Wallet 3 of 3 - Transcript diaries of Edward William Burrey, 1942 - 1945 - Part 5

38.
3 Jun. Finished mal. treatment today.
10 Jun. Have an abcess (probably two) on my behind. They are
giving me hell.
12 Jun. Went on sick pde this morning. Dr. going to operate but
later decided to put me in hospital when it shifts down to the
Gaol.
14 Jun. Came into hospital today. Never been so sore in all my
life. Hope to be operated on tomorrow,
15 Jun. Time 9.30 am and I have just been given a needle (very
blunt) to quieten me down. Getting done at 10 am. I never thought
I would ever look forward so much as I am to having this op. and
getting a bit of relief. Operation a success. Very deep seated.
Put on a bit of a turn coming out of anaesthetic. It was a lovely
sensation.
18 Jun. Feeling pretty good now. Most of soreness gone
22 Jun. Still in dock. Bugs treated me badly last night. Killed
dozens in my bed this morning.
26 Jun, Indian guard killed himself with 303 today. Supposed to
be accidental.
27 Jun. Discharged from hospital today, but still not healed but
hardly notice it now.
7 Jul. More mail has arrived. Am doing Jack Olley's job for a
week.
10 Jul. About 1500 of 'A' Force have arrived in Singapore.
Confirmation of Capt. Mull's death.
12 Jul. Have new job. Assnt. OM for Coy.
13 Jul. Had emergency black-out at 9.30 pm. At 11.30 a Recce
plane came over dropping 2 flares and taking photos.
All keyed up thinking it to be one of our planes. Learned next
morning that it was a Nip stunt.
15 Jul. Received 4 letters from home yesterday and 2 today also 1
from U.Bill. Latest one Aug.'43.
16 Jul. Had my hair cut short today, Looks queer but feels cool,
17 Jul. No more mail yet. Been reading some good books lately.
Farson, Huxley, Thorne Smith etc.
23 Jul. An offr from Malay Vol, went AWL to visit his Eurasian
wife in Singapore. Was caught by Nips - result - we have a check
parade each night now. Have to stand round for half an hour or
more.
 

39.
25 Jul. More mail in. Mostly 24 worders up to Feb '44.
26 Jul. Rec'd 2 letters one Jul 43 and other Oct.43 both from
home.
28 Jul. Have beri-beri. My legs, especially my feet swell up each
day and become terribly stiff. Nothing I can get for it unless I
go into hospital and I don't want that.
29 Jul. 3 years today I left dear old Sydney . My thoughts have
been very much with my folks all day and I know they, themselves
will be feeling pretty miserable.
1 Aug, The commencement of yet another month! Maybe the next will
be a brighter one.
7 Aug. Les went into AGH today with skin disease.
9 Aug. Water supply has been off for 2 days -came on at lunch
time. Lovely to shower again. Sent my fourth letter card today,
I'd like to think I would race it home.
i2 Aug, Another air raid alarm tonight. Have been warned by Nips
to expect Air Raids any time from now on.
i4 Aug, Another dose of malaria I have. Go to AGH tomorrow.
15 Aug, 3 years in this country today and 2½years POW. Not bad
going! Admitted to AGH with 10th bout of BT malaria.
16 Aug. Les H.'s birthday. Both/of us in hospital. Had innoculation
for dysentery today.
17 Aug, A TAB needle today.
20 Aug, Watched a cricket match between the limbless soldiers
this afternoon - very crude, I believe there are 108 of them in
camp here. Dad's birthday. It's a Sunday and I've just been
picturing how we would spend the evening if I were home. Have
just turned back my diary pages to last 20 Aug, and smiled when
read 'hope to be back home for the next.' Well I'm hoping the
same this/year and I think my hoping will come true this time. Gee
how I miss home.
22 Aug. Discharged/from hospital today. Had another dysentery
needle.
1 Sep. And yet another month. 42 more bags of mail in.
2 Sep. Drawn out alarm today. None of our planes sighted. I guess
that's too much to expect.
3 Sep. 5th anniversary of war. Went to communion this morning,
Went for a swim last week. Enjoyed the walk through the palm
groves to the beach and water was lukewarm and beautiful.
4 Sep. Result of swim is that I have/Singapore ear again. Not too
severe this time. Played cricket last Sunday week down on the
pedang.
 

