Unit diaries relating to service of Geoffrey W. Fennell - Wallet 2 - Part 8

AVM  Called attention to the shortage of water and the insanitary condition
generally and pointed out that clothes and bodies could not be washed

properly.

Col S.  A pipe is being arranged in the near future.

AVM   Regarding the Farm Work there is a lot of misunderstanding caused by
"Goons" who can not speak English, being in charge of the Squads. Could
plots be allotted to each squad which would make itelf responsible for

the work.
Col S. The scheme will be tried.

AVM   What about letters.

Col S.  All letters received have been delivered.
(Cold comfort to the 95% who haven't had any!)

AVM   Drew attention to several serious cases in hospital which could not be

treated propeprly through absence of proper drugs.
Col S  I will see what I can do.
AVM  Can the diet of the indivalids be increased to help them regain their
strength.
Col S  If they don't work they don't want extra food.

AVM  Can we have matches as they would be no more dangerous than lighting
cigarettes from others.

Col S. I will think about it.
AVM  Can we have lectures and concerts in the evenings.
Col S. You should be so tired from Farm Work that you should't require them!

AVM   What about Warm Clothes.

Col S.  After everyone, who has warm cloths, has shared it out, something will
be arranged.

AVM   Can the BORs have a holiday once a week.

Col S.  Yes.

He then went on and made a speech which was quite emotional in parts. He started
by impressing on us to keep our health so as to be ready for the day of release, but

then said that we should be thankful that we had Barracks to live in, Food to eat,

Clothes to wear, not to mention our lives!About some matters British and Nipponese
psychology was very different (not 'arf'!) and we were governed by their doctrine

of Bushido. By making concessions to us, we must not think that he was coming 

down to us and was afraid that Nippon would not win! We should certainly have

time to eat the crop off the Farm and it was all for us. The Commandant was very 
displeased to find in the recent Essays written that the war would be over next year
and that the British would win!  Therefore the cakes produced at the Conference
would only be given to the Americans and the Dutch! (Unbelievable but true!!)

Japan & Britain would both fight to the last - but there might be terms.

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On being asked various opinions about the war, he was told pretty conclusively

that Japan started the war by the attack on Pearl Harbour and Malaya, that

Germany was as good as beaten, and that Japanwould shortly be fighting the whole

world. He then produced fantastic claims for sinking of ships in the 3 Battles in
the Gilbert Islands, all for the loss of a few Jap planes!! The conference then
broke up and General Funk thanked him for coming.
During the morning, there was an amusing incident regarding the vegetable issue.
The vegetables used to arrive daily on a small lorry drawn by a water-buffalo and
driven by a small boy. "Harold Lloyd"* noticed that there were no bananas and also
that the vegetable issue was short. He ordered that the small boy should be beaten
from the Guard Room to the Ration Stand! Having recovered, the small boy then beat
the water-buffalo!!
In the afternoon, all the squad leaders were paraded to say farewell to the
Commandant, who was being moved to another camp. He was rather unpleasant at Karenko
but here he does seem to have done his best to try and cooperate with us. We have
heard no rumpours as to who is going to be his successor.
On Thursday morning there was considerable excitement as the dead body of one of the
Guards was discovered outside the camp. His throat was cut. He was brought in and
obviously a Court of Inquiry was held in the afternoon, and the coffin was taken away
in a lorry. The latest rumour is that he was one of the Regular Guard
and that he had just heard that his brother had been captured by the Americans, and therefore he had committed hari-kari. May be true?
In No 9 Squad, we have had some interesting talks about the Campaign in the
Philippines. Apparently they had a lot of difficulty, as although the American
Regiments and the Filipino Scouts and Filipine Constabulary were very good, the
National Filipino Army, though large on paper, had received practically no training
and had damn all in the way of equipment.
On December 12th the new Commandant arrived, and turned out to be the one from the
Mining Camp at Kinhaseki, to which camp the party under RSM Bishop had gone.
He went round the camp in the morning and at 1530 hrs in the afternoon he held a
mass parade and the main points of his speech were as follows:
(1)  We should look after our health (2) The Barracks were the best that Nippon
could produce and this was the best camp (3) We should cooperate by working well on the
farm as it would increase our rations (4) We should do what we could to make ourselves
comfortable, and he would do what he could to help us. (5) We should not be
unduly depressed by anything we read in the Nippon Times, nor should we be unduly
elated and do foolish things. (6) Whether we were prisoners for 6 months or 6 years
we should still be treated kindly. According to Col Hoffman, the Yank who speaks

