Notebook of Avon Reah Smith-Ryan, 1942-1945

Sunday 2 Jan 44  A New Year.  Again we had
a holiday on New Years day but had to send the 'drome
party out on Friday to get the Saturday off.  There were
is special feasts on this day.  Both British & Australian
Concert Parties put on Pantomimes for New Year.  A.I.F.
are playing 'Dick Whittington' & the British [['Melodies'?]].  I
saw ours on New Years Eve and New Years Day the British.
Quite a good programme.  'Hay Fever' is in production
rehearsal at present.
Thursday 6 Jan 44.  It has set in for a wet day and I can hear
the 'drome party who are standing by in houses gloating over the
glorious weather.
Regrouping with the down country parties is in abeyance at present,
onb medical grounds I think - scabies and tinea & small pox & lice
are the main reasons.  We were all revaccinated this week and
I'm glad to say that mine looks like a 'take'.  I'll be happy if it
is because I wasn't satisfied with my neg. take @ Northams.
Wednesday 1 Feb 44.  My vaccination took very nicely and put
me out of action for a week, two days rather sick and five days
in bed. It was well worth it.
The regrouping with E F Force is not to take place before 1 Mar &
it is doubtful if it will happen then.  The health over the way
is improving slowly but they are rotten with malaria and as a
result quite a number of primary infection cases are remaining
among the troops on this side of the road.
Some few transfers of officers have taken place between groups to
try to pep up things over there.  Only one affects this Gp to any
extent - that of Capt Alf Lamacraft to his Bn E Gp. Homes replaced
by Maj. Johnson (C.O. 2/30) who is our present Gp. Comd.  Padre Barrett
went over to spell Padre Polain who is now with us and Capt Wimpole
2/29 is convalescing with us.
The few 2/4 men with 'F' Force are with 2/29 Bn and I am pressing that
if regrouping takes place our men from here can join them and
not as laid down in the preliminary order go to the 22 Bn Composite 

Fri 1 3 Apr 42.
Last night Bn rec'd warning that it would supply our all
ranks as working party to S'pore.  Mack to take advance party
of 24 this morning & I to take main body in tomorrow
morning & Comd whole party.  The boys are very excited -
anything for a change.  Mac & his party left at 0900 hrs
with rations & [[?]] - transport provided. Rather
different from some Easter Holidays spent previously.
All day there have been no amendments to party for
tomorrow & now @ 2200 hrs. Final arrangement is Alf Cough.
O/c detachment.  John Hill I/c C.D. House Coy., myself O/c
A.B. House Party Tony Orlam I/c HQ House Coy., Subalterns
are Hodge, Walter, Nelson MacKinnon, Lee, Learmonth,
Branson &    [[Blare?]] Burgess sports his star as Adj.
unofficially promoted for the occasion
Sat 4 Apr 42. We got away on time 2800 all told. Tpt for baggage
First party of 800 had tpt but we were in second party. 2000
who marched.  We were tired on arrival at our camp near
BUKIT TIMAH.  Cyclist games were sports & didn't stop
buying from roadside stalls.  Took one wrong turning which
cost us two miles.  My Coy billetted in 3 houses and quite comfy.
Plenty of room.  My quarters with Alf & when Coy comes @
H.Q House.  Japanese came about 2100 hrs for Alf.  He
returned in about an hour with our orders for tomorrow.
2/4 Bn to go to JOHORE BAHRU & understand have touch 

body of a man who died. Casualties up country have been
heavy.  We expect more details as they are collated.
Thursday 23 Dec 43   Another wedding day, Grace.  Next time may
be we can celebrate
Sunday 26 Dec 43.  Christmas Day was very successful, and our
table all day was excellent - poultry and pork for evening
dinner.  The Mess was nicely decorated with flowers too.  I
went round in the morning and saw all of our men @ Changi
including those of 'F'. Force in G & D and those also of 'F' Force in
Hospital.  The atmosphere all round camp was very bright.
To get the day as a holiday we had to work the previous day Friday
our usual Sunday off.
The drome is progressing but gets very monotonous. So far I'm
the only officer here who hasn't had to fall out @ any time for
sickness.
Capt. Carthew of 'H'. Force was out and brings news that a Red +
ship is unloading @ Singapore.  I hope so because the troops from
up country need building up.
Conditions in the various camps from Bangkok to Rangoon
have varied largely and casualties have depended on the conditions
Taken in the main 'G' & 'D' Forces have done best tho' they have had
some bad camps too.  About 25% - 30% deaths seems to have
been the average.  Some English tents have it up to 80% and
almost all those who have returned are suffering from malnutrition.
The main causes were Beri-beri, cholera, dysentery and tropical
ulcers.  This last has caused many most loss of life & limb.
To date I have information of 90 deaths in our Unit. Some units are
over 200.  I will note a summary of the position when it comes
available.
We hear that Syme Road Camp is being organised nearer to
Hague Conventions and officers are living separately and
can draw more of their pay.  This story is unconfirmed. 