40.
8 Sep. Ear getting better.
10 Sep. Game of baseball between AIF and Yanks this afternoon.
Worth while to watch.
15 Sep. More wireless messages. Not one of the lucky ones.
18 Sep. First batch of another mail released last/night. Never
scored.
20 Sep. Rec'd Dec.43 letter from Unc. Chas.
21 Sep. Been playing poker. Won $9 but have finished up losing it
again.
22 Sep. Rec'd letter from Mum tonight. Malay class has been
discontinued after only 3 lessons.
25 Sep. Have rec'd 2 oz issue of tobacco in past fortnight.
27 Sep. Last of mail came/in tonight. I received 4 in all including
1 from Mum written on 29 Feb.
29 Sep. Heard funny story about one of the AIF walking up to
General Sito down at beach and mistaking him for a boong patted
him on the belly which was very noticable and said 'Bunya mukan
Joe'. No need to say how Sito performed
30 Sep. An AIF W.O. was picked up in Singapore by Nip gestapo
today and taken to Outram Gaol. Don't envy him as some of/the
stories that have/come back from here are almost unbelievable
Terrible torturing and sufferings causing many deaths..
1 Oct. Sunday and the opening of the swimming season back home.
Gee how I long to be back home. I wonder how much longer this
life is to/go on/for? Just turned back to notes for this day last
year, I guess I have/nothing to complain about.
3 Oct. Went out to work in the garden all day. Right on the water
front. Had a good day. Went to concert at night. Started to rain
soon after overture so had to discontinue as it is an open air
theatre.
4 Oct. Went to concert again tonight. A good show
6 Oct. Have a heavy chest cold and feel lousy. Just have to let
it take its course.
7 Oct. Taken on $10 bet with Les that we will be free by the end
of this year, I wonder?
8 Oct. Went to general church service tonight.
9 Oct. Monday and exactly 11 weeks to Xmas day. How I pray that I
will be free by then.
13 Oct. Have BT malaria again.
14 Oct. Came into hospital today. Don't feel too bad.
18 Oct. Feel alright now.
Bunya Mukan. Plenty food
 

41.
20 Oct. Had air raid alarm tonight.
21 Oct. Had another alarm this am. Things look pretty good. Came
out of hospital today
25 Oct. 2 months to Xmas Day. Chances are small now of being home
or even free by Dec 25 - still one never knows,
27 Oct. 71 more bags of mail in.
28 Oct. Dear Mum's birthday. My thoughts with her all day.
29 Oct. Darts are the craze now. We have a board and have commenced
a ladder for the hut.
30 Oct. Went to funeral of AASC chap who died last night, Was in
Outram Gaol. 54 present at funeral. Nips paid tribute by present
arms. I trailed behind with 6 chaps and a trailer load of wood
which we used for cremating him. Very crude.
3i Oct. Some mail released last night. I got none. Full moon
tonight. Glorious night.
1 Nov. Still another month slips by
5 Nov. Yes! It actually happened this am. After a lapse of close
on/3 years a number of our OWN planes came over Singapore about 11
Approx. 27 B29's. Never heard any bombs drop but the Nips provided
a good display filling the air with Ak AK. An unexploded shell
fell in the hospital area and buried 11 feet into the ground. It
was a grand feeling to watch our bombers coming over in waves and
to know that we are not entirely forgotten, Got 2 letters tonight,
1 from Gwen and i from Dooley. Nov and Oct 43.
8 Nov. Another air raid alarm at 12 noon. Only 1 of our bombers
sighted.
11 Nov. 2 minutes silence observed for Armistice Day. 1000 days
POW today
16 Nov. Received 2 more letters, 1 from Gwen and one from Aunt
Ede. Oct 43.
18 Nov. A black day for us. Nips stopped our weekly tobacco issue
and only 650 lbs of green tops as vegetables for 9000 men. No
smokes in canteen so one looks like being forced to give it up -
cigarettes are $20.00 a packet of 20.
20 Nov. One B29 came over at 6.30 pm. A surprise appearance as we
were looking at the plane before Nip Ak Ak and the alarm began.
No bomb dropped.
22 Nov. 5 of us including Don and Les had a gallon of home-made
brew tonight- cost S20.00 but was worth it. Made the old head
spin a trifle.
 

