Diary Jack Lusby Burns - Jun - Oct -1944 - Part 4
Tuesday 8th August 1944.
Rescript day - we were woken up by the
sound of tom-toms & voices speaking through
amplifiers about 04.30 hrs. This is the 1st time
they've had a show like this since '42.
Evidently the show must be pretty drastic
for the J's. Red Cross rumours again? Food
situation is certainly lessor. Issued with
tomatoes from outside garden again. They are
certainly a small tasty bit. So cig. lighters have
all been collected we got 4 matches allotted to a
room per day. Sometimes one has to walk a
long way in search of a light.
Wednesday 9th August 1944.
Rained all day so played bridge both in the
morn. & afternoon - first I've done this for
ages. - ''Joe Louis'' made its appearance after
the evening meal - 1st appearance in about
6 months. Marvellous how one gets used to things
as when we 1st came here we used to get a
full bowl instead of ½ bowl as now & in
addition a hard boiled egg. Dreamt of home
& food last night - If I can help it - I'm never
going to go short of food again & I'm going to
have the best. Rumours are certainly flying
around. - Bonen's, Warsaw, & Nazaire, Vargas
Red Cross, Civilians taking over Rommell
Thursday 10th August 1944
The air - raid alarms sounded this morn, at
0800 & at 1200 hrs. As we do NOT now get
papers we thought that the 1st was the real
thing. However when one sounded at 1200
we knew they were practise alarms. Our
bean breakfast once every 3 morns have
been cut out. The beans are now supposed
to be put in the rice - something to screw
us on. ''Chow" is certainly damn light. Went
to the outside garden plot - tied up tomato plants
& plucked the leaves off sweet potato vines for our
soups. Chap should be able to eat anything after
this Show. Hell I'm hungry. Teddy cooked tomatoes.
Friday 11th August 1944.
The air - raid alarms sounded twice last night
2400 hrs & 0300 hrs. Rumour later hath it that
Osaka (raided by 4 waves of Ship borne bombers)
and Kynshu were raided. On account of this
reveille was put back an hour till 0630
& b'fast at 0730. This hour made the day
seem very short but heavens I was hungry
by b'fast time. There is some talk again of
a petition being put into the J's. re the food
situation - It certainly is a bit grim. We had
red beans in the rice instead of the ^usual Soya beans.
all work parties were postponed in the morning
Saturday 12th August 1944.
Went on the hill work party - just got back to the
barracks in time for the inspection party to run
into us. Wed aft. tea with Teddy Goode - I supplied
salt & he the tomatoes from his garden. They
tasted delicious. The leaves of the sweet potato
vines are going into our soup. The vines
themselves are fed to the rabbits. The poor
blighters I think are hungrier that what we are.
If this can be possible. Stripping these leaves
sure taint ones fingers & nails. All my
shirts are sure becoming wholley holey. 'Twill
be a pleasure to get into new clothes.
Sunday 13th August 1944.
Two of the officers were caught cutting up leaf
tobacco which is presumed to have come in
through the Black Market. - Rumour hath it
that tomorrow there is going to be a big
shake-down. 853 letters came in mostly
British with a few American. NO Australia.
Went to Church - thought of home dad mother
throughout the service. Had a very nice meal
at evening - saved my rice bummed some
sugar & Teddy had some tomatoes off his
patch. He & I had a "peace" feed. Very
interested with a chap "George" Howell re Hong Kong
& an agency business - I put in £2000.
Monday 14th August 1944.
Discussed plans for taking up my abode in
Hong Kong as a partner in an Import &
export agency after the war. With two chaps
by the name of George Howell & Clinton [Seymour?].
Went into a complete filing system & accounts
On the face of it it certainly sounds attractive
& a lot of hard work but a damn good
return on money with the promise of building
up an excellent business. The only fly in the
ointment is that I shall have to leave home.
-wonder how mum & dad will take it after all
these years. I hope they don't mind. My
contribution is to be 200 £1500.
[*Kinshies -9*]
Tuesday 15th August 1944.