we are all rather stiff after the march. but very few sore feet.
Our last few miles Japanese trucks ran a taxi service working
from the rear & most men were saved a bit.
Sun 5 Apr 42  Early reveille & brekker & ready to move at 0930 hrs
Tpt for baggage - marched to main road & pleasant
surprise - transport for all.  Driven to point opposite
STRAITS about 4/5 miles west of Causeway Task
carting soil to raise a square between road and
water.  May be the obelisk.  Quartered on one house which
only takes half the Bn.  Japanese guard happy bunch
& give cigarettes & food to the men.  They are also quartered
on our house.  We may get another house tomorrow.
Mon 6 Apr 42  Daily routine.  Rev. 0730, Brekker 0800, On task 0900
to 1300.  lunch 1300.  On task 1400 - 1900, Tea 1930, Lights
Out 2200.  House has lights to put out too.  Taps run
but only very slowly.  Commenced work punctually
but after 15 mins Guard knocked us off for rain. Very
heavy.
Our stay at this point was really quite pleasant,
& the work not hard.  We are erecting a monument and
making a garden plot at the point from which the
Japanese launched their successful attack against
Singapore Island.  They admit that the first attack
was made in vicinity Causeway but was unsuccessful.
This we heard was because of fire from our Coy Comd. 

A Red + ship is strongly in the news just now.  This seems to
have some foundation and I confidently expect that before
Christmas a ship will arrive with foodstuffs, clothing and mail.
It will be most welcome and very necessary.
Tuesday 21 Dec 43.  Here it is only 4 days to Christmas and no
sign of any Red Cross matters.
Sam Bunning spent 8 days leave with me @ our Mess
recently.  We were glad to have him and I think he enjoyed
his few days.  A consignment of parcels arrived from
America - how they arrived we don't know but quite possibly
there was more in those stories about a ship than met the eye.
However the point is that there was one for Sam Bunning from
some friends of his in Seattle.  Sam's own description of the
parcel will suffice - "like a bag of samples from the show, but
very welcome."
The I.J.A have handed out more cards for messages home. This
is their third gesture - in 2 years and 2 lots of forward mail all
very old. And we do not know if any have been rec'd at home yet
& understand that they lay at Changi Gaol for a long time.
A few wireless messages were allowed xx recently, Eric Wanley at
Con. Depot drew one and Pte Grainger of our C Gp. also.  Between them in
their 100 words each they mentioned all of our 2/4 people in Changi.
My name was included in Eric Wanley's message. They look more
like a list of names than a family message and I'm afraid that
this may militate against their being sent. However the lucky
ones who show them say that they would sooner risk that on
the chance of getting news of their friends here away as well. They
also included the names of the 6 men of 'F' Force who came
in the day before.
Up country parties are coming down country now and until now
'H' Force has come back over the past few days. and is @
Syme Road Camp and one (a boat load) of 'F' Force has arrived @
our G&D area. Major Saggers of H Force came out bringing the 

A prisoners life could not have been better than that of our
party here.  We were seldom hazed & the guards were happy
fellows.  Indeed in the evenings you could hardly pick the
guards from the prisoners.  All without shirts all [[?]]
about the same colour & mixing freely. They located a
piano and sent us to bring it to the house.  It turned
out to be a table grand & made the evenings very pleasant
The Japanese of course joined in the sing songs.  Rations
were good mainly because our guards would drive us to
Johore Bahru to swop surplus rice for fresh meat. One
swop was a bag of rice for three little pigs - another for
a side of beef. We heard of a [[?]] pineapple
factory about 8 miles up the road and, again they played
& sent their truck many times to bring back cases of
tinned pineapple. This was very welcome.  If their
own truck was not available they would stop a Boong
truck & make them take our party up.
A couple of Boongs in adjacent houses
acted as our unofficial Canteen and we spent
our few dollars sparingly on Bread rolls 8 cents &
Butter 50¢ Jam 80¢ & various other luxuries.  Soap
Toothpaste talc powder & Boong tobacco. This was
my first introduction to this delectable (?) weed. 