*"Harold 'loyd = Lt Kamashita the Orderly Officer

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Japanese fluently, his attitude appeared to be friendly. Let's hope it will remain
so. On the same day we were all issued with one of our brand new greyback shirts,
and believe me they were a godsend as our wardrobes were awful!
On the evening of Monday 13th, there was a feeling of suppressed excitement as a
lorry was heard approaching. Would it contain cigarettes or not? It had indeed
been a black week as the expected issue on Wednesday failed to arrive and all those
without a reserve had been left high and dry. It has been said that being a POW
brings out the worst in one, but with one or two notable exceptions, in our case
it has been decidedly the reverse, and any incidents such as this showed that the
fortunate ones were ever ready to share with their less fortunate companions.
Anyhow our luck was in, as the lorry did contain cigarettes and Windy Forbes, the
Canteen Rep, was sent of post-haste to the PX to ask for an immediate issue, and
was successful. When one is perpetally hungry, tobacco does something to fill in
the gaps. In addition a large bag containing about 50 candies made its appearance
bringing joy to all hearts, and the munching on roll call could almost have been
heard by "Richard Dimbleby, our Eastern Observer"!!
During the week, the new Commandant held a meeting of Senior Representatives and
asked for suggestions in the hoby line. More books, games were asked for, and
also the question was raised as to whether carpentering(?) and such like could be
indulged in. The Interpreter impressed on them that they wished the Camp to become
a Utopia. A bit of a change from the sentiments expressed a year ago when we were
regarded more as criminals than POWs!
On the morning of Dec 22nd, there was no mean spring cleaning, as the huts were
being inspected by the Commandant. Dust flew about in clouds as the beans were
brushed, and unwanted belongings were consigned to suitcases, as nothing was to be
hung on the hooks. The inspection started at 1 and shortly afterwards we were
visited by Party 1 consisting of the Medical Corporal and a few Goons, who crept
under the hut to see what they couls find.Apart from the Squad Leader's spare pair
of boots they drew a blank! Other squads were not so lucky as a pile of haversacks,
kit bags etc soon testified! Parties 2 and 3 under "Harold Lloyd" and "Shuffling
Sam"* came at intervals, but just wandered round looking at nothing in particular.
Our old RSM from Taihoku gave us a cheerful grin as he went by.
The Commandant came about 4, having spent nearly 2 hours in the General's hut.
However he appeared quite satisfied, and, apart from turning out Fairburn's kit,
nothing untoward occurred. We heard later that the result of the inspection had
been good, but we were told that there would be the usual spring cleaning at the
New Year some(thing) like last year. As a matter of fact, the bedding piles
really were pretty neat!
*Lt Heoki - another Japanese officer.
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By Xmas Eve we had really got down to the Christmas Spirit. Much ingenuity had
been used in decorations and every form of brightly coloured cigarette paper, sauce
label, syrup label, had been brought into service, not to mention lavatory paper,
cut up into various shapes and soaked in blue and red ink. The Regimental members
of 10 Squad in particular were much in evidence and Ted Horner and Horse Trahern
had made a very cosy corner with highly coloured paper from Asaki Cigarette packets!
The Canteen had done its stuff to the extent of 3 lorry loads, and the Xmas Sales
consisted of Strawberry Syrup, Jam, Fish flakes, "Worcester Sauce", Sugar, sweets,
and a sweet bun, and on Xmas Day itself - A SMALL LOAF OF BROWN BREAD!! Who
would have imagined 3 years ago that dry bread and jam would be regarded as such
a luxury! After dark a mixed British and American Carol Party went round the
huts and the Hospital, and was much appreciated.
On Xmas morn we got up at the usual time and immediately after Roll Call visits
were made to other huts. There was Communion at 9 up in the Park, followed
almost immediately by the ordinary morning Service, which consisted of hymns
and Carols, prayers and 4 short Scripture portions read by a British, American,
Australian, and Dutch officers; there was a short Anthem by the "Choir", and the
Hospital was visited afterwards.
The Cooks had produced a very tasty stew for breakfast made out of the "Odds and
Ends" from the pigs, and the pork itself appeared in the stew for lunch and was
very tasty, though not so plentiful as the gargantuan orgy of last year. Between
2 and 3.30 there were Pagal Sports on the Green in front of the Hospital, followed
by a Concert, the highlight of which was a burlesque Broadcast Play featuring
Forbes, Armstrong & Traherne, disguised as Guinevere, Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot
and Noises Off!
Then came Xmas Dinner, the duck stew which was very tasty indeed, and which
incidentally contained more duck flesh in each helping than there had been Pork,
which rather implied a slip up in the Pork distribution somehwere! However they
were both very good. Towards the end of the dner, a vote of thanks was proposed
by Major Fennell t Major Dinwiddie, the retiring Squad Leader, and in a most
amusing speech Dinwiddie pointer out that under his leadership we had been
promoted from being mere Hewers of Wood to Drawer of Water, and that the Goon
"Beaverbrook" had consented to be Colonel in Chief! The Xmas Tree came next
with an Xmas Draw, and the evening finished with fun and games in 10 Squad. It
had been a very good Xmas Day, the difference in "Peace of Mind", between now
and last year being very noticeable. Everyone felt that we were now approaching
"The Straight" and the difference in treatment compare with last year was not
unconnected with "The Writing on the Wall".
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I have forgotten to mention that at 1330 on Xmas there was a parade of all
POWs on the "Green". The Commandant made a long speech, which Col Hoffmann
our chief Interpreter said was in very polished Japanese, well thought out,
and radiating Good Will. The translation we got was not so polished.