Notebook of Avon Reah Smith-Ryan, 1942-1945

Wed 17 Jun 42 Fraser was off colour yesterday with a touch 

of fever (dengue) so I did his day for him. He's doing today &

tomorrow and in future we will work in these lines. Friday

is now the weekly holiday & I'll go out Sat. Mon. & Tues. & have Sun. Wed & Thur in - & Friday of course. Two days out

in a row is about enough [?] because we cover a lot of

cranky & the first hour of interpreting Japanese orders and

then getting 1000 men to work & trying to fix the individual

worries of the Coy Comds. is a bit exhausting. Our [?]

were amended again. Hirro Mishi is now 1230 - 1330 and

sagyo yarmay 1730. They have beaten us for the extra

hour but if we have to "put in" 7 lanes actually out there

these present times are perhaps the best. I wasn't too

pleased at Sato Shace giving our men to the Shanan

party. [?] it all we lived it up and took it out there

for our convenience in synchronising rest periods etc [?]

in the new location while it away suit the Shanan and

Hashi parties but in our doco job some parties at 

the far end can't have it. - particularly with cement [?]

and diesel rollers in action.

                                                  It seems pretty right that on Tuesday now

we will be able to go out to Mandai.

Thursday 18 Jun 42

So much for arrangements made with the Japanese

The permission for burial parties to go out tomorrow have

been withdrawn. Reason given is that the [?] Nakamoto is

away and Chue Matzuawa has no knowledge of the arrangement.

So we will not be going to Mandai tomorrow. The lads here

made 4 really neat crosses and Barrel & Whostin inscribed

the no., name, rank, unit & date really well in old English

characters & Hendle has stamped and 4 grave plates to attach

at ground level. They are naturally nearly done. Well I hope 

we can get out in the near future.

         March was down to return to Changi x 3 days ago.

but didn't [?] [?] off the list to go. He is still a mess of

pimply eruptions but in that regard, he was always afflicted

that way. Still he parades sick and the M.O says L.D & N.D.

        Bob L. seems fully over his [?] and should be able 

to give uninterrupted service as [?] [?] off. His clerical 

training helps him in keeping such detailed records as are

necessary.

       Ron L. is a Britain and is most reliable at this part

of [?] and he is easily my best man, not always appreciated

by the men but always by me.

Speculation as to our destination if we are moved at [?]

futile but I record a guess at Taiwan (Formosa).

I am going to Southern Area tomorrow to see Lt Col. Andre to try

to get a statement can filming Pen Deans 7 Ps [?] [?] [?] with

his 1 Bn Malayan Regt. I'll also try to meet a RAGH

Officer secretly arrived there having been shot down over Timor

on 22 Dec last. We are told he has fairly up to date news

of Australian conditions.

Thursday 11 Feb 43. Sunday last I went over to Southern Area and

had a half hour with Lt Col Andre. He told me the story of xxxx his Bn

dispositions, risk and action and the arrival and departure of our 7 Ps.

Pen Dean came in to him as the Ps story says and their actions 

tally with his story until the last day. (Sat). Lt. Col. Andre says that

when the enemy tanks attacked the carriers they went down. The first

carrier staffed at his H.Q., departed and then moved on to Hospital

with Ps & Malayan wounded. The remaining carrier came along

after them and drove straight past and he did not see them again.

 He also says that he did not instruct Pen to return to his own

unit but that they just disappeared.

I have also had a talk with Lt. Col. Pond CO ²/₂₉ Bn re the time on

Tuesday 10 Feb 42 when the Ps left ²/₂₉ Bn. He confirms the Ps story

and says that Pen Dean can be in no way censured for his actions

that night.

There was a big parade ordered for yesterday but was cancelled 

owing to very heavy rain for about 30 hrs. 15000 POW were

ordered to parade in Hospital Padang. Abt 5 to [?] 7000..

[?] was sick about 2130 hrs Tues and to rearrange duties to get

our quota on parade wasn't easy. Rob L. be 0700 and small 0715 -0815

which is still dark.  However twice during the night amendments came.