42.
24 Nov. Bill H. has malaria again. Smoking a problem now. Cigars
not as thick as my little finger and only a shade longer. 25¢
each. My pay is only 30¢ a day. Still why worry. Going to Malay
class tonight.
1 Dec. Soon be Xmas now and it certainly does not look like being
a very bright one. Rations are very poor these days and I always
feel hungry
4 Dec. Went swimming this afternoon, Always makes me homesick
when I go down to the water.
6 Dec. Saw exhibition of toys made by the camp for Internees
children at Syme Road. Really amazing what has been made.
8 Dec. 3 years today since this war started. A lot of chaps
expected something big to happen today but they have been
disappointed once more. No air raids for about a fortnight.
13 Dec. Les went to AGH with stomach disorder.
17 Dec. Received letter from Dad dated 1 May 44.
18 Dec. Another Nip training plane crashed near the drome today
and killed the occupant, This is second crash in 4 weeks - not
enough!
19 Dec. Play darts 3 nights weekly in League 'A' Grade team.
20 Dec. Brown-out at lunchtime today.
21 Dec. Went to AIF Concert tonight. From 7 to 8 pm special
programme for Nips - about 50 Koreans present. From 8.15 till
10.15 there was the pantomime 'Twinkle Toes'-a darn good show.
Most of music written in this camp.
22 Dec. Broadcast to home being recorded tomorrow. Musical numbers
and a number of individual messages. I was not one of the lucky
ones to draw a message.
24 Dec. Xmas Eve. Went to church service tonight.
25 Dec. Xmas Day - 5th in/the army, 4th away from home and 3rd as
a POW. Was a lovely fine day and everything went off splendidly.
More spirit was shown amongst the men than on either of the
previous Xmases. Full and plenty to eat and smoke - the only
thing missing was the grog, although there were plenty of home
brews around the camp. The/menu which I will write down will/in
later days appear scanty and plain, but after what we have been
eating for the past few months it was a treat to us.
This War - in Malaya
 

43.
BREAKFAST: l¼pts sweet pap with soya beans -cheese cup - fish
rissole. (We added a grated coconut to the pap -Don,
Les and I. The cheese we were told was rotten when it
came into the store but it tasted OK.)
LUNCH: 1 pt. veg, whitebait and rice hash. Veg pasty and fish
rissole, a dried herring.
(We added the herring, sprouted towgay ¾coconut and
oil to the hash and fried it making a good nasi goering)
DINNER: 1 pt of vegetable stew, 1 fish rissole, 1 veg pasty
1 whitebait turnover, 2 sweet pasties, 1 sweet cup
(I managed the stew and Doovers then went outside
later in the evening and had a pt. nasi goering.
When supper time came I was too full to eat as were
most others.)
We had no meat or pork this year. Still everyone seemed quite
satisfied. My thoughts were at home most of the day - how I would
love to have been there with my folks.
26 Dec. A very big majority are off color and have the 'squitters'
A chap out at/the hospital attempted suicide by cutting his throat
with a razor but didn't succeed. Believed to have lost his taste
and voice. He was under observation for some time previous to
this happening. Another chap who went through the wire and fell
out of a coconut tree while collecting nuts was brought back to
hospital in a critical condition.
27 Dec. The chap mentioned above died
29 Dec. Went outside to see Bill H. tonight. Go out about weekly
and have a yarn.
31 Dec. Pa's birthday, The last day of 1944. Will be thinking of
my folks at midnight and I pray that the coming year will bring
peace and see us all back home with our loved ones again. Sat up
tonight with Les and Don and Les Browne till about 1 am. Was a
beautiful moonlight night and we drank a toast to freedom with
COLD TEA at midnight. Not much noise although quite a number
received duckings in bath tubs
1 Jan. 1945. A holiday for everyone. Meals no different from
usual except that the quantity was increased a trifle. We made
a/good nasi goering out of lunch, Tony being chief cook.
3 Jan. Went out to see Bill H. in afternoon, Gave me S10 which I
eventually accepted. First time he has given me any money so I
don't feel too bad about taking it from him.
4 Jan, Another cold which I have had for some time has settled on
my chest. Weighed yesterday 11-3
Pts. Piots: Pap. Gruel: Towgay - similar to bean sprouts: Thro' the wire - AWL
 

