Notebook of Avon Reah Smith-Ryan, 1942-1945

On the Tuesday evening about 1830 we set out on the march to
Changi arriving there about 0300 next morning. It was a long
weary hike carrying everything we could. At the Padang I had
scrounged among old gun pits and fairly successfully & had a blanket,
groundsheet, some clothes, soap, a hotel holdall well stocked with
tooth paste, & a razor and blades, a water bottle & a few other [[wants?]], and
several cakes of soap. Some food had come in to the area and
we all took some with us. I was up to capacity load. Passing
through the swamps the fire flies presented a really unforgettable
sight - simply beautiful.
At the 'Arty Square' we found tea awaiting us
and it was most welcome. We then slept on the grass and in
the morning moved to our house. The Bn had 3 houses and were
able to fit in fairly well - about 260 in our house. As time went
by we knocked up beds and bunks etc. and some of the men
built huts in the yards thus easing the pressure.  Each PL built
a mess hut and the shambles of a set meal time was overcome.
There were are no sanitary or washing facilities which was
serious. The anti-malarial drains provided our only water supply
so wells had to be dug quickly for washing and all drinking water
was carted. After a while they cut off the carts and we had

Various rearrangements continued to be made in the
numbers going to the 'drome at the different times.  Some
officers are in comd. of the troops in Groups according to
fitness and they parade them for us - we take them over @ 
the R.V. The Dutch Staff Officers are Capt Duursma and
Marine Lieut Kaab.   (F. Duursma, Capt Inf^ie } c/- Dept of War
                                      Badaan N45, Mageland} Bandoeng Java
                                       or c/- Dept of Colonies, The Hague, Holland.
Others are Capt de Vries, Capt Lts Kros, de Raadt,
Weygand, La Pré, Silvis Sweep and others.
I would enjoy meeting them again ain Java or maybe Holland
after the war.
Having seen the inside of the newest Gaol in the East I am glad
I'm not living in its grim interior and feel very sorry indeed
for the Civil Internees especially the women and children who
had spent almost 2½ years in there. I'm told that they
marched out when they left for Sime Rd in good spirits -
particularly the women. Troops are moving through Singapore,
from Java and from up country. It is a good sign that the
I.J.A. find it necessary to move them away from Java and
from Thailand.
Thursday 13 Jul 44  The Camp Hospital has been here for some
time & Selarang sees us no more.  Chinese tradesmen are
working on some of the buildings - cleaning, whitewashing and
building in sleeping benches.
We are all completely settled in here now. The big 100 metre
huts are unusual but house plenty of troops.
'Drome work still goes on - 1400 men and another 100 go out
tomorrow. The I.J.A. have asked for 600 more, but as 400 more
are to to the Central Gardens and 200 are to join the party @ 

to rely on our wells. Salt was missing from our ration scale so
we carried salt water from the sea about 1 mile away. We
had endless trouble with our latrines too. They were dug very deep
but when the rains came they filled up and the smell became
bad and risk of flies dangerous. When we left to come xxx to
Johore the matter was almost in hand & successful fly traps were
functioning. There were many sicknesses & the dietetic dysentiry caused
the main worry. It certainly dragged the men down physically &
they couldn't recover on the food provided.
Our Bn. had the most successful garden plots tho'
we didn't remain long enough to get the benefits. Troops met
latter later say that they flourished and many a green meal came
from them. Colin Cameron led our gardeners. We had a big
patch across the Sungei as well as big patches in the house
grounds. Mainly sweet potato tapioca & Kang Kong all of which
produce good green crops.
A lot of work was put into the education scheme and
practically every subject was on the syllabus - from elementary
grammar & arithmetic to accountancy, navigation & literary subjects
& almost any language. 

