Notebook of Avon Reah Smith-Ryan, 1942-1945

This morning I went out with Gordon Barton and saw some of our
'B' Coy men from No 3 Camp - Davy, Ward, Wade, Outtrim & Cowie.
They say they are fairly fit generally over there and not much

Beri-beri. Perhaps our extra mouths in our working parties, when

food was scarce and work hard  has told against us.

Tues 24 Aug '42 My excuse for so long a lapse is that there has been
scarcely anything worthy of note happening.

I had the Bn officer's enthused up over forming

a Mess. They were to have moved into one of Geo. Horder's Houses

last Friday, but on advice from the B. M. (Major Parry) I postponed
it one week. The Japanese who are in charge of us at the moment
are packing up & are moving on. Some P.o.W Administrators are
taking over our maintenance.  Rumour is rife and is divided
fairly evenly between our staying here and returning to CHANGI.
Allegedly inside news has it that the Municipal Authorities
want this house area back again and all the working parties
are to return to CHANGI until a central camp can be established
to accomodate them all near their work.  It is now Tuesday
& still nothing can be ascertained at all reliable
Tamura Butai are going to Kuala Lumpur where we
believe Japanese Malayan HQ is.  Sato told me that yesterday
& gave me his address saying he'd like to hear from f me after
the war.  He & Hashimoto are two Japanese with whom I could be
friendly..
I am not conscious of being a huge success as a Bn
Comd.  Still 'A' Bn is comd by a Lt Col with 4 Majors as Coy Comds.

It was'nt anywhere near the Regulation 4% - It would have
required the entire space for latrines.  Urinals also were
in sufficient and one just took his place in the queue and
waited his turn.  I'm told that in many cases after waiting a
half hour in the queue they had just to walk away with nothing
accomplished.  How such a situation could exist on the liquid
consumed on 100% rice meals I cannot appreciate.  Looking
back they all regard the matter as just an experience but I fancy
that at the time it was rather unenviable. The number of
troops per square foot showed a greater density than at the
infamous 'Black Hole of Calcutta and the concentration was
of longer duration. To balance this was the fact of it being
in the open & no worry of suffocation. The IJA mounted
machine guns at each corner of the Square and established the
Guard in the clock tower building. Sihks patrolled the
perimeter and on occasions there were incidents between our
men and the patrols.  Lt Col Gallaghen, Officer Commanding
A.I.F. Malaya was called to Changi Gaol to witness the
execution of two Australians held there for attempted escape.
The execution was done by a Sihk firing squad who did not
show very good marksmanship - very poor in fact.  Morale during
the time was excellent among our men and the GOC. feels
that the incident did more in this regard than any amount
of pep. talks.  Taken on the whole I'm not sorry to have
been away from Changi at the time.
Entertainments are good here.  I saw a performance of
'Cinderella' on New Year's night which was first rate.  I'm
told they are all on this plane.  There are several different

With the merging of the Bns. the 13 officers coming into 'B'
Bn. have joined that Bns mess and I have come from
Camp H.Q. into residence too. We are reasonably placed &
fare quite well. - & hope to do better
Pay is very uncertain again.  Officers are struck
off the pay roll as from 24 July Aug. & we are all broke
by now.  There is a new scale out for the O/Rs too and
they are in arrears with their pay but at least know they
have some coming.
The latest for officers is that a scale will be
paid as follows - 2^nd Lieut $70 per month, 1^st Lieut $80 and
Capts $100.  From this will be deducted at source $50 per
month for food & clothing, $10 per month will be paid to us
to spend and the remainder kept for us on release.  We
do not know whether this amount is recoverable from the
Aust. Govt thro' our pay books or what at the moment.
There was a terrific shemozzle out at Changi -
seems to be clearing up now.  The Japanese presented a
form, to be signed voluntarily by each man in which he
swore on his honour NOT to attempt to escape.  The Senior
Officers at Changi, Lt. Col. Holmes (C.O. Manchesters - a M.G. Unit)
ordered that no one would do such a thing and informed the
Japanese Guard that it was against the usage of war to ask
for such a form to be signed and that anyway our regs.

we are almost shaken down now in our present Barracks
and the worst is over.  Our kitchen and other domestic
facilities need quite some adjustment yet but they are
coming right.  Water is poor and CRE has promised to
do something in that regard.
The Officers left rather commodious quarters @ NAAFI
and are not so well off here.  We have a corner of
the top floor and will I think shake down well enough
The NC.O. position is most unsatisfactory.  In accordance
with instructions all acting ranks appointed by us
during working Parties were reverted immediately on arrival
here only to find that the same clear understanding
had not been made to acting appointees here. It is
bad luck for those who will have to lose their Sgts Mess
privelege but as we cannot carry them now, and it
would be unfair to those who I have reverted to leave them
I must place them all, once again on their correct
substantive rank
Tomorrow I am going to Records to inspect the cards 103
to gather such inf. as I can from them.
The New Year was welcomed in the NAAFI quarters.
The I.J.A. gave us a fairly liberal ration of rum (local brew)
10 men to a bottle which means a good sized nip.  It was
actually brown coloured samsu and fairly potent.  We kept
ours till midnight and did the right thing by 1943.

