Diary relating to service of Major Charles Patrick Tracey, 1943 - Part 5

[*SHIMO-SONKURAI*]

MAY 2603

[*11KS TOTAL 305 KILOS.*]

Saturday 15

Arrived at destination

and things are pretty bloody.

Flimsy huts with no roofs

and the monsoons only a

month away. Worked like

slaves all day cleaning up

the camp and trying to get

some sort of order established.

Japs have no stores and we have

to beg for a few tools.

(Three 2/30 deaths at last camp)

Sunday 16

2/30 Party moved in after having

left eight cases of cholera

behind. Our medical supplies

practically nil and the outlook

pretty grim. Hut space 10 men

to a bay (12 x 10) will not carry

the weight. All collapsing and

the floors simply fall through

wholesale. Had our first

church pde since Changi.

We now have 16 cholera

suspects here.

MAY 2603

Monday 17

One lad died during night,

and there are a number of

other cases. Major Hunt has

arrived and with Lloyd

Cahill and John Taylor

have great hopes of

controlling this disease.

The Japs are obviously

frightened and have agreed

to bring up more of our 

essential medical stores

Tuesday 18

We have had a couple

of loads of adap delivered

and after staying the

huts to stop them

collapsing will be able to

roof a very small proportion

of the camp. Feel as though

I am in for a dose of

something not too pleasant

MAY 2603

Wednesday 19

Laid up with a temp 103

and a dose of dysentry.

Doc says only cure rest

but constant trips to the

filthy latrines leave one as

weak as water. Still there

are a lot in the camp

far worse off than me.

You could cut the general

depression with a knife.

Thursday 20

Pretty lousy night and day with

this double complaint. Still I

should complain - two more

deaths cholera. Work parties

out till 2100 despite check

pde at 2000 hrs. Few men for

essential cooking and hygiene

work. Latrines open and a

mass of magots that will

breed millions of flies. The

outlook is far from cheerful.

MAY 2603

Friday 21

Rained like hell all night

with only one hut covered. All

gear completely soaked. Men

had no sleep and then we are

called on for 760 work - party

Maj Johnstone will have to take

a stand and as soon as I am

up will go in boots & all. One

more death this afternoon. Cpl

Lawson who was only sick for

a few hours. Last work party not 

in camp till 2130 hrs.

Saturday 22

Camp Admin is impossible due

to one Jap pte who has full authority

because he speaks a little English.

This morning he took all essential

personnel remaining in camp for a

job. Hygiene. Water boiling for drinking

has all gone by the board. Despite

orders to the contrary officers are still

being bashed. I am still in bed

and Maj Johnstone has either not

protested or cannot get a hearing

MAY 2603

One more cholera death.

Sunday 23

Got on the feet today, rounded

up a few offrs and did a good

mornings work for Major

Kent at M I R. 18 cases of cholera.

in the isolation hut, of  Hunt, John

Taylor, Lloyd Cahill & Colin Juther

Hunt is the only one without berri-berri. 

The huts are slowly being

adapted by native labour. Men

out till 2130. Cooking almost

impossible with heavy rain.

Monday 24

Admitted to hospital with

dysentry and fever. Conditions

have been relieved by a

roof being completed. The

hospital is just a long hut

with two raised platforms

on which the patients lie

two deep and 8-10 to a bay

Offrs have a couple of bays.

Maj Hunt is doing a

[*Empire

Day*]
MAY 2603
Tuesday 25

wonderful job under most

difficult circumstances.

Had a very bad night with

the scatters. General camp

conditions hellish. Ration 

lorry bogged so a party of 

light duties have been

sent off 10 kilos to carry them.

They are down to flour rice

and onion stew.

Wednesday 26

Have Robbie & Russell in alongside 
me that brightens things

considerably. Russ & I have

been able to make good use

of my travelling chess set. We

play lying down and pass it

back & forth. Still raining hard

making a trip to the latrines

something of an ordeal. Men

still dying daily with cholera.

MAY 2603

Thursday 27

Still pretty bloody. Constant

trots all night through rain

and mud. Food very poor.

Don Dyer brought up a small

piece of yak for we three.

Tasted like nectar from the

Gods. Up to date thirteen

of the lads have died and

more are being admitted

daily.

Friday 28

Eleven more cholera deaths.

