Fall of Singapore - papers of Sergeant Jack Warren Corey part 7

Conflict:
Second World War, 1939–45
Part of Quest:
Remembering the fall of Singapore
Subject:
  • Fall of Singapore
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
AWM2017.949.1
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 7

Meit MISI MOA SO VEYOINMS0 NP OM M. S MI 101 Camp dutices. Had to carly building materet all day invide wrol Rain & slun. Mens minds not very collected & calm. Illadmit it wennt plesant & clothing not able to be dired for reseval days sidnt inforre affairs Brabit resydey myself. yhus Fords works Porsential downfous allday Iafht of farty stood in between the rain days in Aust. House the rest of the day. You anraft flew in over woks verylow s right about moved, evidently looking fr Targat Drone in bud visibuility sark at reas of forthy erecea givinge sliffed. bre man with budly crusred foot & anoche with slight atock & arceribo. shidl pushed amoved cases tanks sidewbays causing enjuries. Another rumo of finish at Good works. Bukitt Timah rond under wate. Friday. Fords officially finished. This moning 200 pis 560 on dinnantled wire round old oo/ Camp. Dunny to day enabling a bot of doying to be done. Iun impowes gogged minds. our cooks doing ver good job. shows some thing ear bedine with rice. This afteroin wise was excted round out present arca. 2 triple Vannerts now with sentry patrols on ontaide. 1 Noo. doing 10 days delention at G. Honal fir being caught outside wire. Joss waoned us a short time ago that enyore anight outside would be shot. 10s daye 6 bol. In merning farty of 100 cleaned up in front of guards quarters at oo 1. Afternoon frle Raied again
p o it e to e e en w i7 Bundays Handed in D Badgesloday Iol day Chusch sever taken jointly by dim & cr loft thech ary capt. 1ade has Wingu. Hindays carried b loads of word from Jasi fence to 5yth. Kitch. affrc wwill each way. Dur shoulder. Coft Weidwai had fore wow with we0 in work fore time & life in general. Hed deslosed cold in head. Debugzed with consid. anecess!c der This moning whide comp pruded on yolfconas fo intfection by Jaf General. Tuss. we ahifted all woo d rs tumber from Gafin wros to another dumpas since then shipted most to Brigad dimpr. Mycold has eased off as canat wech sfof uffe test night wt had fored lives for lea. Would be oxtorgre tonight wintment fit men brehing canf Con. Euch but his to be piguetted all night for cheek on all peponne? Oaturday 19th. We or back to Change stage of odd sobbing im Camp Arew with anocussional farty got the Jups but there are only just outside th wrot (o. marging Mit plifting of huts, Honlag his time Fish filtin. In evening Volunteers wiss gove a mock triat-good show Hunday, sleft mont of day, charch in evening Munday oads grals fer Dyts Kitchen. Trawns fis ten. Felling off color today e3 bomber flew. S moning
a nt to tete or yees ours cutting for Jass t Adam tark in mornin Aair enabled us, to not work in afternoon: lefert ha ed-tinted garders in Adwmn Roth to colled greens, bwing to persons days incident when, several tran left a fally to do stopping or Bhitt finc road s wee rounded if by st iths wey paty or hidl wer now hes a of escot. les Todas ony hut was unvooed a kerooked we anhied faties for dismanting he Malays fit de Shap an started at 0800 pimited 1850th Friday 5th & mas Doy all that it means Wirker from hame received. Last night ond root was froved& it parsed. to inerccat ration for day so the cooks were not in a forticn to put on anyihing out of the box? Aoutly we all had eror ussul saved for te day soabling us to muchly imforrd the food, af general Church tarade was held in the mominey. At night chere was an imfromtten service at the chapet sitt. to the tadre (interfeled) informed us that legotb enduy 28th. whe camt would be emply and all of us back at Charge. Saturday. Braced uf ont hal against disasles. Hearty, 100 wn proof at ive time did not do it ary good. Men tolit to efare fet move any time. In evening instanctions came put fet out mere at 9.30 in Morrow. Pundey Rain & in it we had to shift as much
