Diary relating to service of Major Charles Patrick Tracey, 1943 - Part 8

SEPTEMBER 2603
Sunday 12 
Have been far too lousy to keep
up to date for a few days but am
about 50% again now. We are
certainties to get No 1 Camp here
as we have been ordered to double
bunk our huts to make room.
That means Johnstone and his
gang caught up with us again
Col Banno up & got Ferg to look at
a tooth. Finally abducted Ferg & 
his pannier by truck to Neeki
Monday 13
Started double-decking No 1 Huts
but as few men & fewer tools have

been available the job is going

very slowly. Cpl Trevethan is
on the job and despite the slowness
of the work is making a 
very good job & I think it will
be a much better job than was
anticipated.
SEPTEMBER 2603
Tuesday 14
Very wet day. Huts leaking like
sieves and everyone a bit down.

Heard from Burma where things are
very crowded though they seem to be 
settling down now. Food is fairly
good & they are getting some fresh

fruit & vegetables. The death rate for
the whole hospital is less than what
it was at this camp - 20 died en
route.
Wednesday 15
Canteen supplies have been very

restricted lately owing to the action of

MPs at Neeki. Today few elephants

turned up & the Japs promptly
grabbed two loads of tinned goods
which they promptly started
selling to the camp at a terrific
profit. The Offr when informed put
a quick stop to it.

SEPTEMBER 2603
Thursday 16
First day up after a very

lousy time with fever. Have had
practically nothing to eat for a 
week and have lost at least a
stone. The boong shop-keeper from
Neeki was in and promised ten
elephant loads in the next few
days. The order includes salted eggs
& peanuts. Col Kappé called on 
his way to Neeki
Friday 17
Just about staged a
recovery from this lousy

fever. Still not eating. Will
have to live on peanuts for a 

while. Col Dillon to Neeki
to arrange pay. Particularly
back pay for the men. Col
Hueston returned from Burma
with fairly good reports. The
railway is not far north of
the camp now.
SEPTEMBER 2603

Saturday 18
Very heavy rain set in

again making the nights

particularly miserable.
Japs have started issuing

cigarettes on a sliding
scale for men with a good
average on the roads
during each pay period.

Rations improving in
quantity. Plenty [[lossed?]] yak
though pretty stinking.
Sunday 19
Pretty sick still. The thought
of recovery was a myth. Temp

102.8. Still raining hard.

Fergie back from Neeki.

Changed some Thai to Burmese
at 2 to 1. Will be handy for 
the Burma hospital
contributions. 

SEPTEMBER 2603
Monday 20
First Jap clothing issue since
we capitulated. One pair of

unbleached calico shorts
and a pair of poor quality
cotton socks per man.

Railway arrived from the 
north. Cuts through centre 
of camp. Trains consist of 
big trucks with railway
wheels & flat cars. Bringing

rails & sleepers with them.

Tuesday 21
Good deal of rail traffic.
Gangs work 24 hrs and
the line should be completed
before long. Only about 20

kilos to link with the

southern end. Small work
party washing engineers

toils and shipping them north

to No 5 Camp. Rumor that we
go on to Sumatra by boat
from Rangoon! Not so good

SEPTEMBER 2603
Wednesday 22
Still pretty lousy though trying 
a day on my feet. John
Taylor & Vern Baynes. up from

No 1 with the news that the
whole batch will move up.
here in a couple of days time.

Padre Foster-Haig very low

with cardiac berri-berri . Col

Anderson with part of A force
moved in opposite us. Have
not contacted any of them.
Thursday 23
Padre Foster-Haig died after a very
sudden illness. Of the original four
celebrities who gave concerts at
Changi the Padre, Rethison the pianist
and Moule baritone have died 
and Denis East - violinist has

been sent to Burma Hospital
with his hands covered in 

ulcers. Our quarters are now a 

mass of cock-roaches. Most 

unpleasant with them in everything

one touches.

SEPTEMBER 2603

Friday 24
All available Offrs attended
the Padre's funeral. Col Harris

took the service. Had great

difficulty in making it.