Whacko - "kinshies" were issued this evening
9 pkts per person for all Lieuts. & Capts &
11 for Majors & above. This is the only
things that the J's have NOT been impartial
in. Talked more about Hong Kong today.
There is certainly a lot of work to be done in
this regard but by heavens it should
pay extra-ordinarily well. Spent most of
the time going over Aust. firms that we
may act as agents for. Fried "Gobo" for
the evening meal. tasted very nice but
by heavens we are just living - Food is very
light.
[*Tomato issue*]
Wednesday 16th August 1944.
Traded 34 Kinshies for $20 [?]. for one of the
boys - by cheq. they are trading 1 pkt for $10
Played bridge both morning & aft. - both in continuance
of 50 rotten matches. Rumours are again active
-landing at Toulon & peace proposals put out by
Germany. The International Committee put in a
request to the office for the return of our newspapers.
This room received a tomato issue of approx.
1/4 kilo per person. Had them for evening meal. Still
going strong on the Hong Kong business. Investigated
living conditions there - Chap should be able to live
on $400 per month.
Thursday 17th August 1944.
Had a foul sleep last night - there is a
soldiers barracks adjourning our barracks.
Their "lights out" is sounded at 21.30 ours at
2100 - frequently we are in bed at 2030 with
the lights out so as to open ^draw the black-out curtains
so as to get cool. However these boys are just like
the natives at New Ireland at a "Sing-Sing" with
the howling that goes on. Also they start this
racket again at 0400 hrs. Did some more
enquiries into the Hong Kong business - sure is a
lot of work to be done in this respect but still
one has had enough looking in this place.
Everyone is getting pitifully thin.
Friday 18th August 1944.
Fried gobo for evening meal - very tasty but
totally inadequate - I'd hate to think what I could
do with about 4 rations. 90 sacks of millet
came in today - they seem to be breaking some
of the military stores situated near here. The
"aboragie" factory near here has stopped functioning
so I guess the fact that beans were cut out of our
vegetable ration must have mean that they are
short of these commodities. The "anchor watch" starts
in our room tonight. Some optimists think
that they have only one more to do. I personally
think about next January should see the war over
Whacko!
Saturday 19th August 1944.
Humiliation - One of the senior officers broke his
bowl - he had to stand in from of the J. office holding
his bowl in outstretched hands for the morning
whilst the J's poked fun at him - a strong protest
was made by the International Committee. Teddy
Goode had the rest of the "Indyes" to a tomato tea
for aft. tea. These were the last of his tomatoes
they tasted wonderful. Rumour hath it that a large
No. of Germans have been encircled in France
whilst we have taken Venice in Italy. Very saltry
should have rain by morning. Squash soup
for "dinner"? - they put the pips in the damn thing.
Bath day - the tub is filled with cold water - only time
in the week when there is plenty of water. Dreamt of home
last night.
[*Weight 63.8 Kilos. lost 1 7/10 Kilos. anchor watch
air raid 1700 hrs
Burnt rice.*]
Sunday 20th August 1944.
Weigh day - Weight 63.8 Kilos lost 1 7/10 kilos actually
a moral gain as the average room loss was 2.3
kilos. Octopus ^Squid cooked in soy sauce & "some?
fried squash for evening meal. Also rec'd our
issue of burnt rice. - 3 wks since the last issue.
previously it took 9-10 days to come round something
screwy somewhere. Had the "anchor watch" from
0115 till 0320. Had to wake the foreman of the
galley at 0130 & he gave us some tea at 0300 hrs.
This so woke me up that we did NOT wake our
relief till 0345 hrs. The air raid alarm sounded
at 1700 hrs causing the post phonement of the
usual Sunday concert & must was put forward
an hour to 1900 hrs. We had to draw our
curtains at 1830 - room was like an oven.
Monday 21st August 1944.
One of the officers had a spot of trouble on "anchor
watch last night with the guard. He was pushed
down the stairs & knocked down by the guard. Some
day maybe, things will be different? Lot of
colds around in the various rooms. You can
hear people coughing at all hours of the night. Sure
makes one's mouth water to see across the fence
hundreds of buns being sent out of the bakery. Had
a spot of luck at poker - 60. Traded off some
pills for cigs. - had the things for over a year.