Mi S JMCAN gear apossible, clean apeherts & fall in by 9.30en trucks transforted us to Geyland 7 is mile fort Change Ad. from whence we marched sebreart under Jap excort, to Camp arwing about 330 or Barrack square: Natul & the rand of man had changed Changes afpearance Jorye gatdens under constrnction, Mayly Joa toof Sioh phese. Oor Quartes House N0 2 Baggaig avould in viss evening & it fould with rain just to make things nomak aend plest in ffom last night a uttempled to. Today made Whlds cleaned uf Qnsters. Geveral muster pavde in Jass check every evening at lihis out a peid no most lits ue. sub. 16 peconnel return from other cinits. bushow now sublackBSc& a few Field Bakery. Chavge same afot fer Rnnors. Bobbiens s I had a strolt round can in evening o bunifed into a Lecture in the Exflorts of he teoth. we hope to yet these lectures to onsunit pome time. ragt Jag Geal 18al Gasbal ther 3d. Lastnight Bos attende d Concest in old oo shed Exallant ahow complete with stage affects Cindesella- Abore Ram: Fodly we are o notified of u glt in iteannt. 3 aect. goes to
fn Aeaes ws heore o house o the remainded to another. T.H. Bensen done camsacrons to see me yesterday. Ht is in Java faty and o going to Doutheon Arla today H was at K.B. at start of was and finished in Java- Som Nillers Dutch friend came. wes this morning before going to Souther Arca change is much better or ganised now & we are to treat it is a training camp not P.OW. Iute a change in the aich wounded Lionel Bennett look's almost 11/ Dome of the periously fits are now criffled a suct & vice vera pridays Jan t 1243 E.bl sets hofe it means foledom, attended Church Senvice last night. I went to bed at lights but & head no mere lit the cooks rattled ts buckets at 530. I believe ther atel was guale a norse at midnight Vavading round che cquer ec. Bredien moved this morning dofismne of wime Comento n hothe r then off cstleton Mndtay. Attended communion chis morning a a competaiy Devvie at night Tanks beat B18 at baseball this atternson Vmnfist entertaining Referts of Jass raiding differet Lonses of carching, several officers taken off. On New Years day we rived to house 36, Good quadter fromhis if ahey will leave us in them. IuchCoulles builds mers
Hermet so voneim 10 M yt ar Wat hnosday phifted to Nows house this morning. This is do house we first billeted in dueing one first 3 days at Lange Nearly ismonths to do the civenir slifting is as second name dub 14 is together again. Played footbalt his afternoon Deves sabt 5 10 n i7 12. Aisa muddy if a mind bath doesore good, I feet better dhar ever. Wear doing an 17 school to folshen our soldiering & npoie the discipting . This morning whilst washing in wall an Encp was badly injured & ron is now reforted to heve died on opeating table. gr duge garer Tuesday, 5th Every night last week shere was a sessun of Constonctive Cportianity ] be whole chems of the Conference is to croaken men to their own respenaibility to themselves in matter spictual & cherly enable them as the Commnity to unstall areter order when ie return to livt life. Cluases are being fromed for the study of matters relasent. Pub 14 beat B B 0C by Sgoals Sunday Afternoon tadot D ean Clate Bubitt Timah) administered sacrament unday morning. Jim Chlwezes has alurted his Audy again, 2/3 achins gunner heve arrused in fore from gava Change now is such a cormosolitan metrosolis wich several watiabties. Hhe was is fieced to gether bit by bit. Murray Knights brother has avolved. Vie Hean
A IT II. atlt at ee f . Doms troopr alsa from Fim o i th. Reverat Bub K. posonnel Detacked to Geresloy & nit (B ob bivens change now by necessity a much bette organises show. peverut houses raided by Juss recently & seve al officeor taken awary for interrogation, Excellant view from our windaw. looking along struits for some distance thafit alse lon Depts hut electority laid on also a few Admin buildings. teg ration very light confared with woking fasties. J HG. clowers return. Evidently no white porsoners weing used in king Fnday, 5sth. Trailes farty yesterday for wood. Large gaoders icourse of construction where timber has been cleared We yet a good view of what slipping maves in the atraits bather levge faraenges ship in & out this week oute and 3sd &mihed school o ahe 19th. We had a lot of interesting moments if nothing more. This welk a new bath have been on the Yob. Foot ball has been but out biving to excessio injuores & lack of M supphies dub ion to out of 6 Imissed last match through aickners. came out of Hospital today after 10 says of Dengue &ould drawhoea Tined off considerably but us I lat ate very little fira week it can't be wondered at Mel solomes of 3/3MT in same

Wed. Camp duties. Had to carry building materiel all day  
inside wire. Rain & slush. Mens minds not very collected 
& calm. Ill admit it wasn't pleasant & clothing not able to be 
dried for several days didn't improve affairs. I wasn't very dry 
myself. 

