Notebook of Avon Reah Smith-Ryan, 1942-1945

Wed 20 May 42  We are still idle and its a good rest. Yesterday

I only asked the Coy to have morning roll call & daily cleaning

of house & grounds. Every body had a good loaf and they

certainly needed it. I was quite content to [[? ?]] about

and read or talk. Laddy again is the same but I am not

yet afraid that Satan will find work for their idle hands
 maybe in a day or two a spot of restlessness will creep

in. A few of our B Coy over from the Thompson [[?]] camp

came over and were pumped dry of news. It seems that

quite a smell surrounds the Kit Bag business and there

seems no doubt that our own men handling them did as

dirt. They tell us that wallets, watches, fountain pens and

such articles were actually enclosed. It is stated that as

the [[?range]] developed it was 'all in' and one comment was

that Chicago had nothing in change at that stage. To effect

on the mortality of such hysteria and the amount of staff

that I personally have lost is sickening.

There is still no explanation of the present

situation, our secret 'overseers' here certainly departed a in

a hurry too and our present guards are guards only.

The conflict removed of two boats etc makes it

hard to see how more second work can be combined.

 

 

well attended. There are about 100 AIF officers at

present here & I think they all attended British

officers can go on invitation. The place is nicely

laid out & arranged of flowers. Jack [[?woods]]

orchestra play for us - they are all professional and the

guest artist & 'artistes' are well known and good.

Smokey Joe's (a band was officially recognised and

managed by an officer from each of AIF, 18 Div

Southern Area & Dutch [[soldiers]] for the boys needs for

a command div. They too have music & artists

Smokey Joe's was originally a seal dive on the main

Changi Road - 18 Div run by a Dutchman with business

acumen. When. after H Force they all came to [[Solarang?]]

he had gone but the business was set up again in

the Square. Now as a big concern they have the RAAFF

blg. & fill a real need I like their soup @ 1200 hts.

Pay was in account by about 33^1/3%for May. As from

1 Jan Red Cross are taking over Hospital rations & thus

we got our raise. Capts. pay increased from $15 to $20

It makes a big difference.

Friday 18 Jan 43. Bev's birthday. Many happy returns Bev.

I wonder how life in the Bank goes these days. Plenty to

harrass I should imagine. possibly Bev has a branch by

now.

Sunday 27 Jan 43. There isnt much to vary the even tenor of

our ways, but as we have now 320 troops in our group

[[?e's]] enough to keep us jogging and time doesnt drag over

much. A good measure debating at the club each Saturday,

an entertaining concert at A.I.F. or Palladina Theatre's

about weekly - a game of cards or chess and most messages are

 

what would we give for a constant supply of real quarantine

news.

over the past few days I have spent most of my

few remaining dollars on honey and marmalade. The honey

is some Australian with [[ca?]] in it & some Californian Sage

[[honey?]]. Both jolly good and the marmalade is honest to God

Paisley and a dream. So my suppliers could hardly inform

me. A fresh loaf of bread (too) toasted with butter & marmalade.

All three the best. - flour is beaut [[ ? ?]] butter

with toast and the marmalade. It could only be bettered

by the company in which it is eaten. Thats not meant to

be made to sound [[?]] but I'll bet that we'd [[?]] [[?]]

enough my company for his fiance's

Thurs 21 May 42 An amazing thing last night at tea. Some of

the lads had a poultry stew. The main ingredient was a

couple of sparrows & those that who had some rated it a huge

success. They certainly were entitled to be at least a little [[?]]

in its [[favour]] because they had shot them down with a shanghai -

no mean performance. Result today several shooting parties

are out.

The [[?Bol]] is perturbed and is now charging

out of our house which are this house over and so

 

it is thought that Malayan Comd. furious and

as a result the party is indefinitely postponed.

Before the date fixed for H. Force, J force into

an [[?]] gas including 300 AIF (10 off [[?]])

& they left yesterday afternoon for overseas. It is

said that their destination is Japan.

I am gaining on the eye merchant and am now a

3 a classification or perhaps Comd. ordered a selection

to get more officers available for work. I mean work 

for me now pull  [[sand?]] trailers, [[cut]] &[[subtrack?]] in the

IJA a harder as well as do our own [[?]] house &

hygiene chores

Thursday 28 May 42 many happy returns of today to [[Winn?]]

I have moved again.  Last [[?]] I was ordered by

"C" [[Cap]] as no [[?]] officer was there. "C" [[Cap]] cautioning all

the remnants of 22& 29 [[B?]] and [[??]] personnel with

a [[strength]] of [[officer 200]] They are mainly unfit but

nevertheless [[provide?]] [[??]] Garden marking Parties & had

jobs as well as domestic maintenance & [[??]]

I have just come off guard on the 'Ward' Gate @ the Malay

School - a Captains Guard of 1Capt 1Cpl 4[[?]] -

rather rich.  The [[?]] stress accepted the [[ward]] position

of our old [[?]] mess on the Barrack Square but [[there is??]]

now plenty of room& [[?]]and we have the [[?]]

or [[??????]] next door. I am 

very comfortable.

Monday 7 [[?]]⁠ Life moves along very [[?]] and

there is hardly an item worthy of [[accounting]] our officers

Club has been organised as a [[Cp]] mess Blg. We have

had a couple of pleasant musical nights which were

 

doubt he has some cause for concern He [[puts?his]]

case continually on the officers. We are doing and will do

our best to keep [[?]] steady but is [[my?guess?]]

[[?]] his [[ straying]] will creep in again. It causes [[lads?]]

an [[??]] to find that the new camp and the English

camp do not seem to be suffering the same [[?]]

to the same extent as our own camp.

[[??]]abound some days with him but

naturally nothing can be substantiated and we can

only bite our fingernails and wait which is the hardest

part of all.

Thursday Friday 22 May 42 As a P.O.W camp this must be hard

to beat. Ore surroundings are really delightful and its

easy to picture the pleasant life led by the occupant of

these houses under the [[? ?]] when Singapore 

was a bright jewel in our [[crown?]]. They are [[?]]

Houses and well built. take the one Im occupying at

present for instance - well built and very warm [[??]]

ornate windows which open a