Diary Jack Lusby Burns - May - Sep -1943 - Part 7
Wednesday 14th July 1943
Very hot & sheky today as I
was tired from the anchor
watch the night before & had
a dashed good sleep, although
the chap next to me, feet are
on the nose. His B.O. is
terrific. Have organized
an inter-room bridge
tournament, the losers to
put on morning tea for the
winners when we get our
parcels. Vin Bristow gave
me a drink of cocoa. It
tasted very nice. Milk issue
today but I had mortgaged
mine for chappie's b'days.
had an interrupted sleep
from 1200 to 0400 hrs.
Wednesday 30th June 1943.
Had a good evening meal. Though
the Supply officer balancing his
books on "excess" of rice was
used & we each had a full
bowl of rice with corn beef stewed
in it. Had a preliminary
inspection this aft. The real
inspection is to take place
sometime between tomorrow &
Saturday. So far, I understand
we have had 17 "major" inspections
since we have been here.
Managed to finish our "marathon"
bridge match by winning by
4½ thousand. (8½ hrs for 9 rubbers)
The war news is being eagerly
& optimistically discussed by
all. General consensus of opinion
is for the war to be over by Xmas.
Tuesday 13th July 1943
Had to do an "anchor watch
last night from 0300 to
0500 hrs. Originally the
enlisted men used to do this
"watch" but as their numbers
have been depleted & the
majority of them are on
working parties the officers
took over the job. The
primary object of this watch
is to guard against fore which
these people so hold in
abject dread - Not that I blame
them with all these wooden
buildings around. Bill Leverett's
birthday of the Indep Coy. Gave
him a [[?]] of milk & the balance
of the cocoa as our parcels have NOT
come the Coy. postponed the parcels
Thursday 1st July 1943
Rained all day - Due to the
pending inspections all work
parties are off. We are on
a temporary “stand by” re
an inspection can likely take place
at any moment. Did a ‘future’
trade & traded my next
Red Cross tin of butter off
for 12 loaves of bread. Had
my first payment today. It
sure tasted good & tonight I
have a reasonably full
tummy. We are having a very
exciting bridge match for the
present tourney. If we win this
match we click on 5% of the cigs.
Some of the lads are working out a
Bridge “table”. Geoff Vincents b'day
Monday 12th July 1943.
Cigs (3pkts) were issued this
morning. They were most welcome
as everyone was out. The weather
is starting to get hot and we
have been prohibited from
taking showers or even bucket
baths. - "water shortage in
Japan very bad" -. A Lieut Stan
Cooper's birthday say Ray
Tyrell & self saved our
morning's issue of rice
borrowed 2 btles of milk &
made a choc. pudding with
some of the cocoaI bought for
100 yen. It tasted very nice &
he was sure appreciative. As we
had beans for b;fast - made a
bean paste for the sandwiches.
Friday 2nd July 1943
There was quite a stir today
as the J's conducted a surprise
inspection - It was the most
searching inspection we've had
since we've been here. The J's.
were up searching out shelves
bunks & making us turn out
out pockets. It appears as
if they were after matches
& black market cigarettes.
They conducted a very rigorous
search of the enlisted men's
belongings. Rained all day.
Managed to win out match
in the Bridge Tourney & thus
we go into the finals. So far we
collect 15% of the cigs. Had a dashed
good evening chow. It sure
lasted [[?]]. Would love to hear from
Mum & dad.
Sunday 11th July 1943.
Bath day - water is sure
nice & hot these days. Won
another 50 or so at "black jack"
Worked a racket - Two of the
lads got stuck with the deal &
none of the other players would
turn up a "black jack" so he
came down & saw me. I played
for the bank on "credit" and
won 200 or so. This was
split four ways. Bought another
2 loaves of bread for 60 yen.
Some of the doctors have left us
again for Tokyo & Bsaka. Tis
tough to see them go - They all say
that this is the best camp. We
had No doughnuts for the evening
meal & there was No issue of cigs today.
Saturday 3rd July 1943
A duplicate bridge “ladder”
has been organized. Ron
& I rated 7th on the
ladder. There was a normal
Sat. aft inspection carried
out this aft. Happens
as if the J’s yesterday were
after 100 pmts of cigs, that
were missing from the store
Room. Rumour has it that
the J. Supply Sgt was over
100 pmts which he hid & now
it appears as if his original
figures were right. Too bad?
Spring cleaned the rabbit house.
Whilst behind one of the cages
a rabbit “wet” me & blast him.
Received an issue of 3 pkts cigs
Saturday 10th Jul 1943
A new Colonel took over
the job concurrently as
Superintendent of this P.O.W.
