Papers relating to the service of Cyril John Watson, 1941-1945 - Part 1

PR86/174

Lieut. C. J. Watson.

Austr. Tank.

AIF. 

Changi.

15 June ‘42.

Bukit Timah.

Camp 5

Dear. Cyril,

Stan has just told us that he is off to Changi, so,

I am writing a short note.

We are now working 2 days on and 1 off from

0900 to 1830 and it is pretty. solid. Guards have been bringing 
it on” a bit lately, and the officers of our Coy. were struck
over the head with a stick a few days ago, for refusing to

drive the men, but things are quietening down a little. I
think the news from day to day. affects their tempers.
Fortunately to day is our day off, and it is usually.

spent washing clothes, cleaning up and then spice drill.

I think perhaps if things are a bit in the air out

there my valise would be better here, unless you would

like it to carry your own gear.

Do you think you could get me a cape, as

mine has been swiped on the job. You may be able to

get onto one out there.

Many thanks for Nola’s photo, it makes me very.

homesick.

Hope you are well. I am 100% and feeling very fit.

Regards to yourself and all the rest at Changi.

In haste:
CWT:

I am very well - have done the

usual thing, or what seems to be
the usual thing in action, and lost

a fair bit of weight - only 12 st 7 lb
now - but that won't hurt me.

In fact it suits me.
My word, Tojo is having fun, someone

must have delivered him up a load

of shells. This is the first time he 
has gone in for this Artillery business

in a big way.

We now have a new Battery Commander,
Major Schneider, who came from the

Middle East. Seems a very decent
chap, with plenty of action and
just what we want.  I am very
pleased with the change.
Charles is still full of beans
and very well. Has also lost about 
a stone in weight.
Rossy had a pretty nasty smash
on his bike the other night and
is in hospital (broken leg & arm, I think).
Well I hope to have the time

very shortly to write you an

interesting letter of this Malayan
adventure. Give my love to Fay

and all the family.

Lots of love
Cyril
 

Printed air mail form - see original document.
[*Returned to me
Changi 14/4/42*]
Mrs. T. W. Watson,

62 Mitchell Street,
Bendigo,
Victoria

(signature)[[Watson?]]

 

From VX39067
Lieut. C. J. Watson,
13 Battery
4 Aust Tank Regiment, R.A.A.
A.I.F.
Malaya.

VX39057
Lieut. C. J. Watson
13 Battery
4 Aust Tank Regt.
A.I.F.
Malaya.
8 Feb. 42.

Dear Mother and Father,
You will gather
that I have been ducking with expert

swiftness when you receive this letter.

It is rather amusing in a way here
at present, or rather we are seeing the
funny side. We are in our humble

dwelling on the majestic island of
Singapore and there is a beautiful
thunder storm in process. Just to make 
things really merry, Tojo is airing his

artillery. My new D.R, who is a 
hard case, has been trying to decide

which noise is which, but is failing
rather badly.
We have been busy digging away

until the rain came, and then it
becomes so sticky that if you don't

get out quickly you become bogged.
I am just writing this as a short

note to let you know all is well.
Time at present is valuable and for
several weeks now we have been
going flat out. However this is a 
rest for us, as we usually manage
a full nights rest, and don't have to

be on the job at first light in the 

morning.
I forget when I wrote to you last,
I have lost touch with time. I know

it was some time ago, but I know

you will understand why you have
not heard. Of course, these letters are
probably being held up, and not
reaching you quickly.

I trust you are not all worrying

unduly for me. I shall be O.K. 

Hawthorn

31.12.41.

76
My Darling _/
This is the last day of the year, &

what a strange lot of things have happened.
I hate to see another year in, without you, it will
be the first time for a few years. It is going to 
be be a funny night to night, we three are going to 
the local pictures & then on to Kendalls.  Auntie Pat
has asked her neighbours in also, as their daughter,
who I knew before, is in a similar position to me.

Do you remember the other three lads that were
with us last time, they are scattered. Steven in
Canada, Steve Vance, somewhere at sea, & Ray where
he was, at Frankston.

I was speaking to [[?]] this morning, she should 

be going to hospital any day now. Apart from

knowing Steve had departed, she was very much
in the dark where to, & couldn't send word if any
thing had happened the last few days
This morning I received the Straits Annual &

other things. It looks more interesting than the one
M^rs Hardie sent me. I should imagine from the
wine list, that you would be mostly interested in 

2
the last page - Aerated waters etc. & not the least
beers. I love the way they put, in case of beer -

at the bottom of the page, Melb should adopt that

slogan, when anything of importance is being held.
After the last Xmas, it almost got cold, &

to-day just looks like warming up again.

I received another letter last Monday, one for
Dad also, I told him he is very honoured. Those
letter cards are a very good idea. I also made
a discovery on the postage stamp mark. That
one & one other had [[Juhou?]], stamped in the circle.

Does this indicate anything, now don't be a
[[meanie?]] & not say, you could easily say, 'yes

its is" to a little thing like that. Lucy & I
had the idea you were a long way from that.
The owner, from next door told us the other 
night, that he thinks he will make a slit trench
in his yard and [[underneath?]] the fence into us.
You know our large yard, it would be an
entrance & that's all. Just imagine us sitting
in our little trench

This morning I have been working away, cutting
beans & shelling peas. I don't want to make
you hungry, but we x are having turkey.
Although they are such a price, it is eating
money & these days it is very wrong. 