forbade the action indeed demanding that a P.O.W. escape if
opportunity offered.  The Japanese then ordered that all men
at Changi be concentrated at Selarang Barracks Square.
20,000 in the area planned for a Bn of Regulars.  The Gordons
had occupied the Barracks during peacetime.  We are NOT certain
what happened to the sick in Roberts Barracks but understand
that they had NOT actually moved but were under threat to go in too.
With that terrific mass of men disease was certain and we
are told that in the two days they were there dysentry & diphtheria
were gaining. They Japanese then made it an order that we sign
in order that we they could return to our their previous quarters and food
would be delivered.  So the command has been issued by Malaya
Comd. to sign under compulsion by I.J.A.
A consignment of comfort has arrived from
South Africa & works out at about 1 lb Jam, 1 lb Maize flour,
1 lb Capricorn & a few ozs. of Vit. A & C. caramels. Quite handy.
I wonder when the Japanese will arrange for mails and parcels
from Aust.
Tuesday 15 Sept 42
The 'Prisoners NOT to attempt escape' forms were given
to this camp for signature two days ago. Lt Col Oakes issued an order
to all ranks instructing us to sign on his responsibility. A copy of
this order and a specimen of the Japanese form is at the back of this
book. We wonder what advantage they hope to gain from such a
promise signed under pressure.
Today is seven Calender months. There was some
peculiar talk a month ago that certain changes would come about
in internment conditions particularly relating to civilians. It was

With so many troops now here Div. has rearranged the
grouping and now they are 22 Bn - 18 19 20 & 2/4 MG Bns under
Lt Col Leggett (ex 40 Bn) 27 Bde 26 29 30 Bns under Lt Col Cappy
(ex Div Sigs) L of C Gp. AASC., M.T. & Ordnance under Lt Col Jeta
(ex GBD) and Technical Gp - Sigs. Eng. & Arty under Lt Col McEachern
(ex Arty). This regrouping meant re allotment of acm and
we moved to Blg 3 on the Barrack Square occupying the 2
top floors - 18 Bn troops having the ground floor. I allotted
Coy space and somehow they managed to get in but are very
crowded and are not as well off as in our first barracks.
By comparison with the acm.. had by the Gordons who were
here as garrison troops before the war we have over 600 men
where they had 40.  Of course those 40 were amazingly
comfortable.
Our Unit postings are Major Cough in Comd.  Capt Smith Ryan 2 I/c
Lieut Walton, Adj. with Capts Gwynne, Odlum and Hill
comd. 1 2 & 3 Coys resp.  1 Coy is our C & D Coy men, 2 Coy
H.Q. & Reinforcements & 3 Coy. A & B men.
Subalterns are xx 1 Coy Wedge and Mentiplay, 2 Coy Branson &
O'Sullivan, & 3 Coy Lee & Learmonth & now MacKinnon who
returned from AGH yesterday. - Ross Ambrose is doing
duty as Hygiene Off & Off Mess Sec & Canteen Purchases.
Colin Vincent (2/29 Bn) who was with us posted to 1 Coy has been
recalled to his Unit.
W.O. Hewby is acting as RSM and W.O. Bell RQMS
Two Bn moves in one week is a bit rough on the Bn 2 I/c but

'D' Bn has a Lt. Col as C.O. & 'C' has a Major as C.O. so perhaps its
a trifle presumptuous to expect to head them off. 
Wed. 9 Sept 42  A few things have happened lately.  A new Japanese
control has taken over.  As usual they seemed anxious to do all
they could for our well being but equally as usual that is not
borne out by their actions.  We have been deprived of the
hutted area  South of Adam Road and the 22 Bde Troops
had to be absorbed into Adam Park.  It meant a squeezing
in to provide houses for them.  Lt Col. Oakes decided to reduce
his AI..F Bns to two each of about 900 all ranks & as a
result the 243 Sigs went from me to Lt Col Robertson and
the remainder M.G.s & K. & L. went to Major Cough's 'B' Bn. I went
to him as Bn 2 I/c & the old 'D' Bn is now known as 'C' Bn.
We understand that the other small camps dotted around
are coming in here or into Camp 2 on Syme Road.
The whole area is being wired in (by ourselves)
the boundaries being Adam Rd Syme Rd then along the North
side of the Air Force Camp, then skirting around our house
area and the 'A' Bn huts to Adam Road.  It looks like
becoming a second Changi hub so long as the Japanese
keep providing work for us the better off we will be.
My late Bn had established its Officers' Mess
& they were comfy. & it showed promise of being happy.  