44.
5 Jan. Went out to work on road today. During day I work 1½hours.
6 Jan. Went down to valley garden today. Very pleasant working
down there.
8 Jan. Very vivid dream of Bobbie last night. I have a good sun
tan now and look pretty fit. Air raid alarm today. I saw 1 B29
apparently doing a recce.
10 Jan, Another alarm today. We were watching one of our B29's
circling around at least 10 minutes before the siren sounded.
Just did a recce.
11 Jan. Went out to work in/the/garden today. At about 10.15 am the
alarm sounded and at 11 am we saw the first B29 come into sight.
The raid lasted three quarters of an hour during which time
approx. 40 of our bombers were seen, I having a ringside seat.
Our planes came over in ones and twos at about 25000 feet. Nip Ak
Ak was very heavy and probably accounted/for 1 plane. There were
many Nip fighters up and on numerous occasions I saw their fighters
diving on our bombers and could hear the machine gun fire. Saw 1
Nip fighter take a dive to earth. One plane, presumably ours,
exploded in mid air. Quite possible that a Nip fighter crashed
into him. Bombs were dropped over Seleta Drome, Base, Railway and
Docks. A few hundred casualties amongst civilians and 4 AIF on a
party in Singapore were wounded and sent out here to hospital. No
definite figure of losses yet. It was a grand sight that has
boosted up the morale of the camp very much.
12 Jan. No further news of the raid and no more planes seen today.
Nips had an ARP exercise tonight.
13 Jan. Nips claim to have shot down 11 bombers. We know of 1
definite loss yet BBC says Singapore was raided and all bombers
returned safely. Good propaganda anyway.
14 Jan, 2 B29's over at midday doing a recce.
15 Jan, 2 years 11 months POW today.
16 Jan. On 13 Jan. I got $125 from B. Cost- $5 for £1. Have divided
it equally between Don, Les and self. Cost us £.8-6-8 each, payable
when we are released. Played in semi final of 'A' Darts League
tonight and got beaten.
17 Jan. Played darts up at the/kitchen tonight. Boy, what a supper
we had. More pasties and doovers than we could eat
18 Jan. Went out to work in/the garden today. Played darts tonight
to decide whether we got into finals or not, Were beaten 11-10
Thank goodness we've finished. I'm fed up with the bloody game.
 

45.
Les and I had a trifling argument last night and now he tells me
that he wishes to sever all connections with me. It seems a pity
seeing that we, including Don, have been together ever since
leaving Australia. Still if he feels that way it suits me. I owe
him nothing. In fact I think I have been bloody good to him in
the past, I've shared all I've ever had with Les, but I know he
has not played the game with me. Still-tid apa. Live and learn
they say.
21 Jan. Two brown-out alarms today. No planes sighted.
24 Jan. Dooley's birthday round about this date. Les seems to
have forgotten about his disagreement with me. Brown-out at 12
midnight.
25 Jan. Always thought this diary would be sufficient to hold my
notes whilst a POE, but there doesn't look much chance now although
it should be close. (Although I say this I don't feel very
optimistic at the moment.)
26 Jan. Black-out siren sounded 3 am. No planes over. At 12
midday a B29 glided gracefully over our camp. Five minutes later
the Nip siren sounded. Caught with their pants down once again.
27 Jan. Pay day. Got $9.00 for a month. Not much considering
sugar $12 a lb, c'nuts $1.50 and cigars 50¢ each. Palm oil is
best buy now $1.80 a measure. Went for a swim this morning. A
beautiful morning and put me in mind of Balmoral.
29 Jan, Another plane over today on recce. Chaps just back from
Non Product Thailand tell how our planes were straffing the area
near their camp. In one raid 9 English and 2 AIF and 300 Nips
were killed. Very bad business.
i Feb. If things progress as well this month as they have during
Jan. it won't be long now. Approx. 100 of our planes raided
Singapore this morning. Raid lasted an hour. A grand sight. Only
a/few Nip fighters in opposition, a couple of which were forced
down. Many, many bombs dropped. Sounded over Naval Base. Left big
fires burning.
2 Feb. Have Sing, ear. Dutch specialist treated them both this
morning. Very painful and at the moment I am almost stone deaf.
One of our recce planes over this morning.
3 Feb. Ears a little better. Vincent treating them now. Recce
plane over.
4 Feb. Recce plane over.
Tid apa - doesn't matter (Malay)
 

