Diary of Arthur William Hence, May - September 1942 - Part 3

died from dysentery at 0830hrs        

Maj. Chalmers (M.O.) reports "Case was

inadequately treated owing to complete

lack of Ematine & allied drugs & poor

salt supply".

Death of 946736 Cpl. W.R. Hill

R.A.F. at 1300hrs - Amoebic dysentery.

Jesuit funeral Ptes Johnston & Blackwell

23 Jun 42 (Tues)

Funeral Cpl. Hill.

24 Jun 42 (Wed)

Death 1648427 Gnr. R.P. Willis 0830

cause of death dysentery. Funeral

1800hr.

25 Jun 42 (Thurs)  

Japanese indicate possibility of

additional pay for working parties

26 Jun 42 (Fri)

Japanese make gift of 12 bottles of

brandy & port.

3 to Comd & Staff & to coy with 

best aerodrome record (3 to coy least

sickness 3 coy (B Bn 3 Coy) best quarters.
Concert held in front of Comd H.Q.

27 Jun 42 (Sat)

No Japanese fatigues required

Band played Jap. H.Q.

Jap. Comnd orders English troops to

stand by ready to move to Tavoy.

Death QX20813 Pte. M Webster 1730hrs

cause dysentery & cirrhosis of liver.

28 Jun 42 (Sun)

Funeral Pte. Webster.

29 Jun 42 (Mon)

Japanese ship in. Unloading party

required.

30 Jun 42 (Tues)

Learned unofficially departure

English to Tavoy postponed.

1 July 42 (Wed)

Pay received periods 11-30 Jun 42

at increased rates.

35c o. 25c NCO 15c OR Heavy work

25c  - 15c    "    10c Light          "

2 Jul 42 (Thurs)

Fatigue hours changed to

1400-1700 hrs being an increase of ½ hr

per day.

Japanese guards took over custody

of prisoners in guard room as they

complained that they were not being

treated with enough severity. This was

largely due to Japanese guard themselves

who gave food to prisoners & encouraged

them to come out.

402872  Sgt.Chippendale died in hosp.

from bacillary Dysentery & cardiac beri-beri
at 2230hrs.

1134761 L.A.C Hayman T died from

amoebic dysentery 1830hrs.

3 July 42 (Fri)

Joint Funeral.

4 July 42 (Sat)

1427321 Gnr R. Foster died Amoebic

dysentery 0940hrs. Maj. J.S. Chalmers

again reports "No anti amoebic drugs

have been made available by the

Nipponese,"

Funeral of Gn Foster. Service by

native R.C. priest.

Death of NX30470 Pte. J. Carley from

dysentery & Cardiac beri-beri

5 July 42 (Sun)

All graves at gra cemetery reconstitutioned

Concert held in morning.

6 Jul 42 (Mon)

P.Q. Comd inspects camp & is

satisfied.

Copy Japanese proclamation given

to Adjt. for promulgation. Lists of

soldiers in order of "diligence" required.

First issue of bread from own

[[?]] ovens.

8 July 42 (Wed)

Officers instructed in Japanese

words of Comd. with instructions 

that they should be put into use at

once. This was objected to by Comd

& with no results.

10 Jul 42 (Fri)

Men missing from Aerodrome

working party brought in by

Jap. guards Sgt [[E Jadin?]] again

proved himself to be very fair &

reasonable.

12 Jul 42 (Sun)

O/s J. Weaver [[Rn?]] PJX 162185 died Amoebic 

dysentery 1430 hrs

Concert in evening.
13. Jul 42 (Mon)

Dental officr commenced duties at

Jap HQ. for treatment of Jap soldiers

uses using own supplies. Further

supplies promised. 

14 July  
One of the two tongs placed out of bounds for 48 hours
owing to low level of water.
Meat condemned by M.O. and returned to Japanese
who promised a further supply. This did not eventuate.
15 July.
Second local vendor allowed into camp selling eggs &
bananas. His visits still continue daily.
From tomorrow proportion of aerodrome party
working under [[Navy?]] will be paid at light duty rates
only.
Concert.
16 July
17 July
Japanese sentry saw two men in
bunker outside PQ area. Search was started
and an English sergeant was apprehended just
inside the wire.
Roll call of C Bn held and reported all

present.
P.Q. command arrived with interpreter.
Two more men caught outside area
Japanese command chose to assume that the
men were attempting to escape & the sentence shooting.
Prisoners were taken away in Japanese custody.
Conference with Jap HQ & Japs agreed to leave
punishment in Col Ramsay's hands and ordered
that details of punishment sentence should be forwarded
to them.
Surprise roll calls must in future be held daily
18 July
Japanese inspected wire around camp and
required repairs to be carried out in several places.
The orderly room held with case against the 3
men arrested yesterday was heard.
Sgt was sentenced to 21 days detention, for the first 11 days
every alternate day only bread to be allowed.
The other two men - 16 days on light rations as above.