Still sick of fever, scabies
& itches and as weak as a
kitten. Col Anderson and a
number of A force moved in

opposite a couple of days ago.
A number of the Bn with him.
Saturday 25
During night the final batch
from No 1 Camp moved in
which increases our sick figures
by about 250 and given no more
available for work. After some
wangling got Geo Polain back
with me despite Col Kappe's wish
that he go on to No 3. Col Dillon
back from Neeki with back
pay for men & 2 mths offrs.
Good to have a batch of 2/26 Bn
Offrs with me again.
SEPTEMBER 2603
Sunday 26
Heavy day on records. With pay
in in large lumps we were
flat out on the credit system.
Then eight elephants arrived
from Neeki with stores of
which the Japs grabbed a lot
to re-sell at a high rate.
However after a vigorous protest
we got most of the stuff back.

Geo, Ferg, Don & John & I pooling 
canteen supplies for a binge on 

Oct 3.  Jess is still honoured.

Monday 27
A bit sick again. Had a 
visit from 3 Camp who

have been warned they move
back to Changi in about

a fortnight. A Force & Dutch
move South tomorrow to
finish the rail link. Col
Dillon to 3. Told me on return
Kaffe's still sour (& partially mad)

Sports quizz Eng v Aust. We
got beaten.

[*Brassiere to the lab. "You go on ahead
I'll give these two a lift" - Geo

Polain*]
SEPTEMBER 2603
Tuesday 28

Arthur Watchhorn sneaked

in from A force to pass the 
time of day. He is fat & well.
Have been in seven bombing
raids so far with a fair

number of casualties. He said
Ransome & Wagstaff both in

good health. The Anderson V
Tracey seems settled. I stay
in Comd. Andy goes off to the
Burma Hospital.
Wednesday 29
Latest Jap order is that we
must put down enough
slit trenches to protect the
whole camp in the event of

an air-raid. Another big

consignment of canteen goods
in. Had roast fowl for

dinner. Would have been

delicious had there been four

times as much. Wk parties
in late.
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2603
Thursday 30
Camp water supply very
low after a few fine days
All bathing banned but 
parties allowed down 
to near-by streams for
a wash. Started out
slit trench digging with
the few offrs & ORs available
in camp. Getting near the
3^rd. Am looking forward to the 
party.
Friday 1
Monthly report to Col Kappé.
Padre Polain has had to move

on to No 3 for a while.

Col Dillon back from Burma.
Had a letter from Russell.
14 more of the unit have
died incl poor old Teddie
Cornell. 16 Pl is certainly
getting a terrible belting.

OCTOBER 2603
Saturday 2
Padre Walsh down from No 3
Camp on exchange with
Polain for about a week.
This camp has not had an 
R.C. padre since its inception
Col Dillon Off to Neeki to try
and get pay up-to-date.

Heavy conference for 
tomorrow night's grand party.
Survey of available stores.

Sunday 3

Went for a quiet walk to the 
hospital, where I could get 
away from the crowd and
do a bit of day-dreaming.

At night Ferg, John, Don &
self, settled down, to do Jess
honour. 1^st course steak &

kidney pie (tinned) with sweet
buck chips. 2. Tinned fish - rice
savouries. 3. Boiled atta-flour

pudding & sauce. Coffee to
drink a sincere toast in &

OCTOBER 2603
Monday 4
a nibble of coffee brewed from

gula malacca peanuts.
Temporily closed down the 
canteen to stock-take
& balance bats. Put in
the whole day in the office
and in my spare time
nutted out a few ideas

for this date next year 
when I will be back
with my two girls.

Tuesday 5

Down with this lousy
fever again. All Japs have
gone north from the camp
and we are guarded now
solely by Koreans who are
having the time of their lives.
Made work conditions
really good. Have no
hesitation in ticking off the 
Engineers.

OCTOBER 2603
Wednesday 6
My canteen credit system
broke down when Capt
Gunning from the lousy
Manchesters let a stack

of hospital patients over-draw
their accounts to the 
tune of $65! Temp at 102.8
today which is not so good.
Col Dillon back from Neeki
with Sept pay.
Thursday 7

Ferg & I got our mess a/c
from Barney Barratt. $81.60.
What a blow still the cash
is better in our bellies than
anywhere else I know.
Maj Anderson off to Burma
at last leaving me in 
undisputed possession of

the field. Serve the lousy
cow right after his sneaking
methods.
[*4 months later Pete Hendry received

the box of slides at Cambunie

untouched*]
OCTOBER 2603
Friday 8
Still on the back. The whole
camp blood-tested. God
knows what for. The story
of going back seems pretty
right Jap HQ at Neeki
moves on 15^th and we go
off in batches of 300. Popular
roumour is Cambunie for
concentration then Penang or
K.L. (some hold out for Indo-China).
Saturday 9

Koreans excelled themselves

on the road today. Started
off in camp and continued

all day. Put Dynamite Dan
in his place at the quarry
and then took stone off the
finished heaps to build up
the others. Ando has been
very liberal lately with
his lemons. (sweet spuds)
Paddy Walsh took Church
Service at night. 

