than ever saw of it. Witnessed Ack Ack practise 
whilst in Singapore. One day we hope! 
Our food position so far has been quite good. Nothing like 
our old ration but we don't starve by a long stick. Look 
on rice now as a staff of life. Meat position still OK. 
Stew is the only way it can be dealt up as quantity small. 
Last night for first time for about 23 weeks we Sgt's had 
a piece of steak separate. Only small but what a change. 
One has to learn to chew again. About on our 430th 
meal of rice. Can you imagine it. 

July 11. Flying boats about again. Also saw large 4 engined 
land plane a couple of days ago. 
We hear news occassionally and its not all good so trust its [[y???]] OK 
Can also get [[Syonan?]] Times occassionally, naturally this  
gives Japanese view. I think its claims are fairly accurate. 
See quite a variety of funerals go past. Large cemetery about 
1/2 a mile away. Much different from ours. They have music 
& dance make plenty of noise, Ride in with the coffin etc

Sat July 18th 
Much better week. 3 different Jobs. Rd. work at [[?]] House 
Building at main Gate & Ration Party. Apparently ration 
ships in. Much Red Cross supplies coming from Wharves. Also 
salt. Scrap still going to wharves. Good machinery & 
castings included in scrap. Not so much air activity. 
See few sights of Singapore. Getting quite familiar with the 
city. Another party reported to go on overseas trip last 
week. Tinea causing a lot of trouble with many of the  
troops. Testicles main trouble. Dr. thinks lack of Vitamin B2 
probable cause. Lack of medical supplies for treatment. 
Organised purchasing enables us to buy foods etc. at 
prices within our means. Several injuries to troop this 
week in scrap. handling job. 
About 500 Indian & 40 Javanese prisoners arrived from 
overseas last Monday. 

Tuesday July 28th 
Yesterday 150 sick & incapacitatid & undesirables were 
returned to Changi. My Platoon strength now 15 all told. 
Went on Dental parade to Adam Rd Camp 2 days ago. 
Reunion with Bill [[Sliggents?]] Frank Reid, Bob Owen, Syd 
Sawyers & several other SUB.PK. Lately been alternating

July28th Tuesday 
dayin & dayout. Work about the same. Shifting engines 
& Differentials from old job to Chinese High School. Heavy job 
look sleepers to West Coast Rd. Scenes of heavy fighting 
in this region. Rubbers & undergrowth blasted heavily. 
Actually appears as battlefield. Nowhere else had I seen 
such other than blasted buildings. Movement of fighting 
changed ground too fast for much mutilation of country. 
Adam Rd. shows a lot of damaged buildings. Heavy 
fighting also here. Nug Plunkett severely bashed during 
last week. Lost a shovel. Such is the life of a POW. 
Heard last night of several AIF sisters being imprisoned in 
Sumatra. Hope they are treated OK. Also 150 Airmen brought 
over from Sumatra to Changi. Possibly same crew as were escaping 
from [[Katung??]] when we arrived here. Good food they left 
behind for us. Able to buy Dates-20c, sugar 42c Salt 20c. Pineapples 6c 
& coconuts 5c. enables us to get a taste into the Rice. Also Tinned  
fish. Cooks do a good job with a little fat & cooking oil 
2 Concerts, 1 Quiss & 2 lectures have been held. "Micky" & 
"Pineapple" gave talks on Alice Springs & "The Track" 
Private cars appearing on Roads. Petrol scarce & dear. 
Quite a lot of shipping in & out. Troops in & out & supplies

Tuesday Aug 4th 
During week have had 2 off days. My day off on Saturday 
General holiday Sunday &  or day off due to alleged strenuous 
wrestling of Japs necessitating a holiday for them yesterday. 
Pay day Sunday. Increased rates. 15c -25c & 35c. Drew 6.50 
for 26 days. Extra money into Mess for better living. 
Quiss evening Sunday and yesterday. Took part in both. 
B Coy beat A Coy Sunday & last night Sgts. beat officers. 
Working Parties. 50 men on carting engines & diffs. to  
Chinese High school & remainder on general at Fd Works. 
Had 1 day on engines & 2 on Kato's road. Perhaps Hume to 
& Ford will compensate us after war for improving their 
properties. Had hair clipped short again. Quite the fashion 
much cooler & feels better. Looks as if work getting 
scarce at Works. Only 90 out today so far. We are waiting 
for trucks. Hope they didn't arrive. Can't see much to 
be done now place well cleared up & roads nearly 
completed. Rumored we were to shift to new camp site. 
Fortunately no suitable position offering. Prefer this area 
to anything that isn't definitely better. Being on main 
roads we do see things