On a/c of the air raid B'fast 1 hour late. They
wont let the foreman get up - but xx the J. barracks across
the way is a blaze of light. No tobacco, pills, [?]
canteen.
[*Pay day - 40 yen, Air Raid, 2 letters from Home Nov.43.*]
Tuesday 22nd August 1944
Whacko some Aust. mail came in this morn. & I clicked
with 2 letters postmarked 3rd & 18th Nov. '43 - 'Twas a
great feeling getting them. although I noted where
Geoff is missing. Gee I hope he is O.K. Tough
luck on his young wife & child. Thought of home
quite a lot all day. Just before I go to sleep of a night-
time is when my thoughts mostly take a homeward
trend. Pay day - was paid 40 yen. - whilst we
were being paid the air-raid alarm sounded
-1400 hrs. they stopped paying for a while but
continued later - the "alert" was lifted about 1500 hrs.
As our barracks overlook those of the J's, we have to
draw our black-out curtains on that side as
soon as the alarm sounds - also put on boots.
Wednesday 23rd August 1944.
If the J's aren't having a "sing-sing" they bugler
attached to the guard is practicing on his bugle.
He does this seemingly on purpose about 0400
& at 1300 both when the officer prisoners are
trying to enjoy a rest - most harassing. The
food left over from the J. guard house taken by
them to the galley for "pig food" is ^being put out to the
rooms. In my own mind I think this is degrading
but if it will augment the diet - Well - losers
can't be choosers. Also there is some talk of
approaching the J. authorities with a view of "buying"
the burnt rice from the J. kitchens [[?]]
again the same sentiments apply. Paid my room bill
13.30 yen.
Thursday 24th August 1944.
A notice circulated through the building stated that
the Inter. Committee had put in a "staff "protest
to the J. office re the condition of the food. The
answer given was that negotiations were going on
with Tokyo & soon some results were expected.
In the interim we are slowly starving. Its a
rotten feeling going to bed feeling hungry &
wake up with a rumbling tummy. A packet of
"smoker bombs" was issued by ^through the canteen. Some
of the officers were interviewed by the J's. & a questionaire
was answered by them re the food. I gather that
they were told that there was NO hope of the rations
being increased. ??
Friday 25th August 1944.
Asked the chap with whom I am doing my law
course to draw up a rough partnership agreement
for this proposed Hong Kong show with George Howell
& Clinton Seymour. It really means something big
if everything goes O.K. & in any event it will be
damn good experience. Am getting a cold as
I have a sore throat which is in my case, a
prelude to a cold. Getting fed up of this place
everytime I sit down my tail becomes numb
Haven't much flesh on my rump nowadays.
Everyone is getting pitifully thin. The rooms upstairs
have lost on an average 1¼lbs more than those
downstairs & 2 people go to collect the chow nowadays.
Saturday 26th August 1944.
80 new officers are expected in within the next few days.
To make room for them rooms 1 & 2 in the West
barracks were absorbed in the East barracks. We
received 3 new officers from Room 2 - now makes our
room quota to 31. Eventually, when the new officers
come in ^all the rooms quotas will be 32. It means
that 8 officers will be assigned to each sleeping
bay. (Originally designed for 7. So its a bit of
a crush. Have a lousy cold of the "running-nose
type - sure using up my h'chiefs. Felt miserable
all day - with an attack of the "blues" particularly
this afternoon. Still the bath helped a bit.
Bit of fuss re the placing of hats for the inspection.
[*50 New officers*]
Sunday 27th August 1944.
50 new officers came in about 0930 hrs. They looked
in the best of health & there are a few Austs.
amongst them. Had a talk with one of them
who had dealings with No2. Indep. Coy. He also
gave us some dope on ^wartime Aust. which was very
interesting. My nose is running & it makes
one feel extremely miserable. Used about 7
h'chiefs during the day. Again the concert
this evening was interfered with by the
interpreter again. Whenever he is on duty he
must have the limelight. Rumour hath it that
Roumania is out of the war. These new fellows
bought in plenty of good dope.
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