Japs have kept all the

lads in to let us get

some decent hygeine done.

Closing down old latrines

which are an absolute

menace. Talked my way

out of hospital though still

very loose and very weak.

Feel better doing a bit.

[*26-30 May admitted 164 cholera

cases.*]

MAY 2603

Saturday 29

Despite a promise to leave all

men in camp for three days

we had to send out 350 for

road work. Still a great deal

of essential work has been

done in camp and the

indications are that the cholera

is being controlled. Separate hosp.

has been established with

tents and last night deaths

were reduced to three.

Sunday 30

Last night Maj Johnstone,

Anderson, Hunt & Self took

a very strong stand and

presented a series of demands

to the Jap. They viewed the matter

quite seriously and are translating

the screed to fwd on to

higher authority. All ranks have

been kept in camp and are

working furiously cleaning,

renovating & building. Church

pde at night.

MAY - JUNE 2603

Monday 31

Have  taken over command of

the camp. Conditions have rapidly

deteriorated and [[Med?]] put Majs

Johnstone & Anderson in hospital

to give me a clear hand. After

a long & strong interview with

the Japs I blocked 300 workers

going out (despite Johno's offer

last night) we are now isolating

everyone with any bowel trouble

and reorganising considerably.

(admitted 349 cases of dysentry) today

Tuesday 1

cholera deaths have reached 60.

Have had practically a complete

interview with the Japs who

have been making impossible

demands for work & reorganisation.

Finally ordered to supply 500

men for work tomorrow. A flat

refusal would have serious

results. Allowing for perm duties

we have not that number.

JUNE 2603

Wednesday 2

Sent out 426 which seems to

satisfy them, Though I hate to

think what will happen when

they start checking on figures.

Col BANNO was in yesterday &

this demand seems to be a result

of his visit. However only about

200 yds of railway embankment

has been done. Men still dying

of cholera and malaria making

great headway.

Thursday 3

Sick figures increasing at an

alarming rate. Only 401 fit men

in camp. Our original 2041 is

now 1973. Very little essential

camp work being done. Some

floors in hospital huts have

collapsed and have nowhere to

move patients even if we had

the men to build them up. My hair

has grown long enough for me

to spot the first few grey ones.

JUNE 2603

Friday 4

Had a visit from Col BANNO

who has suspended work on

Rly & rd (dont know how long).

Maj Johnstone is out of hosp.

and taking over tomorrow.

Being without a shave or wash

for four days I am going to

declare a 24 hr rest tomorrow

I feel mentally [[hitched?]]. Have

been working about 16 hrs per day

since I came out. Cholera well

under control. Only 1 death.

Saturday 5

So much for the 24 hr rest.

Am taking over the hosp.

which embraces 75% of the

camp. Spent the whole morn

straightening out the show

and reorganising. Frank

Cahill marched in. Bruce went

on by lorry to the next camp

which is in a mess despite

the presence of 6 British MOS

JUNE 2603

Sunday 6

Have got decent quarters with

m/o. Shower alternate days and

a hot bath each with a sponge

at night. Two of us to a bucket.

Bruce has been fwd. and the 

British camp of 1400 in a Hell

of a Mess. Our 400 further on

not so good. One British MO

who is a flop. Sending Colin

Juttner on with three good offrs

to take over. Will have rest

few days. Glass-rodded whole

camp.

Monday 7

Had a beaut sleep and feel

100%. Looking like a starved

wolf but Don Dyer is feeding

us up a bit as far as

conditions permit. Killed 3

yaks and will only get about

300 lbs of meat & bone. Beans

& onions getting scarce. Roads

in mess. Rly suspended. Sent

out 230 fit men on rd.

JUNE 2603

Tuesday 8

Took Swartz. M Geever & McGlyne

fwd to No 3 Camp with 400

Aussies there. The CO Capt Allen

AASC had no control but we

licked it into shape in no

time. Passed a Tommy Camp

of 1400 (over 100 dead) in a 

bad mess. Roads shocking

bogged on return trip and

had to Root it to camp to get

some blokes to push us out.

Wednesday 9

More trouble. Now that

the road has become

impassable lads have to pull

yak carts down to NEKI for

supplies. Have developed the

squirts again and will

have a day in bed. Quinine

issues have been stopped

and things look bad, as

the malaria is spreading

at an alarming rate.