Thurs. Fordo works. Torrential downpour all day. I split of party 
& stood in between the rain drips in Aust. House the rest of 
the day. Four aircraft flew in over works very low & right about 
turned, evidently looking for Target Drome in bad visibility 
Bank at rear of partly erected garage slipped. One man with 
badly crushed foot & another with slight shock + sore ribs. 
Slide pushed armored cars & tanks sideways causing injuries. 
Another rumor of finish at Ford works. Bukitt Timah road 
under water. 

Friday. Fords officially finished. This morning 400 Aus. & 600 [[?ies]] 
dismantled wire round old No 1 Camp. Sunny today enabling 
a lot of drying to be done. Sun improves "fogged minds". 
Our cooks doing very good job. Shows something can be done 
with rice. This afternoon wire was erected round our present 
area. 2 triple "Dannetts" now with sentry patrols on outside. 
4 MGs. doing 10 days detention at Gd. House for being caught 
outside wire. Japs warned us a short time ago that anyone 
caught outside would be shot. Pay day 01.60$ 
Sat. In morning party of 100 cleaned up in front of guards 
quarters at No 1. Afternoon free. Rained again.

 

Sunday 13. Handed in Badges today. Free day. Church service 
taken jointly by Jim & a C of E Church army Capt. Padre has (Dingey). 

Monday 14. Carried 6 loads of wood from Gap in fence to Sgts Kitch. 
approx. ½ mile each way. Sore shoulders. Capt Henderson had pow wow 
with NCOs on work, free time + life in general. Have developed cold in 
head. Debugged with consid. success. 

Friday 18th. This morning whole camp paraded on Golf course for 
inspection by Jap General. Tues. we shifted all wood + timber 
from Gap in wire to another dump + since then shifted most to 
Brigade dumps. My cold has eased off, as usual weak spot suffer. 
Last night we had fried liver for tea. Should be ox tongue tonight. 
Punishment for men breaking camp (ours). Each hut has to be 
picquetted all night for check on all personnel.  

Saturday 19th. We are back to Changi stage of odd jobbing 
in Camp Area. with an occassional party for the Japs but 
there are only just outside the wire. (5c margin) 
More shifting of huts. No H Coy lay this time. Fish for tea. 
In evening Volunteers Corps gave a 'mock trial" - good 
show. 

Sunday. Slept most of day. Church in evening. 
Monday. Made grats for Sgts Kitchen. Prawns for tea. 
Feeling off color today. 33 bombers flew Sth. this morning.    

 

Tues. Grass cutting for Japs at Adam Park. in morning. Rain 
enabled us to not work in afternoon. 

Wed. Visited gardens in Adam Park to collect "greens". Owing to 
previous day's incident when several "brains" left a party to 
do shopping on Bukitt Timah road & were rounded of by ShSikhs 
every party outside wire now has a Jap escort. 

Thurs. Today our hut was unroofed & re-roofed. We supplied 
parties for dismantling & the Malays put the Alap on. 
Started at 0800 finished 18.30 hrs.

Friday 25th. Xmas Day & all that it means. Wishes from 
home received. Last night our roof was proved & it passed. 
No increase ration for day so the cooks were not in a position 
to put on anything out of the box. Mostly we all had Red Cross 
issue saved for the day enabling us to muchly improve the 
food. A general Church Parade was held in the morning. At 
night there was an impromptu service at the Chapel site. 
Sat The Padre (interpreter) informed us that by Monday 28th 
the camp would be empty and all of us back at Changi.  

Saturday. Braced up our hut against disaster. Nearly 100 men 
on roof at one time did not do it any good. Men told to 
prepare for move any time. In evening instructions came 
out for our move at 9.30 on Morrow.

Sunday. Rain & in it we had to shift as much

 

gear as possible, clean up huts & fall in by 9.30. 
Trucks transported us to Geylang 7¼ mile past Changi Rd. 
from whence we marched 5 abreast under Jap escort. to 
Camp. arriving about 2.30 on Barrack Square. Nature & the 
hand of man had changed Changi's appearance. 
Large gardens under construction. Mainly Java troops working 
these. Our Quarter House No __. Baggage arrived in 
evening & it poured with rain just to make things normal? 

