Notebook of Avon Reah Smith-Ryan, 1942-1945

top of a 3 storey blg. (roof garden as well). Good showers
sewerage, electric light, a good cook in the Mess. kitchen,
very congenial company in mess, not too much work not
very closely confined by the I.J.A. Troops fairly comfy,
and contented, enough pay to buy smokes, soap & a
few amenities and to have morning tea at Smoky Joe's or
Cyrils Joint. There are is quite some doubt about assembling
all of these again for a while if we move away from here.
There's a rather big draw back about the whole business but
nothing can be done about that - at the moment
Thur 12 Aug 43. My short lived Comd. has finished. Alf
Lamacraft's foot has recovered sufficiently for him to take
over his duties again. It was a pleasant enough change
of work for me marred only by the episode of the arrests for
trading contrary to R.O 143.
I seem to have missed out on the current lot of mail. We were
told that last mail is now completed and none have been
delivered for me.
I am very sorry for a friend of mine Capt Ken Morrison who
had a letter from his mother saying that his wife was
killed in an air raid last Dec. He is an Englishman
who in civil life composes stage shows and conducts sessions
on the air. He is a leading player in our performances
at the Palladium Theatre in the Hospital area.
We had another addition to our mess last week. Lieut
[[?]] Mavor from Garden Central Group. They had to evacuate
a house to make room for 100 odd prisoners or civil [[?]]
& we had to accept the A.I.F people in that blg. Mavor
is a local planter speaking broad Scot. happened to be in
charge of them. Officers now comprising our mess are -

May 3. Sunday
Mother tells me that my original birthday was a
Sunday too. By way of celebration I decided not to
go to work today. I wonder will I be home by
16 Dec? If so will have a grand double celebration.
May 10 Sunday
Another week and the only change is that we are
all rather more bored, with the whole thing. For the
officers, I really think, its worse than the men, but I'd
wager they wouldn't agree. Just standing about all day
& every day is frightful & if it weren't that not doing any
manual work is our greatest standby against the ordinary
Japanese overseer I'd often be glad to take up a pick and
stretch my muscles. Our men can't see it but for us
to maintain a certain amount of dignity in the little
fellows eyes aids us in keeping conditions what they are.
On Wednesday last the ground on which the actual
shrine is to be erected was 'Purified'. The group Comdr &
down to Coy Comdr were directed by the Japanese to be in attendance.
We paraded @ 1400 hrs at JAPANESE HOUSE & at 1445 fell in and
marched out. On arrival at the near end of the bridge a sentry
halted us and we waited about 5 minutes before being allowed to
pass over & move up the ramp to the shrine site. On the first
landing two marquees were pitched and tables set. soldiers were

unwrapping glasses and our eyes popped a bit over some pails of red
drinks. I made a quick estimate of the number of glasses as
compared with those present & reckoned we were jake - It was
a vain hope. We led on and were fallen in facing two
more tents furnished for a religious ceremony. There were
about two platoons of Japanese in front of us one Pl
commanded by Shoie Ikusima and the whole by the [[Chuse/Chuee?]]
in charge of the works, and We were covered off and
dressed in their formation Our job was to conform to
their movements. They had 'Chortaki' and 'Asoromi' a few times
so we did that too and were finally at ''Asoromi' for about
10 minutes during which there was quite some movement up
the ramp and the three priests roamed round a bit. They were
dressed in white robes, something resembling Anglican clergy.
The [[Chuse/Chuee?]] then returned and through an interpreter passed
an order to us. They were to doff hats, bow, hat on, salute &
fade out the back way at the tent. Most extraordinary. We
carried out our instructions excepting that as xx to pass out
the back way was impracticable we went out down the ramp.
This took us past the banquet & to see them sampling the
stuff was rather a trial. Going down the ramp we passed
a senior officer coming up & as we were in single file he was
obliged to return quite a few salutes. As we [[?]]