[?] and I have replanned our week and now

I take Mon & Tues. He has Wed & Thur., Fri is hard work and

I have Sat & he Sunday. It is a good schedule & gives a

good period of rest & more continuity of [?] on the job.

 

Sunday 21 Jan 42

         Don Lee has an attack of that crutch irritation and

had to come home from work yesterday. He is in today

& maybe for a day or so. Bad luck [?] I'm lucky in 

having Ian Pearson quite up to officer standard, indeed way

ahead of a lot of officers.

        The big thing at the moment is postcards to home.

We are to be permitted one card each and they are expected to

be made available in a few days. It is emphasised that it is

not a letter, only a card to say that one is held POW and in 

such and such a state of health. It has been one of our

main matters for concern that our people at home could

be saved a lot of worry if they could only know that we

are O.K. You see it is extremely doubtful that the casualty

 [?] has ever been dispatched home by the Japanese. When

it is published [?] a lot of people will hear that their men

are dead or missing which here means dead. But for the 30,000

prisoners it means relief from anxiety for our people..

 

will take some beating but I'm sure our men won't

disgrace the Bn. or themselves.

Major Gunthers Review put in an amusing account [?] of 

the jokes were either more funny than clean but were well told.

Our boys are doing fairly well at sport.  Cricket, hockey & 

Baseball - cricket is restricted to Coy matches only - a lack of gear 

a Boxing tournament finished last night. I'm told that the [?] have stopped any more on grounds that men haven't got the

necessary to replace energy expended. 

Things are rather glum at the moment. Ration food is rather

light and the mess is broke. Officers are all broke at present

Pay is due & hoped for daily. At present I haven't even tobacco

or money to buy any.

Java parties cannot work in the big garden now so AIF are

filling the demands. Apparently they are going further north.

I don't think we'll make any moves until our [?] are

completed. There are [?] of farther Working Parties into

Singapore. I would [?] go anywhere rather than stay here.

This place is just a gaol to me.

Saturday 6 Feb 43 Soon our first year here will be completed.

Added to the injections now being [held?]. (We had T.A. BI friday) is

further evidence of a more. The A.GA. is ordered by I.J.A for

dysentery tests. In batches of 2000. The investiture of the Order of

the Glass had as this best is called usually 

[?] a cure

or [?]. It gets that name from the fact that the test is made by

inserting a glass rod in the place one would expect. A [?] in a 

Japanese vessel isn't exactly the ideal trip @ this [?] as I

fancy Japanese [?] [?] find it difficult to energise their

Life Policies. Still any place can't [?] be [?] [?] Changi.

Glen landing is [earmarked?] to be active for as now.

I am very glad that the cards are coming and when I can

say that I'm as fit as a fiddle. I've had one or two

practice shots at drafting my card. Naturally there are 

many restrictions governing the cards and it is said that

block printed messages of great brevity being easily read at

a glance will pass on first so even at the [?] of only

saying I'm a P.O.W. and very fit I'll be terse to ensure mine

going in the earliest batch. We are wondering if the arrangement

is [?] and if cards will come from home to us.

Mail day! What a treat. Hardly bears contemplation in case

it doesn't happen. But I'd love to know that Grace 

was well and happy - mother too wasnt over well and

all of them how are they. Of course it would take weeks to

 write all that needs saying.

      Pineapples are quite plentiful lately at [?]. Such

Beauties too and today Don & I are having a shot at

making some jam. For a payment of boc we reckon 

we can make as much jam as would cost Y $3 at canteen.

More about this after the experiment.

Saturday 29 Jan 42

         Another week of much the same. Had a letter from Tom

at Changi.  He has only a few out there now and says that 1500

more have been ordered to standby for overseas but hes no knowledge of

who will comprise the party. 

 

Today was really amazing and this camp must be

truly unique as a P.O.W. Camp. All day 

[?] Reveille

to dusk the barrack square has resounded to the tramp

of marching feet, drums and bagpipes. - (Shades of the Gordon

Highlanders who occupied these Selarang Barracks as garrison

troops). After evening meal the ²/₁₈ & ²/₁₉ Bns held a memorial

service for their men lost at Muar. - ²/₂₉ Bn were also in this

action. A large march lack was arranged and wreaths laid.