No extension of 'lights out was allowed but I'm sure that
no one was in bed till the New Year had arrived.  The barrack
square was fairly noisy
Wed 6 Jan 43.  I spent this afternoon at 'Records' and dug out
a lot of inf. regarding our N.C.Os. I'm glad to say that
almost all of them show as 'confirmed'. Any recommendations
sent in between 15 Feb. and 23 Sep when the 'Parole' trouble
was on have been listed and the papers and lists buried in
pitch sealed tins for safety until after release and are
not available for inspection which leaves a lot of matters
in doubt. Matters since then were available to me. There
seems a fair possibility of sorting at least our Coy affairs
into reasonable shape.
Since returning we have heard details of the trouble on
23 Sep. last over the Parole episode. It is substantially as
we had heard at Adam Park.  16000 were herded into Selarang
Barrack Square.  The hospital patients were not brought over
but the threat was made to do so. No food was delivered during
the 3 days they were here.  In telling the story after this time
there are many laughs over such things as some Englishman arriving
with his flock of ducks & another leading a string of goats. Establishment
of kitchens to prepare such food as was brought in from reserve
stocks. This was all AIF rice as the English Units from Southern
Area could not get theirs over in the time allowed. Hygiene the
main problem was under Major Carl Gunther. He spitlocked out
many banks of latrines the mounds of which lie now in serried
ranks in the middle of the Square. Work was started on them
and continued over the 24 hr. shifts until sufficient had been dug

stated that a six months period of punishment had expired & conditions
would be eased. There has been no outward signx of this yet.
The Syonan Times made reference to our AIF Casualty
lists.  The Minister in Aust was reported to have informed the
Public that the lists of Malaya & Hong Kong etc. would be these only
& people were not to be alarmed by regarding them as new casualties.
With the new adm. taking us over a parade & count at
all camps was ordered.  We had a practise parade & were
correct. Next day the big shot came but the whole parade
had to be run another way, & tho' we were on parade from
1500 hrs till 2030 hrs when it got too dark to count
they hadnt got the right answer so we paraded again
next morning when they finally decided that all were correct.
Padre Andrews conducted a memorial service. A
cross was erected on the Chapel tennis court and Units &
individuals were invited to lay wreaths at the conclusion.
some 50 tributes were brought. The fragrance of frangipani
hung around that place for days.
Two more deaths occured in our hospital yesterday -
both dysentery cases from 9 Coast. Our little graveyard is
growing. We are told that the Changi POW cemetery has
quite a number of crosses now.
On Sunday last I went out with the ration party.
We went first to the Japanese AS.C. near Bukit Timah. One
party was going to Kranji for rice & one to Singapore for
vegetables.  I went with the veg.  We drove round the quays &
almost to the docks & into a lane (5 trucks).  The place was
teeming with natives & a Chinese veg market was quite

To get our packing of Coy & Bn Stores completed was a
bit awkward but we made our starting point at the Japanese
Guard House at 1130 as ordered and then waited until 15 1445 hrs
before getting away.  Individuel lunches had been prepared for the
road but were naturally consumed at the S.P.
The movement was as follows. - 45 to a 3 ton truck with such gear
as they intended carrying and we were transported to Geylang
Village & then put down to march the last 8 miles.  Our Kit bags &
bed rolls were brought out by truck.  The actual march wasn't
too bad.  I carried a well filled pack of really essential gear, thus
ensuring that at least that much arrived safely. Luckily all my gear
came along including my iron stretcher bed. I was just in time
to rescue it p at this end as a cove was in the act of taking it
away with his gear when I arrived on the scene. Most of our
dixies & small cooking gear fetched up. Some was lifted by other
Units here but we got most of it.
Bn. strength here now is 430 all ranks with 10 in the I.J.A. gardening
party & 4 on Forestry (firewood) Tom Bunning is still on gardens.
Geo. Gwynne's party which had been at Caldicot returned from
River Valley Road where they had been at the end bringing with them
Ross Ambrose & his small party. The men with Bert Saggers of course
returned with us from Sime Road.  Thus with all the other small
Camps in too, all the AIF are now back in Changi.
The place is still as unattractive as before but at least it is
a change to be back in the centre of things again
We occupied the NAAFI Building at first and were under 22/27 Bde Gp
(Lt Col Cappy) for Adm.