19^th July Church services as usual
Concert. (Band recital)
20 July
100 men taken to wharf to unload bitumen from
ship. This apparently required for the construction of the
runway at aerodrome.
Water level in bathing tong very low - Out of bounds
until further notice.
21 July. Unloading of ship completed.
No money am received from Japanese for payment
4 week period concluded yesterday. Advised that cash
had to be obtained from Tavoy.
22 Inspection by PQ Commander. Principal
complaint that Japanese words of command were not
being used.
Reported from the aerodrome that a rain cape
had been taken by Japanese naval sentry and
not returned.

Also that an English soldier had been hit on the head
with a stick by sentry and profuse bleeding caused.
Concert
July 24 No work party. Very heavy rain.
28 Still no working parties & still
very heavy rain making camp boggy.
Troops with too much time on hands
become restive, argue & are generally
in a very bad mood. They now
say they would prefer the aerodrome
work where a week ago officers
were called pro-Jap for sending
them out.
The afternoon is fine & the Japs
take ½ of force on a sightseeing
tour through the town of Mergui.
This tour was conducted in a very
free & easy manner by the Nip
guards. If a group were lucky
to get a good guard limited
purchasing from the Burmese

was permitted. 
[*^※ Pte Schubert outside wire
see notes of 30 Jul*]
29 Jul see below
30 Jul Another tour of town by balance
of force.
^※ NX  Pte Schubert  8/30 Bn.
was shot by order of Nipponese Comd
southern Tenasserim Maj. Itsin.
Despite repeated orders that men were
not to go outside the P.Q. area &
warning that the extreme penalty
would be inflicted Pte S. was
found outside the wire at approx
2100 hrs on 28 Jul. He was recaptured 
& interviewed by the
Adjt at the Jap Guard House.
It is thought likely that he would
have been let off but when
placed in the prisoners room he
escaped from the window &
was later recaptured by the
Jap gr found by his Pl. Comd
Lieut Kreckler who asked 

Also that an English soldier had been hit on the head
with a stick by sentry and profuse bleeding caused.
Concert
July 24 No work party. Very heavy rain.
28 Still no working parties & still
very heavy rain making camp boggy.
Troops with too much time on hands
become restive, argue & are generally
in a very bad mood. They now
say they would prefer the aerodrome
work where a week ago officers
were called pro-Jap for sending
them out.
The afternoon is fine & the Japs
take ½ of force on a sightseeing
tour through the town of Mergui.
This tour was conducted in a very
free & easy manner by the Nip
guards. If a group were lucky
to get a good guard limited
purchasing from the Burmese 

was permitted. 
[*^※ Pte Schubert outside wire
see notes of 30 Jul*]
29 Jul see below
30 Jul Another tour of town by balance
of force.
^※ NX  Pte Schubert  8/30 Bn.
was shot by order of Nipponese Comd
southern Tenasserim Maj. Itsin.
Despite repeated orders that men were
not to go outside the P.Q. area &
warning that the extreme penalty
would be inflicted Pte S. was
found outside the wire at approx
2100 hrs on 28 Jul. He was recaptured 
& interviewed by the
Adjt at the Jap Guard House.
It is thought likely that he would
have been let off but when
placed in the prisoners room he
escaped from the window &
was later recaptured by the
Jap gr found by his Pl. Comd
Lieut Kreckler who asked 

what he should do. There was no
alternative but to hand him over
to the Nipponese & plead for
leniency. He was taken to the
Nip. H.Q..
29 Jul 42  C.O. Lt. Col. G.E. Ramsay 
& Capt Hence adjt. visit Jap
Guard House & ^lodge plea for leniency
for Schubert.  No definite answer
was given altho a promise on was
extracted that no action would
be taken until we were given
the opportunity of interviewing
Schubert.  This promise was
not fulfilled.
31 Jul. Move to Tavoy postponed
indefinitely & aerodrome parties
^to commence again. Another
detonation heard & informed peronnel
say it was A/a fire 

2 Aug. Sunday. Concert at night.
C.O. addresses all troops. Slating
all men who appear to have abandoned
their standards of decency & self respect.
3 Aug Monday. 'Drome working
parties ^re commence. The work is
very easy & seems to be merely
invented by the Japs to fill in
time and provide money for the men
facts which were mentioned by
Adjt to Nips Comd at a recent
conference.
6 Aug. Advice received from Japs
that "C" Bn (English) will move to
Tavoy on 11 Aug.
9 Aug (Sunday). Concert. Address
by Lt Col. Ramsay. Japs ask
for particulars as course. This
was not asked for as a joke -
the require particulars were
required hurriedly. They were 

supplied.
1. Do troops prefer grilled steak to
stew.
2. What is the order of preference
for the available vegetables.
3. How much of the following do
troops require per week per man
(a) cigarettes
(b) condensed milk
(4) Do the P.O.Ws like omelettes
5. Particulars of tests to make
bakers ovens & recipe for
bread
The reason given is that we may
get it at Tavoy. More likely it
will be used for propaganda
purposes.
All P.O.W. will be issued with
an identity diskc bearing a Jap
number.
10 Aug. Advised 70 Aust. P.O.W. 