JUNE 2603

Thursday 10

Having my day in bed.

After no breakfast or

lunch had an enormous

feed of brain, liver and

rice which tasted like

nectar from the gods.

Still squirting nicely

with four long trips

last night. No men on

the roads today

Friday 11

Not being 100% laid up

all the morning and felt

much better for the rest.

Lads must pull these

yak carts daily now for

rations which are getting

very poor. Present scale.

Rice 17.5 oz  Dried fish 1 oz

Onions .8     Salt .6

Beans   .8    Meat twice weekly

totalling 4.9 ozs

JUNE 2603

Saturday 12

Two more cholera deaths last

night. Total now 97. Malaria

is becoming very prevalent and

rapidly getting worse.

Of our, 1900 odd 1400

are either patients or staff

for hospital (270 staff). Thigs

getting tough. Counting camp

duties and hospital staff.

Men on rd till 2330 hrs

Fergie has   Sunday 13   covered

himself with glory. Has done

two extractions with a

bent safety pin and a

pair of 8 inch plyers. Jap

demands for work parties

getting more insistant.

Frank Cahill operating

today under shocking

conditions. Rain barely stops.

Mud everywhere & roads impassable.

JUNE 2603

Monday 14

Camp faced with very

serious food problem. First

must send men out to try

and open road and 80 men

with yak carts. 17 kilos to

the border for limited rations.

Average rice ration down to

10 oz per day. Now a case of

working or starving. Some

camps lower down on one

meal per day (7 oz rice) no meat

Tuesday 15

Food parties sent almost

daily. Cut out yak carts &

substituting packs & haversacks

Working hard in A & D room

On hospital records. Have

hopes of instituting a bamboo

card index that will be a

perm & individual hospital

record to support future

pension claims for these

lads. Many of whom will

not work again.

JUNE 2603

Wednesday 16

Likely to be flat out for

some time on these records.

Have been dreaming of Jess

& Lynne a great deal lately

hope it is a good sign

because it makes one

think too much during the

day. Read my two letters from

Jess at least every other

day. Almost know them by

heart.

Thursday 17

Still flat out on records.

Japs have cut camp duties

and hospital staff to such

an extent that we all have

set jobs. Bob Howells mentioned

international Law and offrs wkg

as a result no hospital

patients or any offrs will be

fed tomorrow. Told that Int

law does not apply when it

conflicts with interests of Army

JUNE 2603

Friday 18

Have food reestablished for

hospital patients incl Offrs in 

hospital All other Offrs, if caught

eating will be deprived of food

for three days.  Nice little

chaps these Nips. Having

some difficulty at night

dodging the attention of a

very persistant rat that

likes running over my face

Saturday 19

Still slaving in the A & D

room. The new staff is not so

hot and the hours of daylight

hardly sufficient. Bob

Howells causing some

concern with favouritism

and a leaning to the 2/30 Bn

May have to do a little

investigating. Heard of A

force who are up the rd

about 30 miles

JUNE 2603

Sunday 20

Micky Moore has returned

with a party that went north

for quinine and contacted

A force. Their conditions

are much the same as our

own having left Changi

on 15/5/41 and have been

to P L Victoria Mergui

and now 105 kilo camp.

Expect to move South

through us to 75 kilo camp

Monday 21

Another ration party to

fwd Brit Camp. Truck is

repaired and will be used

for ferrying rice to within

reach of our parties.

Maj Johnstone out of hosp

once more and taken over

subject to consultation with

Bruce & I. Still struggling

with A & D room. Bruce,

Howells, Rutherford suggested

chucking Johnno out.

JUNE 2603

Tuesday 22

More afflictions. Have

developed trouble with my

right eye. Sight is sadly

impaired and have the sensation

of looking through a heavy film

reading print is entirely out

of the question. Am trying to

arrange a lift to Reg Swartz's

camp to get Colin Juttner our

eye expert on the job. Had a

visit from Lt Col Harris O/C

F Force who is quite impotent.

Wednesday 23

Food conditions are becoming

shocking. Fit men get 600 kgm

and patients 200 kgm (about

7 ozs) Yak meat is not enough

to even see in the stews which

consist of a little yak, onion &

chile on which sick men can

never recover. Bruce Hunt did

an inspection of a ward of 120

and estimates 40 deaths soon.