Camp & as commander of this
district. This means that
we now come under the War
Prisoners Bureau - Tokyo.
At last. Some of the Aussies
have received a Red Cross
Memo from their people in
Aust. in answer to their
first letter sent in August
last. They were dated 12 Nov 42
& received in J. 12 Feb 43.
Heck, I'd love to get a note from
Mum & dad. I would be grand.
Had our usual ^weekly routine inspection
today. Had a good sleep from 1200
to 1400 hrs only disturbed twice.
Sunday 4th July 1943
Doughnuts for dinner. Instead of
these being fried we now have
them steamed. As today is
American Independence day
the Americans in camp
turned on a “March of Times”
affair depicting scenes in
America’s history for the usual
Sunday nights’ concert. Rained
all day. Bath water nice & warm
’Tis grand to have a ^hot bath & put
on clean clothes. This is the
only bath we have during the
week as we are debarred from
having showers through the
week. There seems to be a
water shortage here. Ray Tyrell
broke the bank at Black Jack.
Friday 9th July 1943.
News came through today that
the doctors have to go on the
move once more. Some are
going to Osaka, others to
Tokyo & Hokkaido etc. They
are to be gone within a week.
Rumour also hath it that
new prisoners (300) are to
be here within 10 days.
Everyone is waiting on a
Red Cross parcel. Had
some of the cocoa. I bought
tonight. We had our milk
issue tonight. It tasted
very nice as I made a choc.
pudding. Gee would love to get a
letter from home.
Monday 5th July 1943.
Wonders of wonder. Ron
Bunsens & self broke the
bank at "Black Jack." Took
650 yen from it. 'Tis funny
an Australian going in
& doing this to an American's
National game. I "lent" about
250 of it back to the lads
from whom I took it. Had
pork for dinner. Heck it
tasted very nice. So as we
can have a sleep of an afternoon
after lunch we have organized
watches from 1200 till 1400
hrs. Every room on the top
floor has their watchers out,
sort of out sentrying the sentries'
Thursday 8th July 1943.
Major Mollard 2 i/c of the 2/22nd
Bn. Whom we left at Yokohema
about 12 months ago came
into camp today. They had
been trying to get him to join
the co-prosperity [[?]].
Some of the tales he tells are
very dramatic. We have a
new camp commandant & the
command of this camp has
been taken over by the War
Prisoners Bureau at Tokyo.
Let's hope it is for the better
& an improvement in food
etc. is seen. We were beaten
in the finals of the Bridge
Tourney. Can see some good games
of bridge when I get home.
Tuesday 6th July 1943.
The doctors who went away
from here about the middle
of december last, came back
this afternoon. It sure was
grand to see them & were
they pleased to get back. They
had to attend to English Dutch
& American P. O. W.'s at
Nagasaki & Moji. Some of
the tales they tell are horrible
As I am flush with cash,
bought a tin of butter for 300
yen. Had to parade outside
at 1600 hrs this aft. So as to
have our boots & summer trousers
inspected by the J's.. Had an
auditor in here inspecting our utensils.
Prices America - San Fransico
Suit $ 60 50 Theatre
Slacks 15 Stage 1 1/2 - 2 1/2
Shirts 3 1/2 Movie 1/2 - 3/4
Ties 1 1/2.2
U/Clothes 17 set
Socks 3/4-1
Shoes 10
Sports coats 25
Sweater 6
Dinner Suit 60
set
Wednesday 7th July 1943
The new arrivals have been
issued with Red Cross
parcels - we hope to get some
within the near future.
There is a rumour that
some of the new arrivals are
going away again. As a
result some of them are
selling ^some of their parcels. I
managed to buy 1/3 tin butter
1pipe, 1/3 packet cocoa, 1 bar
chocolate & 1 pkt of hard tack
for an inclusive cost of 240 yen.
The paper is a little beauty.
Lost 20 yen playing poker.
Issued with 1/2 cake laundry soap
(American) and 1 gillette razor
blade
Boats -
1 [[Carlago?]] - Freight
(Copra - Merchandise)
8 administration -
stores
Kan - Kan
3. Rabaul. Meat
Fruit - Tarrison
Vegetables
4. Recruiting
5. Plantation - Copra
Cocoa
Coffee
F
Q
6. Trade Goods
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20 100 50 |
70 50 150 30
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30 300
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1040 730 1770
700 20
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700 150
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1770
400
|
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80
250
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150 60 150 1298 250 1040
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40
370 730
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840 60 80
1100 370
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120 130
1100 400 700
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400 |
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700 50 50 100 |
1070 1030 40
100 |
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100 160 1160 130 1030 |
30 130
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