to accompany Eng. troops to Tavoy.
These men were drawn from no. 3
coy of "B" Bn. (mainly 2/30 Bn).
Metal identity discs issued.
At 0100 hrs commence march to
wharf. Band permitted to
accompany. Embarkation at
11 Augs Embarked 0245 hrs onto
very small vessel about 600 tons
conditions very crowded with
500 men on board. English
were all stowed into very small
hold & Aust. allowed to remain
on deck. Heavy rain falling
before all troops on board.
12 Aug. First party reached Tavoy
0200 hrs & marched about 3 miles
to Karen High School (See sketches).
Also quartered here were ^portion of No 3
Bn of "A" force from Victoria Pt &
under comd Maj Cameron 2/4
M.G.

13 Aug 42. Second detachment
of 500 (blce "B" Bn & part "A" Bn of No 1
Bn "A" force) under comd Maj Lloyd.
depart Mergui same boat.
14 Aug. Second Party ex mergui
arrive Tavoy.
15 Aug. Party of 3200 to drome
as working party. Dysentery
commences again due possibly
to sea trip & change of conditions.
1716 Aug. Balance force ready to move to Tavoy.
Total 466 (incl. hospital). 1600 hrs advice rec'd
that only 300 will depart. Decided that hosp.
+ 30 from camp shall remain. Lieut Oliver
left i/c of camp detachment. Dep Embarked
on "593" approx 300/500 tps. Conditions
on board bad. 250 troops in area 60' x 25; estimated
that each man had area of 4 sq ft.
17 Aug (Monday) Depart Mergui 03.10 hrs. 

17 Aug. (cont.) Arrived Tavoy Gulf 1530 hrs.
Emb Embarked into barges 2000 hrs at 2230 hrs
commenced journey up Tavoy Gulf. Men in bad
condition. Barges very overcrowded. Arrived Tavoy
xxx
18 Aug. Arrived Tavoy 0300 hrs. March 2 miles To
Tavoy, school. Met by Major Lloyd & [[?]] who quartered
troops. Initiation to in Tenko Parades (check
parades). Victoria Pt. (No 3 Bn) are to move
in few days via Yea to Moulmein.
Lt Col Ramsay taken over comd H.Q. for force.
Rations. Breakfast Rice porridg with goula to 
sweeten
Lunch Stew
Evening Meal -
Rations per day per man were allowed by
as under but seldom this quantity was recd.
19 Aug. Band concert most appreciated by
men who have had no concerts etc since Spore.
22 Aug Very light rice issue only sufficient to
be used to thicken stew. Jap. soldier 2l/C
difficult to get on with + wont cooperate.
23 Aug (Sund) No 1 Bn's departure to Ye.
postponed. Band concert. Rations poor
Rice, stew (water, poor vegs. very little meat).
Cannot Further postponement of YE party until
Saturday.
1 Sep (Tue) Concert to be arranged for
entertainment of Jap troops on 3 Sep
3 Sep Jap banquet in P.O.W. Quarters House
Band performed

10 Sept (Thurs) A working party of 100
men was called from "C" Bn (Eng.) only 10
paraded.The Japanese then paraded the
whole Bn ("C") & altho some paraded with
only towels round their loins all were
marched out to work. The Japs. declining
to pay these men only allowed them ½
rations.
13 Sept (Sun) Usual check parade (Tenko)
19 Sep (Sat) Two men caught outside wire.
Representations made to obtain lenient
treatment. successful.
Advised that any further men found
outside would be treated as escapees & shot.
21 Sep (Mon) Band to hospital
22 Sep V.P. (No 3 Bn) & English on 2 hrs notice 
warning order to depart suggested by Japs
destination R'goon. Check parade of these
detachments at 1700 hrs.
23 Sep (Wed) Move postponed 1 week
29 Sep 100 of this force who had been

at Tavoy A'drome returned to camp. Approx
1000 of No 2 Bn have proceeded by boat
to Moulmein.
30 Sep Additional 250 men to Tavoy who
were to proceed to Tavoy returned to camp as
only 750 could get on board the boat provided.
These men had suffered great hardships as they
had been on board berthed for 2nd time, in very
cramped and insanitary conditions & in the
blazing sun.