of the Aerodrome Parties is one of the best - same Majors,
all of whom so far have avoided outside jobs. May have a
stab at trying for it. Freddy Hore, I noticed, kept his
malaria afloat until he found out what sort of a job it was
and how the Japs were.
I am at present sharing a flat with Capts. John Dillon and
Bill Harper and am very comfortable indeed. It will only last
a few more days because even if we weren't moving our roof has
to go.
Doug Hall 8 PL (WX 10370 Pte D.C.J. Hall) died on 21 May 44. He
came back with H Force to Sime Rd. and was evacuated to A.G.H
soon after. He had an operation for kidney abscess and since has
had two more ops. for abscess in the hip. He is just a skeleton
and his M.O. Major Bert Nairn told me that his P.M showed
he had many more abscesses forming in his insides.
The P.M report is as follows
Cause of Death 1. Septic Thrombosis Rt. Iliac Vein
                              2. Pyaemia
PM held @ AGH 21 May 44
Reference Personal effects. Pte Hall left none whatever No pay book
Friday 9 Jun 44  All excepting the local hospital are now @ the
Gaol - the main Hospital having gone to Kranji (Woodlands) while
the local hospital is at present @ Selarang Square i Rumour says
it moves here on 15^th inst. Most troops ^(4000) are inside the Gaol and
the remainder and all officers are in crabe lines and huts erected
round about. The Ground Levelling officers are quartered in tiny
huts and are fairly comfortable. British officers are in one hut
& the Aust & Dutch in the other. I rather enjoy the company of the
Dutch Allies - and I'm taking the opportunity to brush up again
on my Malay. 

All units had concert parties and they made the
lightless nights more bearable. Though the evenings weren't
too bad - delightful moons & all that. We lived on
rumours, some based on fact & some plain imagination.
Hope must really spring eternal - it seemed from rumours
that right from the day we went down all other theatres
came good.  I think the champion rumour was that
Kingsford Smith was a Marshall in the Jap Air Force. When
one recalls that he came down on the Malayan Coast it has
a touch of genius. Each evening we would go our respective
ways in search of news & after Lights out tell our tales
to each other. Archie Thomas then acted as debunker.
The whole P.oW area was wired in and then the AIF
portion wired in again. . . This didn't stop men going out
buying & each night the black market did a thriving
business. Various men were beaten up when caught.
outside & some who went too far were shot.
Pen Dean decided to attempt escape and took
Pte McGregor with him.  They faded one wet night after
some preparation. I believe they had a boat for crossing
the straits & intended going up the East Coast some distance
before crossing over to the West Coast & trying for Burma etc.
However we found out at Adam Park that they were captured
some 70 miles up and are doing 2 years in Singapore Gaol. They
could easily have been shot. 

follows - 1 Lt Col - 2000 O/Rs, 1 Maj - 500 O/Rs 1 Capt or Lieut 100 O/Rs
and remainder to be segregated. - These 'Centurions' are for
supervision only and admin is to be done by Warrant and
Senior N.C. Officers. Our troops are to come under Lt Col. Jeaters
2000 O/Rs - 25 of them have gone already.
Officers are to continue to go to the aerodrome and these
officers - English Aust & Dutch are to live together, and we
think the "Garden Control' will remain intact.
May 23 - 44  Many happy returns of today, Mina.
The move is in full swing - trailers have been going back and
fore for days & I believe it's all to be completed by the 30 May.
Many reshuffles are necessary as huts come down for removal
Pen Dean came out from Outram Rd Gaol on 18 May - the
exact date at the end of his 2 years. He is at Changi Gaol and
those who have seen him say he looks quite fit - about the same
as any of us. He has done a very good job to get over the hard
trials of the early days in there and pick up and come out here
to go straight to lines without even a day in hospital.
A special cell had been prepared with a bed, sheets mat etc.
for a distinguished high ranking prisoner and Pen was put in
there for his first night.
The Aerodrome work has been rearranged and now parties work
in shifts 0800 - 1400, 1400 - 2000 with others on the 0830 - 1730 shift.
There are 4 Control Parties 2 Brit & 2 Aust - I command one of
the Aust shifts alternating with Maj Freddy Hore. Capt. Des
Kearney (2/30) comes out w/e me. There have been several
attempts to oust me from my post as Control Officer but so far
unsuccessfully. Some of these actions are very underhand.
To have a job of some sort is desirable when we are all moved
to the Gaol and there is some angling for them - and Control Off 

The total time spent at Changi was only 6 weeks but it seemed
an age and even in retrospect the figures as given by the
calender are scarcely believable. This comment is written
at Syme Road Camp and after 6 months out on Working Party
most of which was spent in Adam Park that period at Changi
seems to have been almost interminable by comparison. 