lot i.e. [[?]] about late July and early August last
year. It is too bad of the Tokyo authorities to have kept
them so long and also to have prevented the regular
interchange of mail such as is allowed by all the other
belligerent powers.
At present I am in temporary Comd of "C" Coy, strength
340 odd all ranks. Capt Alf Lamacraft the Comd is
on 'no duty' with an outbreak of skin trouble on his toes.
Two toes are have become secondarily infected. I am
very pleased that this occasion happened as I feared that
any seniority next to Alf was not generally appreciated.
but I regret that during the week I have had the Comd.
so far these men have got them selves under close arrest for
black market trading and some others appear to be involved.
Two are already remanded for Summary of Evidence which
will probably lead to a Court Martial. One I dealt with 
summarily in Cp. Comd. Ord. Room this morning.
I attended a Dutch Concert on Thursday last. Dutch language
from start to finish so the words & dialogue were a bit
difficult to follow. The music however was in the main the
same popular airs we know and quite a number of the jokes
could be understood from the setting and actions.
We seem to be on the point of moving again. It appears fairly
certain that the hospital & Con Depot will move to [[G?]]
and the Garden Control people will remain hereabouts but
the issue for the remainder is clouded. Rumour says. Syme
Road Adam Rd Thompson Rd and [[Tampay?]] in [[?]]. which
if any, is right is the matter of the moment. I shall be
loath to leave behind the many comforts I have @ the moment.
Let me write down some of my blessings -
An iron bedstead, mattress, blanket, short mosquito net cupboard
table chair and plenty of room. Light and airy quarters on the

the bridge a sentry doubled across and trained us back way
past the ramp & I suppose out of sight. It appeared that
General [[Yarmasta?]] was coming over & had right of way. He had
about a section fore and aft as personal bodyguard. When he
was clear we were permitted to proceed and once again while
in single file on the temporary bridge passed a dignified
looking officer & he also was obliged to salute many times.
Nothing else hindered our return & we arrived back at our
houses rather mystified as to the reason why we should have
been invited or paraded, as the case may be, at all.
Monday 11 May.
Another mystery. At 0040 hrs this morning Alf Cough woke
me to say that our orders for today were to parade as usual.
draw rations but not to leave the house until further notice.
We dont mind the enforced holiday but we are very curious as to
whyfor etc.
Jon Lee had a spot of bother just now with Cameron.
He had just told the light duty men to carry on with their
work of cleaning up the house & he went in very bad grace & very soon we

be assisted and as country loves even its own
Gestapo. The Japanese are rather scared of their
own and to think that this Australian has given his
away to the enemy.
Last Saturday 5 men were sent out from Outtram
Road Gaol to Hospital. This as a result of our
petition after they sent us out the body of one man
who died there of starvation and filth and [[??]]. His
weight was about 5 Stone. These 5 men include
Sr Lt M^cAlister who was taken away with Maj Wyatt /(6)
and W Roberts (Red Cross) & our own L/Cpl McGregor.
No visitors are allowed but on Sunday I saw Mac. for
a moment. He is very thin - down to 7st 6 lbs which
makes him the heaviest of the 3 ofrs. He is covered with
skin disease and suffering from all sorts of vitamin
deficiency troubles. He has had a thin time during his
14 months solitary but I'm glad to say does not seem
to have lost his mental stability. He says [[?]] Dean
is all right tho' like the rest of them thin and suffering
from deficiency diseases and skin complaints. They
have all had beri-beri and dysentery and the usual
trouble of our more sheltered life.
Saturday 7 Aug 43  I saw L/Cpl McGregor again last Sun
& he has responded marvellously to treatment. He gained a
stone during that fortnight and his skin troubles are clearing
up satisfactorily. They are feeding him vitamins to the
limit of their ability. His diet includes chicken not had in
a POW Hospital.
More mail has arrived at the Gaol and a few have come over.
They all appear to be round about the same date as the last

heard a disparaging remark about 'Jenny Lee.' Dan
flounced round and demanded that he come outside and
say it again. Cameron agreed to do so. They went out
behind the trees and Dan says exchanged a few blows
& then talked it over Dan explaining that he saw no reason
why he should like those gratuitous insults which he certainly
wouldn't overlook under any other circumstances. I am pleased
with Dan & think his action did a lot of good.
Wednesday 18 May  More mysterious happenings. Yesterday
morning Alf Gough came down @ 0805 hrs to say that our
working party strength had been halved. We took that
number down to the area parade ground & were greeted on
arrival with a Japanese demand for the remainder. At lunch
time we were fallen in tools checked and all sent home.
There were various interesting happenings such as a runner
coming post haste with the order to cease work, chances
unsettlement among our overseers and the river craft were
dismantled, cleaned loaded and taken away. The outboard
motors were packed up, petrol loaded and we learned later
that the tools were steamed, greased, bundled and labelled.
Also we know that cases were requisitioned and the
Japanese did some packing. All very interesting & [[serious?]] work