46.
7 Feb. Went to AIF theatre the other night. Three of Coward's
plays - Red Pepper, Ways and Means and Fumed Oak. Very good
9 Feb. Went to work in garden today. Have another cold coming on.
10 Feb. Recce plane over, Rations are being cut. Present scale
not bad with rice at 17 oz per day. Not sure what new scale is
yet.
11 Feb. Rations cut from today. Hvy duty, light duty and no duty
scales. Hvy duty which has the majority are unchanged. Light and
no duty not too good. Menu for me today was l½pts pap for breakfast
Lunch -black tea and 1 rissole (1 oz of rice). Tea - three quarters
pt. rice and stew, and 1 pasty. It hurts to see some with a
plate full of hash for lunch while others including me have I
rissole enough for 1 mouthful. Still it's a Nip order so can't be
worried. Going to continue diary in new notebook.
15 February 1945. Celebrating a double event- commencement of my
new diary and the completion of 3 years as a POW. When I look
back over all that has happened it seems a lifetime. It is hard
to realise that for the past 3 years I have been ordered about by
little yellow buggars, not seen a single white woman and lived
(or better still existed) on a diet of rice with very little
else. Home is a very dim picture in my mind now but surely in the
near future this picture will be brought back to real life.
I went out to work today and/at midday watched 6 of/our B29's do a
systematic recce of Singapore Island, Another chap out of 2 Coy,
an Aboriginal, died 2 days ago and I went to his funeral.
16 Feb. Weather has been very cold and wet for the past few days.
On the Drome today 2 chaps from the 2/29 who were trading with a
Tamil apparently got into an argument and one of our chaps struck
the Tamil over the skull with a chunkol. The Tamil died later so
now the 2 chaps concerned look like getting into strife. They
deserve all they get is the general opinion of the boys.
17 Feb. Black-out sounded at noon but no planes were sighted
by us, Went to AIF theatre again tonight to see Noel Coward's 3
plays. Excellent show.
20 Feb. Recce plane over every day. Bombs dropped on Seleta
today- could hear them plainly above the pouring rain.
21 Feb. Went down to Padang and watched AIF Med. defeat American
and Dutch Offrs at basketball. Don't know where they get the
energy to play.
 

47.
22. Feb. Went out to work today. Rained all day so we sat in Chinaman's
house till lunch time when we had a darn good feed and then came
home. Very amused by Chinaman smoking his bamboo water-cooled
pipe. The pipe was almost as big as himself.
24 Feb. Big raid this morning. Lasted 2 hrs. Total 105 B29's
came over and dropped hundreds of incendiaries on the docks,
gedangs and ? setting off the oil tanks and causing huge
fires.
25 Feb. Recce planes over this morning to view the damage done,
Sent up terrific barrage of Ak AK over Naval Base but to no
avail. Received radio message from Mum on 23rd and sent reply
yesterday. Very thrilled.
28 Feb. Recce planes have been over daily.
1 Mar, My birthday and I am 25 and to think I was 20 when I
enlisted and 21 when I left home. This is my fourth birthday as a
POW. Don gave me a big cigar for a present!
2 Mar. Another big raid which lasted over an hour. Approx. 50
planes over but don't know where bombs were dropped. Four of them
came directly overhead. It's not a very pleasant feeling, firstly
the thought of bombs, secondly they draw Ak Ak fire and shrapnel
flies everywhere. Five chaps out at hosp. area wounded by a
cannon shell shot from a B29. Heaviest barrage of AK Ak I have
yet seen. Many Nip fighters in action.
4 Mar. A Red Cross ship has arrived and this afternoon Les went
in with others to stack parcels in St. Andrews School.
5 Mar. Don went in with a party of 150 this morning. Les arrived
home at 10 am very weary having worked all night. Apparently all
parcels and no bulk stuff.
8 Mar, A Nip offr. took exception to our present concert 'Music
Thru the Years', consequently the theatre is to be closed down.
9 Mar, The AIF Concert Party which has been together for the past
3 years is to be broken up in a day or two and they return to
their units. I am to take over the job of Squad CSM of 2 Squ. in
a day or so. Big further cut in rations commences tomorrow. Hvy.
duty 275 gms rice. Light duty 225 and no duty and hospital 180
gms. 28.4 gms to the oz so things are going to be pretty tough.
10 Mar. No raids or recce. planes over for some days now. New
rations commenced today. 8 oz of rice!