It has obviously come as a surprise order to the local
I.J.A. Comd. because his rearrangement of Selarang is only
just under way. Some huts in G & W area have been re-erected
in No 1 area, others are in a state of coming down & the view-proof
fence is only partially completed.  All this is to stop
and all huts are to go to be re-erected @ the Gaol - the I.J.A. to
provide more material for building others as well.  Further we
are told to transport to there everything we want from here as the
place is to be demolished.  There is much speculation as to the
reason for all this, but it surely must be regarded as a favour-
able development from our viewpoint, even if the immediate effect
means some discomfort and a lot of work.
Tues 3 May 44.  There is more mail in and I rec'd one, as a
birthday present from Mother.  It is 18 months old - Nov 42
My mouth is still very sore with this Pellagra trouble but I
celebrated the day with a Cigar.
The change over of Civilians at Changi and P.W (H Force mainly)
@ Sime Rd has taken place
I forgot to write that the sick of 'F' Force left @ Kanburi in
Thailand have arrived here and look splendid.  Food is
plentiful and cheap up there and three months of lazing and
stuffing with eggs etc have given them a shiny healthy look -
especially the officers.
The Sime Rd people too are in fairly good condition  Most
of the officers have moved from the Gaol to here to make room
for troop movement from here to there - some thousands have
already gone. (not 'drome workers)
The general lay out is that officers will be posted to troops as

has been erected about 10 feet high.  The upper 5 feet is
screened with atap and a token run of [[Dannert?]] is @
ground level.  He has also put in a drive regarding lay out
in quarters, pictures on the walls,  Coy offices and such like
matters and now words of command are to given in Japanese
language - and all ranks are to be taught to use them. - no
mean task.
Movement between areas has been restricted but is still
reasonable and so far our concerts have not been
interfered with.
I hope that this new man will ultimately prove a blessing
because he will, most likely, be just as strict with his own

administration as he is with us and thus preventing the
usual squeeze etc. which rumour has it is the prerogative
of I.J.A Comds.
Food is becoming rather a problem lately and has been reduced.
If we demur about providing any working parties demanded
they always hold over us the threat of further reductions.
We hope that after Gen Saito has worked his will on us in
the way of discipline he may organise a diet of better
balance and filling capacity.
At present I am suffering with a bad tongue and mouth
and lips. - a form of pelagra.  It is most inconvenient always
and at time painful - caused by a deficiency of some vitamin
or other.  Our only three pleasures - eating, smoking and talking
are at present denied me.
1 May 44.  The plot develops.  Of a sudden Gen Saito's plans are
changed.  The civilian internees in Changi Gaol are to move to
Sime Road camp and all P.Ws are to congregate @ the Gaol. 

Group.  They are happy with 2/29 Bn. and the men here with
"C" Gp are with the 2/26 & 2/29 men and content.  In addition
I would like to work with Lt Col Pond myself.
The 'drome work continues and advances slowly.  Only
over the past few days have E Gp been called on for
any work and that only @ the Central Gardens.
I saw a fairly good show @ the Phoenix Theatre (Command)
'Roman Rackets'.  The present A.I.F. show is very good and
I have seen it twice.  'Hay Fever' is playing @ the
N.AAF.I. and is said to be exceptionally good.  Our
alotment has not yet come to hand
Sunday 17 Apr 44.  The regrouping of the A.I.F. to blend 'F' Force
into the rest of the camp and to group members of Units together
has after several false starts taken place - on Fri 31 Mar 44.
and I have finished up with the Lieut MacKinnon and forty
of our men with the 2/29 Bn.  We form 'A' Bn of No 2 Group.
Our Gp Comd is Lt Col. F Pond.
P.oW. here are now under comd. of a new General - one Maj. Gen.
Saito who as Col Saito recently had Comd. of Po.W on Sumatra.
He is a very strict disciplinarian and is already making his
presence felt strongly.  The day after our regrouping move
he told us we were to move out of all houses and huts to West East
of 'Hospital' road.  The huts to be moved West.  It would have
been nicer had he told us of this before our regrouping.  That
road is to become the main road via Roberts Barracks our Fairy
Point to Changi Village as the aerodrome work has now moved
astride the old main road and since many high I.J.A & Navy
or Air Force Officers will be using the road it must be covered
from the view of Anglo-Saxon PoW.  To effect this a fence