Really if I were the Japanese Guard Comd. I would feel very

suspicious of all the parades held secretly particularly the

big Bde ceremonials. Still, if he doesn't stop them our G.O.C.

certainly keep up the good work.

The last footie match of the 'season' was played today.

Vic v the Rest. Vic won by 3 goals. Our Lou Daily won

a trophy for the best man on the ground. 

Wed. 3 Feb 43 The 27 Bde Review came off as arranged. A most

amazing show. The drill, marching & steadiness was a credit to

them and the 'Advance in Review Order well done. Lt. Col.

Gallaghan took the salute and at his base flew a huge

Union Jack - Truly amazing.

The inoculations are progressing - We've had Dysentery 1 & 2 and now have to receive T.A.B 1 & 2. The needles are only few and are

becoming rather dull.

Health generally is not good and men [?] up very easily.

The eye trouble is, if anything, gaining.  All our troubles are

vitamin deficiencies.

Tomorrow is the Coy drill competition. Capt. Jack Hill is Comd.

the 2/4 Coy - which is a dream from the whole Bn. The Inf. Bns.

 

1 Feb 43 Broadcast messages over Jap radio today 20 words - each word

out & [?] refs 40 words [?] first

 

There is no sign of the post cards for home yet. We

wish that they would [?] after so that we can assure 

them of our own good health etc.  [?] [?] reference to the

cards I fancy that they must have had theirs.

      Lam also told me that Pen Dean and Mc Gregor are

doing 2 years in Singapore Gaol and from information sent are

till now in solitary - sounds rather a glum prospect.  War news

lately isn't so good with Tobruk said to have fallen. An

increase in aerial activity sound [?] lately seems more encouraging,

and hints that they may be expecting something. From the 23rd we

have been under a blackout. It's a nuisance having reveille 

in the dark and the evenings aren't so good with nothing to do.

Fri 3 July 42 Today's holiday is in name only. Working parties 

of almost normal strength are out on various jobs. For instance

while Satos land party is reduced to 300 with parties of 200 &

150 are on special tasks so that the total is the usual 650.

I went out to help Sato by marshalling the Coys and sending

them off as desired and then told him I'd take my holiday.

He seemed grateful to have that part fixed up and had no

objection to my retiring.

     Yesterday [?] Parry sent for me to warm me that 

Capt Roberts would probably move with 27 Bn Party [?]

The previous night (Thursday) our Bde Comd and his Bn.

(LtCol. Leggett & Major Campbell) dined with us. Both these

Officers are from ²/₄₀ Bn captured in Timor where they went

from Darwin while we were at Adelaide River. 

There is terrific activity on the Barrack Square of late.

The 27 Bde are building up for a [?] parade. Coys have

been doing [?] & Coy Drill and then the three Bns ²/₂₆, ²/₂₉ & ²/₃₀ have

rehearsed their Bn Drill. Today they had a Bde rehearsal which 

is to be repeated tomorrow and the big do on Tuesday.

No doubt our Bde will have a stab at it later. For a week

27 Bde has been relieved of duties which our boys have carried

out. It has meant no men off duty any day but they owe us a rotation for it.

The Java parties have continued their move to Bangkok and that

 party which included Caps. Jack Nands and our 3 'B' Coy men

from Fremantle, Carter, Hunter & Robinson has gone on. Some

more Dutch troops have come in.

We are to have injections against Dysentery and Typhoid. One half

of the Coy had their first yesterday - remainder tomorrow. 

There are four injections altogether. I felt absolutely no effects

from my own injection. Serum is supplied by the Japanese.

This seems to point to our ultimate move to French Indo-China

or Thailand. One lad today told me that a Japanese had tried

to sell him a [?] ($5) saying he'd need it when he went 

to Formosa.

In the way of sport, footie has been ended out - too many  

accidents & X-Ray plates are scarce as are anaesthetics which

must be [?] for sickness and unavoidable accidents.

Cricket is also out - no gear. We are [?] [?] with more

Baseball & Basketball - the latter is very popular.