Fragments of air mail envelope - see original document.
 24057

ot. C.J. WATSON

3 BATTERY
4 ANTI TANK REGIMENT.
A.I.F. MALAYA

034859
58½ M.P
4 men on [[?]] [[?]]

20 M (Sun  [[?]] [[?]], but I am back on

Breakfast interrupted with [[blood?]] hosp. for tablets.

Meals O.K.. if I was feeling like them. A.R Blue
B'fast - Plantain [[usabi?]] & fried veg.

Lunch - Yak sauce (8½ K, gul & shank), greens
fried vegs, baked Tapi.
Tea - Rice, greens, Sav. veg, cream Tapi.
Gardens doing very well. Beans, [[?brirjal]],

artichoke coming in, & K'hang quality improving
RT & H.G to evening mess.
21 M (Mon.) - Back dressed - A.R. rest & 1 plane
passes over about 1015 hrs. Meals [[decrd.?]] I eat

[[meat?]]first full day, plus back-up, for some time
B'fast. - green nasi;  Lunch - Veg. Greens, tomato sauce
Tea - Plain nasi (crasked back-up) & greens.
R Rechs' birthday, V is ill in evening.
Very few heavy duty (37) in camp. Tobacco short
Leaves us demonic. Racket can stallion job.
Very hot night. First sleep on blanket for months.
Eng. Off Dies.
22M (Tues) - On 2 days L.D. - glaze area hut. A.R Blue

Quiet day. Drying ginger. 412R. veg. ration 28-29M

23 M (Wed) - Weed bean bed as L.D. Heaving Song
then Red goes. In trench twice in morn. R.T done
over on bean stick party.
34-M. (Thurs) - Hard boiling day. Good rain last night
WP - JM saw in morn, but fixed up. Make saline

[[soap?]] - with MB: V.R. does somersault into drains.

M.9 (Frid) - quiet day. Some rice tomatoes

[[(?Biryal x)?]] Talks chocolate dipping [[?]]

for evening. JF. gives us boarding house

life at tea time.
N 10. (Ascension day) Communion 0930.
Very quiet day. Finding reading, &
concentration of any sort very hard.
[[?]] our garden & rice.
B'fast - porridge & sweet sauce
Lunch - Plain rice & greens.
Tea - Plain rice & greens.

Chat with Maj. Carter on Progress in Viet.
loaves with supper tea. Just so-so.
M.11 (Fri) - wood party. Hand dressed [[doors?]]
Recce pl 4eng. over 1045 hrs. Meats rice.
No veg. in. Become food conscious having
excellent (I think) ideas, at any rate.
M12 (Sat) Into kitchen for A.R. alarm about

1030 hrs, but nothing happens.
C.O. M.B to mess which proves very successful
Workers ration (rice) comes in. 115R.

N.SD back from hosp. J.M fairly well on [[?]]
M 13 (Sat) - Wood chop with F.A before
B'fast. AR. due but nothing further.
Feeling off in afternoon. M.Q V. RT. to
[[?]]. Ill during night. Feeling
rotten. [[traditional?]] [[rept.?]] worked 

M14 (Mon) - Feeling lousy. Take [[gr?]]
Boil on back. Quiet day. W.P. done

over by G^d. Trucks rolling again.
Camp out of tobacco & nerves strung.

Papaya, banana leaf etc in demand.

Good rain in evening. "Churning" on
Follow Grain: a/c. Vet, be, them. agency

as profitable service acquisition.
Question of fruit liquour from brandy.
First wine since Boxing Day I have
not finished [[?]]. Kegs roll in 
again.
19.15 (Tues). Very quiet undisturbed 
day, except that I am having "tummy"
trouble. Strange here to have trouble
eating. Cyst on back cut  two places
in pain. Day on back. J.M back from
hosp. Still "?". Giving away greens

at tea. Try wood ash & water.

Cyril the "Peacemaker" (!) at work.

R.M.S & W.P ; W.P & J.F; J.M & W.P.
Brochioin rest ec. Disturbance
last night, Brit. Off. & O.R caught
[[?]] pl. About 600 k, root veg.

1000 plant^ns (50c). K.Ms. here - beri

resetting again.
16M (Wed) Hosp in morn - cant eat
b’fast - check on some Sod. Bic. tab.

B.R & 1 4 eng. plane (poss. fly. H.) over
no lunch received. have some in fresh
Ginger issue (about ½k) Good rain

for garden. Just poking meals down.

Back rather sore. J.M. cuts adrift from team,
Difficult man, or I am seeing the real man!
17 M. (Thursday) - Tummy same. 3 A.R. blues
during day. Can't eat greens, swap for bun.
Spending day very quietly O.B.D. More 
Tapi in. Find reading hard, every [?]] at ^ present.
18. (Fri) - Still upset. Wood party posted
until 1600 hrs. Weed bit of bean bed.
Kitchen racket disturbed in early morn.
[[Cimd?]] bowl of rice discovered. Enquiry 
opened. Wood party cancelled. Cards to be
sent home again. 8 from camp can send eleven

sentences. A.R. blues most of day.

19. (Sat) - Wood party 0830 hrs I am still N.D.
Weed bean bed. Pig manure in afternoon.

A.R. & into trench, hear but see nothing.

Camp almost wholly out of tobacco, & do I hope
it comes in. J.F moves into our area

Days occupied with diplom. ticking off here &
there. I am mentally ok, otherwise -? Cook,veg
YAK, good after