Mond. Slept on floor last night or attempted to. Today made 
a bed & cleaned up Quarters. General muster parade & 
Jap check every evening.

Tues. Sub. Pk. personnel return from other units. Our show 
now Sub Park & AASC & a few Field Bakery. Changi same 
spot for Rumors. Bob Owens & I had a stroll round camp 
in evening & bumped into a lecture on the "Exploits of 
the Perth". We hope to get these lectures to our unit 
some time.

Thurs. 31st. Last night Bob & I attended concert in 
old MT shed. Excellant show complete with stage 
effects - Cinderella - More Rain. Today we are 
I notified of a split in the unit. B Sect. goes to

 

one house & the remainder to another. J.A.C Benson 
RAAF came across to see me yesterday. He is in Java party and 
is going to Southern Area today. He was at K.B. at start of 
war and finished in Java. Tom Millers Dutch friend came 
over this morning before going to Southern Area.
Changi is much better organised now & we are to treat it 
as a training camp not P.O.W. Quite a change in the sick 
& wounded. Lionel Bennetts looks almost A1. Some of the 
previously fits are now crippled & sick & vice versa. 

Friday. Jan 1st 1943. 
Lets hope it means freedom. Attended Church Services 
last night. I went to bed at lights out & heard no more till 
the cooks rattled the buckets at 5.30. I believe there 
was quite a noise at midnight parading round the square 
etc. B section moved this morning.
Jap issue of wine (10 men to a bottle) & 1 tin of pineapple to 4. 
Sunday. Attended communion this morning & a compulsory 
service at night. Yanks beat AIF at baseball this 
afternoon. [[Vonfire?]] entertaining. Reports of Japs raiding 
differant houses & searching. Several officers taken off. 
On New Years day we moved to house 36. Good quarters 
if they will leave us in them. Jack Coulter builds mess furniture.

 

Thursday. 7th Shifted to No 43 house this morning. This is 
the house we first billeted in during our first 3 days at 
Changi. Nearly 11 months to do the circuit. Shifting is 
our second name. Sub Pk is together again. Played football 
this afternoon. Scores Sub Pk 5-10 4th MT 1-2. Nice & muddy 
if a mud bath does one good, I feel better than ever. 
We are doing an I.T. school to freshen our soldiering & 
improve the discipline. This morning whilst crashing a 
wall an Eng. was badly injured & is now reported 
to have died on operating table.

Tuesday. 12th.. Every night last week there was a session 
of Constructive Christianity. The whole theme of the conference 
is to awaken men to their own responsibility to themselves 
in matters spiritual & thereby enable then as the community 
to install a "New Order" when we return to civil life.  
Classes are being formed for the study of matters relavent. 
Sub PK beat A A O C by 2 goals Sunday Afternoon.
Padre Dean (late Bukitt Timah) administered Sacrament 

Sunday morning. Jim Ohlmeyer has started his study again. 
2/3rd Machine gunners have arrived in force from Java.
Changi now is such a cosmopolitan metropolis with several 
nationalities. The war is pieced together bit by bit. 
Murray Knights brother has arrived. Vic Honeyman

 

still at Java (ill). Some troops also from Timor (2/40th.) 
Several Sub PK. personnel. Detached to Forestry unit (Bob Owens). 
Changi now by necessity & much letters organised show. 
Several houses raided by Japs recently & several officers taken 
away for interrogation. Excellant view from our window. 
Looking along straits for some distance. Hospitals & Pon Depots 
have electricity laid on also a few Admin. buildings. 
Veg. ration very light compared with working parties. J. HQ. 
drivers return. Evidently no white prisoners being used in Sing. 

Friday 15th.. Trailer party yesterday for wood. Large gardens 
in course of construction where timber has been cleared. 
We get a good view of what shipping moves in the straits. 
Rather large passenger ship in & out this week. 

Sund 31st. Finished school on the 19th. We had a lot of 
interesting moments if nothing more. This week a 
new batch have been on the job. Football has been 
cut out owing to excessive injuries & lack of M supplies. 
Sub PK won 6 out of 6. I missed last match through 
sickness. Came out of Hospital today after 10 days 
of Dengue & mild diarrhoea. Fined off considerably 
but as I ate very little for a week it can't be 
wondered at. Met Solomons of 2/3 MT in same

Last edited by:
Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
Last edited on:

Last updated: