Fall of Singapore - papers of Sergeant Jack Warren Corey part 6

Saturday 7th Nov
This afternoon has been ½ day holiday. Big wrestling 
competitions at Ford.
Yellow planes (training?) have made an appearance this week.
New camp is good. No mud and bugs well under control.
We have to be at camp gate by 8.40 for working parties. This
means we arrive at Ford at a time when we would normally
leave Serangoon. Visited Bill Stiggants, Syd Sawyers & Bob Owen
in No 1 Area. Our area is No 2 - A - AIF. Golf Links and
an arm of Mc Ritchie Reservior on opposite side of road
gives place a Country Club atmosphere. Guards patrol
outer side of wire with an occassional inside patrol.
Singapore Volunteers are reerecting huts. Their personnel
consists of 2 Judges several lawyers, schoolteachers
a plumber & his mate and a couple of Engineers.
Thompson Road (Tommies) & Chinese Highschool (Tommies)
moved into our Area this week. Still carting Diffs &
Front ends. Now direct to Rubber Factory. Perhaps they
will rest in this place for some time. Two blackout
practice nights 4th & 5th. Search lights practicing.
Pay yesterday 21 days. Rates of pay vary now for Technicians
(as employed by Japs) Heavy work (outside) and Light work.

Last Tuesday a day of prayer for Japs consequently
a free day for us. Camp orders sets down one day a week
off for all troops, ours still remains at Sunday.
Sunday 8th. Divine service held in Camp Chapel by
English Padre. Jim held a service tonight in Sgts Mess.
Both referred to Armistice Day. Bought soup & Polimalt
from Canteen. Prices much higher than Serangoon.

Monday 9th. Nug & I traced sewer system of our Area. Visited
batch of Graves across the gulley. Many dead in this locality
Japs driven out 3 times. Weve had heavy rain at night
time. My day off.

Tues. Wed. Worked on hospital hill. They have a new
scheme for their road. As usual trial & error system.
Our Bible study still carries on. Life of Daniel at present.
Tuesday night was opening of Units Frog racing.
This form of sport is popular in Adam Park.

Thursday.
Home again today. Reroofed men's hut (this morning)
where necessary Schrapnel cut these huts to pieces.
Nug making Cross for soldiers grave (unknown)
Chinese tied up at Fordo.

Friday 13th. Detailed parties at Fordo. slept in Tent & dodged
Snagawa in afternoon.
Blackout 12 & 13th. Had quiet heart to heart talk with
Jim in evening on Christianity and it's general application.

Saturday. Carted [[Adap?]] from Singapore in morning & road
metal in afternoon. 

Sunday. Church services morning & evening. Nug & I had
pineapple & banana salad. Big Frog Race-Meeting in
afternoon. Rations light. Meat occasionally
and Veges. falling off. Canteen prices high.

Monday. Day off. Rained from early morning till
about midday. Slept all day. Hard to take.
McDonald & Wade sentenced to Detention for conduct
not conducive & Refusing orders. Several Orderly Rooms
lately. Surprising the number of men who don't
look beyond their noses.

Tuesday. First Day with [[Tamano?]] (late Hurry Hurry's
job). Went to Jahore in Morning for sand. J B. very
quiet. No civilian traffic noticed. Administration
Building in course of repair. Causeway only patched
Two Memorials at Jumping off place.

This was my first trip to J.B. since retreat to Island.
Some days ago Charlie McDonald had news of some of his pals
who were cut off on Mainland. They could not get past J B
whilst the show was on so made Northwards and endeav.
to escape to Sumatra. Malays gave them away.

Wed. Stef & Fetchit on hill. 700 troops working at Fordo this day.
Racecourse & Rubber Factory job completed. Personnel switched to Ford.
Thurs. Day off. Debugged bed and domestic jobs occupied morning
slept in afternoon.

Friday. Grass cutting. [[Snagawa?]] made officers do body-presses
as 70 A coy did not turn up. Very profuse in apologies when he
found out why they did not arrive. Personnel from No 1 Camp
shifted from their comfortable houses to huts about ½ mile
from us in same Area. Anniversary of arrival in Singapore.

Saturday. Day off. Read most of morning. Nug again laid
up. Dingey Fever & slight Bronchitis. As hospital is being
transplanted he remains in his room.
Italian boat in harbor loading scrap. Jack Coulters version
of Malay [[Suft:]] feelings on Japs.

Sunday, 22. Church service in Chapel by C of E Padre. This
Padre. ministered in Japan and is an official

interpreter for No 1 Camp. Our interpreter is an
English officer. Visited Syd, Bill & coy in their Area.
Jim holds service in Sgts Mess Sunday nights. Old No 1
area now vacated.

Wed. Monday a general holiday, Tuesday I was on
wharfe party. Job was patching Go down roof with
tar & bay. I did nothing. When Jap catches up with me I
work otherwise no. Today on hospital hill, did same
amount of work. The boys just keep moving comfortably.
No 5 Camp. Bukit Timah has moved. Rumored to Havelock
Road. Frank Reid at Valley Rd in charge of a transport
squad.

Thurs. Hospital hill again. 50 men. So many at Ford now that
where once 20 were on a job theres at least double now.
Making lawns & garden & turnabout for vehicles.
25 planes bombers on scene again. Fighters about also.
This seems to be a cycle. News is very good. We are not
allowed to buy outside Ford. or perhaps people allowed to sell us.
Very heavy rains.

Friday. My day off. Repaired shirts & washed. Wrote out
preceis on 1st 6 Chapts. of Daniel. Bill & Bob

came over tonight. Talking to Tracy Mac. one night.
600 men medically examined this week for overseas party.
100 taken off. 500 expected to move this afternoon. Domestic
trouble in Mess.

Sat. Fd. works. Hospital hill. Knocked off 4.30 after [[Tino]] Hacho
acted part of superior soldier. This morning overseas party were lined
up on Golf Course. Shifted in two parties to Naval Base.
Sunday. Shifted camp to No 1 Area. Heaviest shift of Military career.
steps down & up gulley between huts. Everyone in 2 huts.
McCarthur camp personnel took over our Area.

Monday 1st.  Spent poor night. Bugs galore. Today groups cleaned up
camp. I put bed in fire & scorched bugs out. Show in process
of organisation into Btn. etc.

Tues. Small jobs. Jack Coulter, D. Campbell & [[Cass?]] transferred to another
coy consisting of left overs from overseas party. Im Plat. Sgt for
No 3 Platoon at present. [[Nug?]]. Btn. Hygiene Sgt.

Wed. 2nd Dec. Worked at Cols. House. Bukitt Timah Rail. Stn. on
road to Vehicle Exhibition square. Many types of Vehicles &
Armoured Vehicles etc. here. Stones hand placed as is style of
road making among civilians. Took 1¼ hrs to get from [[fall?]] in
to Fords. & about as long coming home. Route now via New Rd.
per Indian Convoy. Road surface poor. I think prisoners
broke Japs heart & spoilt his Road. Saw Shrine bridges 

& works for first time.

Thurs. Home today. Platoon shifted to new quarters & Sgts moved
in to our hut. Off. & Sgts. At present we are fed from [[Mess?]] CH
our CH being built. Bugs still worry me. Today my catch in
timber of bed was 3 bugs, 1 spider, & 1 unclassed affair.
Area is fast being rebuilt to our best available
Friday. Drew Cols. Rd. Party today. Very easy. Officer Ft Lt. Dowey
who was shot down 2nd day of war. Heavy rain. Large rice grinder
now in operation. Should enable cooks to do something in the way
of cooking.

Sat. Wood party carrying from old No 1 camp to inside our wire.
Very pleasant in Adam Park, reminded me of Adelaide Hills
on a spring day. Most of the houses are of medium old build.
Had a look through one very modern one. Rather elaborate
3 Bathrooms. More rain. Patched roof immediately over my bed.
Sunday. Free day for everyone. Heavy rain all day. sleeping quarters
a washout. Church service at night.

Monday. Free day for me. Worked in Sgts kitchen attempting to divert
water to elsewhere than in fire etc. still raining heavily every
½ hr or so.

Tues. Cols. Rd. Just a bludge. Examined the vehicles in Exhib.
Park. Road slowly taking shape. Arrived home 7.30 in pouring
rain. Takes a long time to get to work and a long time to get home.
12 months ago today War started. Today much traffic to Shrine.