Saturday 25 Jul 43.  Black market activities are
growing lately and the dealings are in items which
make the matter serious - medical drugs, M&B 693
tablets, medical and dental equipment, blankets
mosquito nets and other su_^ndry items. The stuff is
stolen mainly from B.G.H. not A.G.H. but a number
of our men are concerned in the ring on the handling
side. It is a bad business that men should seek
personal gain through the medium of stealing this
kind of thing when so many men depend for their
very lives and it is NOT replaceable. Capt Brian Kinder
(or Major Colonial Police, Malaya) is in charge of detection
and suppression and they have made various arrests -
men found in possession of microscopes & drugs. Of
course to prove their intention of selling these things to the
Japanese is difficult, but the standing order is that they
are not permitted to have any medical equipment in their
possession without declaring it. Yesterday a list of names
of A I F known to be in the game was published and
read on parade to warn any individuals who were just
wavering about trading or helping them and Kinder must
be pretty sure of them if he publishes their names as in
the racket. I believe it was quite farcical last night
with Kinder & his assistant trailing some operators through
the [[balang?]] gang cockatoos trailing Kinder and Kinders
men trailing the cockatoos. Quite a real set-up.
And another thing. Kinder met a Jap @ the corner of the
square the other day who said to him "Ha! Australia [[Q?]]
[[?]] that means 'Australian Gestapo'. so some one on the game
has pointed him out to his Jap. [[?]] racketeer as a man to

speculators. Now today work parties are manned but standing
by in houses. The only men going to work being 50 Eng. &
50 Aust. & the Capt carpenter & 5 carpenters. Those last
are reported to be nailing up packing cases. There are
stories of English arms & ammo being frantically dumped
in the harbour. Surely something has happened to [[?]]
their quiet occupation here.
Last Saturday Alf Cough went out to
Changi with a vehicle evacuating some sick men & reported
that the place is a [[?]]. Its true that the party of 3000
left here for an unknown destination overseas & the remainder
of our Bn except 52 was in the party (xA Force) Maj [[Luen?]]
was in Comd of our men. Officers remaining at Changi
are Tom Bunning, John Morrison, Ross Ambrose Eric
Wanley & Bernie O'Callinan. Eric's stump is out of plaster
& he's looking well. Unfortunately Alf did not see Tom
but he brought out a few wallets & things for the boys
generally. They were items left behind with cobbers and a
very few from kit bags. The kit bag situation was
bad. What the IJ.A did not take apparently our army
did. I had my good brown cloth jacket brought out for me
and that is the only item I received from two kit bags
& leather grip and a big trunk.

passed. The longest time is from lights out until
getting to sleep.
'K' Force left on Tuesday evening at 2130 hrs. It was
entirely medical totalling 20 MOs & 50 others. They went north
by train so far as is known. It would appear that all
is not as well as might be with the working parties up north.
Taken all in all this is as healthy a spot as could be
found in East Asia.
I had an unpleasant job this week. Major Backland
Capt Lamacraft & I sat in a district Court Martial
Major Phil Hoad was Judge Advocate Lieut [[Siel?]] was
Prosecutor. The accused were L/Cpl Wright of 2/6 Fd PL Coy
& Gnl Murdie 2/10 Fd Reg. Pte McDougall defended Wright
& a Sgt defended Murdie.
The latter was a badly prepared case for disobedience &
he was found NOT Guilty. The former pleaded Guilty
of a breach of sigs & got 28 days. - This includes cancellation
of his L/Cpl appointment & that carries POW pay.
Tuesday 12 July 43  There have been no changes lately & we are
fairly comfy still. Pay for June [[rec'd?]] from AIF HQ dropped
$3 all [[?]]. Capts $17.
Yesterday we had a good luncheon party -
6 Aust. & 6 [[?]] officers - at Smokey Joes. It was a curry
affair & it was good food and plenty. Naturally I
avoided the items that were curried.