clashes with a club night @ the officers' Club. As last
Sat was a musical night I did not expect they would have
another this week as the policy of late has been fortnightly
so I headed for 'Lord Babs' tonight.
I have been acting as Group Comd. again for the past few
days - Lamacraft has been down with a cold but is almost
recovered now -   During the time I had a Blakang Mati
Party to get away. 'C' Gp. was to supply 50 O.R's but could
only muster 45 classified medically fit to go - As we have
some 350 O/Rs in theGp. this is a severe [[?]] regarding the
general health position.  Personnel here now have already been
called over many times for previous parties and most have or
have had something to class them as unfit and when a party
with a reputation such as Blekang Mati needs reinforcement
these defects are revived and emphasised.  Actually conditions
at Blakang Mati are much improved and it appears that
there are things in its favour such is not exceptionally serious
work nowadays and improved ration scale - xxg it includes
a daily ration of 4oz of mutton(from Indo-China).
My own health remains very good, and my eyesight defect
seems almost cured. They eye specialist (Major [[?]]
just won't mark me 'fit' but persists in 2a, so that I must
continue on yeast & rice polishings, and [[?]] for monthly
examinations.
P.A.D. is the latest.  I.J.A have directed us to prepare
our own schemes and to act on their [[?]]. Major Hunt
(acting G.M.) is having the time of his life and demanding
lengthy house by house schemes based on [[?]] Paper
problems (our problems) don't appear to worry him. Tazumi
the Sic @ the Gaol says we may expect Allied raids now &
has issued dire warnings. as to what we may expect if
we make signals etc to them or indulge in or cited demonstrations 

I bought a Dollars worth (about 5 ozs). It was a rich dark
brown and when smoked turned out to be aromatic. Yes
very, very aromatic - it stank and in addition you could
taste the dark brown - and wished you couldn't. Well
I gave it away after giving the boys fair warning of
what I was giving them.
My next purchase was more successful - a
Samatran weed - and fair enough.  A bit on the strong
side and no doubt my throat will eventually realise its
potency - but its a fair smoke.  Boong papers too and
they really are the best for Boong tobacco.  Of course I had
long since saved the butts of my Virginian cigarettes and
its surprising how a little blend of this makes the present
smoke quite decent.  I wonder how I'd be greeted
at, say, Sharp's on the corner of Barnard & Hay with a
request for 2 ozs of the best blend of Boong and [[Batte?]].
This last package cost 5 dollars for 20 ozs which is
cheaper than smoking in Australia.  Papers were 2 cents a
packet - again cheaper.  This compared with the price
charged 'thro the fence' at CHANGI for Virginians,
from 50¢ to 1 dollar a packet is real economy.
Sunday 12 Apr.  We were warned that we would return to Singapore
tonight less 35 all ranks to remain to finish the job.  After
ten the order was cancelled & departure [[?]] for Monday 

or at present playing 'Outward Bound'. [[?]] the
Officer's Club still functions and makes somewhere to
go of an evening.  But still life is steadily growing
more & more irksome.  I've had more than enough of
this P.A.D. business and am ready to catch the first
ship leaving.
Wednesday 27 Oct 43  The making of records for broadcast by
the A.I.F. Concert Party finally took place last week.  They had
had two false starts when Concert Artists & organised [[?]] were
warned & present but the Japs didnt turn up. I was out @
the 'drome & couldnt attend when it finally happened. It was
3 - 20 min. sessions & quite a few names were marked in.
Bernie McCaffrey our leading baritone so captured the fancy
of the Jap technicians that he had to make two special records.
The current concert by AIF. Party is quite up to standard.
The past few have been Farces with well written stories but this
one was a 'Leane type again. Another Company is
playing Outward Bound'
Work at the aerodrome progresses slowly & I fancy it wont be
finished in time.
Strange things happen with the Java Party - early last week 1300 of
them left & went on board ship at Keppel Harbour - 2 days later
a second draft of some hundreds including the special officers
party left. Later again the first party after a few days on board
were disembarked & are now back again. Why we don't know.
Saturday 6 Nov 43  Guy Fawkes Day passed uneventfully - there
was not a single cracker, large or small, let off within earshot
of our peaceful abode.
I ha am having a spate of entertainment this week. Tuesday
'Outward Bound' and very well presented, and [[?]] too. Thursday
the AIF. Concert, a bright musical farce and tonight I go to
'Lord Babs' by the Command Players which has the name of
being very good and witty. It is unfortunate that it 

but we just sat about on Monday and finally transport
arrived after brekker on Tuesday.
Tuesday 14 Apr. We returned to the same houses that
we had occupied for one night on 15 Feb  5 Apr. Houses
rearranged and my Coy. took 19 & 20 and after a little
repair to the tiles were very comfortable. I have the
'B' Coy boys in 19 with Don Lee as O/c House and the
'A' Coy in 20 with Mac and Bob Learmonth. Mac as O/c
House.  I live in 19 with Don.
Wed 15th Apr. Daily routine is Rev 170515 Roll call 1720
Brekker 0745 Parade 0830 [[?]] Pde 0845 - to [[?]]
lunch 1300 - 1400. Cease work 1800 Tea 1900 [[?]]
2100 Lights out 2200. Evening Sick Parade is 1930 hrs with
a morning pde for urgent overnight cases.
The work is the construction of a Shrine and
making of roads and bridges for the approaches to it and
for a scenic drive. Primitive machines are employed and
our men are used as coolies - [[?]] on the job. It's
slow and laborious work but no doubt planned that
way. to utilize the tremendous man power available and
to use up such surplus energy as our troops may have &