OCTOBER 2603
Sunday 10
Had a letter from Reg at No 3.
Conditions there still foul &
men dying still every day.

Sgt Enie Sutton is the last
shock I have had. While we
cant get tpt to Burma the only
ambulance allowed up with 
the force is being used by the 
Japs running stores up &
down the line between camps.
and never used for medical purposes.
Monday 11
Cholera has broken out again
up the line amongst the natives
so our water supply has been
put out of bounds. This means
a carry of water for all purposes
of about 700yds, with no extra
camp duties to help. Just as
Hoot Gibson, Ian McKibbin & I
had found a nice little bathing
hole.
October 2603

Tuesday 12
Just about broken this dose of 
fever at last. The Korean guards
are as happy as Larry - now the 
Japs have gone north and had a 
Hell of a party. All full and
have been down the lines talking
sedition quite openly, dishing out
cigarettes right and left. Ernie
Coleman down from No 3. hoping 
for canteen supplies that they cant 
get.
Wednesday 13

Write to URQC re. $12 (Grose)
Received our train pay from

Col Kappé after much delay and 
as half it is represented by
bad debts I will have to
do a bit of collecting before
I can make it available.
Latest story is amalgamation 
of the two camps here. 

OCTOBER 2603
Thursday 14
more thieving. This time Hemphon
at hospital. Another AGCM.
Japs are dynamiting the river
for fish in the hospital area

and the crowd over there are

getting some beauties up to 10lbs.
In fact the hospital is doing 

pretty well now though the lads
there are so debilitated that
they will never recover on this dish.
Friday 15

Donald Cathie & I took a 
peaceful walk to the hospital
saw Sully & Bill Smith for a 
while and went down for 

a dip in the river. Ferg. & Cols
Harris & Heuston did a trip to
Reg's camp for a bit of dentistry
Conditions poor compared with

our show. First steam train

through with one box car.
OCTOBER 2603
Saturday 16

Col Hingston brought back
from Burma for interigation
at Neeki and now returned
to this camp. Seems certain
that the escapee Offrs will
not be shot. A good case
has been put up with both
our side and Col Banno
throwing the responsibility
on the Engineers for the harsh
treatment.
Sunday 17
Heard of elven deaths in 

"A" force from the Bn that
brings our known total
to 112. After hoarding our
rations over a long period 
the mess put on a big feed.
Six alledged courses then we 
had a concert for the lads
later. Hut alive with
cockroaches. They are in
everything incl our beds. 

OCTOBER 2603
Monday 18
Sent a party of 50 offrs & ORs

to Neeki for canteen stores
to try & relieve the hospital
at Kappe's camp. They lugged
back towgay, oil, milk and
peanuts. Have arranged to get
the elephants through again.
Spent the day posting the
Bn canteen ledger. Koreans
doing a splendid job on the road.
Tuesday 19
Relayed stores to No1 Camp.
Stood up to the march well
despite scabies and a lack

of skin on essential parts.
The camp is very bad and

could be improved despite

difficulties. Col Kappé as

irrational as ever and very

despondent. Still averaging 
five to six deaths daily.

church at night (Paddy Walsh)
OCTOBER 2603
Wednesday  20
More canteen stores up from
Neeki. 6 elephants. Will arrange

another ferry to no1 camp
tomorrow. Am organising a 
series of talks for the Offrs twice
a week at night. We have tons 

of talent here and it fills in

a couple of hours of darkness that

at present is the worst part of 
the day.
Thursday 21

Another trip today to no1. Nothing
very different to Tuesdays trip

except that as usual our nip
guard cracked up and we
had to practically carry him

home. Despite the quantity of 

canteen goods available and the 

fact that top camp has had

very little Kappé has limited 

each man to a $2 subscription