Papers relating to the service of Cyril John Watson, 1941-1945 - Part 12

DECEMBER 1942

SUNDAY 6th

Raining most of day and night.

Hosh. puts on work as expected.

Vern & I on Do very little work.

Rain spoils what we do. Late lunch

leave by 4.45 pm. Felt very morose of late.

5 bananas issued for tea.

Monday 7th

My Guess- O.D.P More heavy rain.

Do not move out in morning. Leave 

1.30. Guards very hostile with Hosh.

Move out with many halts. track [[short?]] 

do no work. Boots ruined in wet. Concert put on

Tuesday 8th No rain in night.

Holiday today. War has been going 1 year.

Guards have exercise in morning.

Quiet day reading &c. Build stage

in afternoon. Fried fish for tea.

[[R? fish]]. Concert in our lines.

Wednesday 9th

No drome party, only road work.

More rain most of day. Concert 

evidently went off very well.

Pay in evening $7.78 (less $4.10

R.G.M 2.20 VR $1.83 W.P 1.42.

C.T.W. 2.33. Not bad.

DECEMBER 1942

O.D.P. Thursday 10th

Very little rain in night.

'drome washed badly. Still

going out the long way. Concert

in evening, Goes over very well.
O.D.P. Friday 11th  Little rain in night
Lunch at 11.30 and move out
at 1. Turfing in edge of strip.
Indians working on 'drome.
Hosh. finds his P.Ws at shop.
Saturday 12th
O.D.P. Gravelling & turfing 
Hosh wants 1200 men out of
camp or food cut down
Stew for tea. First for a long
time. Concert in evening.
"Radio Rubbish" went over very
well. N seems pretty good.
W.P out on Friday. Still few
not pulling weight.

DECEMBER 1942
Day rest. SUNDAY 13th
Communion. Washing & reading.
Rain most of day. Very heavy
storm at night. Heavy lightning.
Monday 14th
O.D.P.
'drome badly washed by storm.
Begin digging 2' drain along edge.
Small market. J. wrestling in
boxing ring in evening.
Tuesday 15th
O.D.P. Slight rain in morn.
Late inspecting Vern's Tinea &c
very bad. Capt Craig's lecture
"2000 miles by canoe."
Wednesday 16th
O.D.P. Filled in drain & have
nothing to do but no one
seems to worry.
Rumor Burma has fallen to us.

DECEMBER 1942
O.D.P.  Thursday 17th
Rain in morn. No work. Early
lunch & then to 'drome. Guards
very hostile, do no work. Game
of "bugs" at night.
O.D.P.  Friday 18th
Usual day. Talking George Gray
re N.G. and [[?]] [[?]]
Saturday 19th
Wedding Anniversary
O.D.P. Hoped to spend today
elsewhere.
Wood I gave Jonah comes back
as very handsome box

Hosh - Graduate I.J. university.
6 mths [[Manchuria?]], son 15 mths old.
DECEMBER 1942
SUNDAY 20th
Rest day. Long check parade. Hosh.
gives address to Offrs. - arrogance
to men, long war, slapping &c.
Walk P. Bell. Flem - "Only Capt &
Maj. will salute". Our pay scheme
wiped by Flem in favour of Sjt. Maj.
Monday 21st
O.D.P. Larger numbers on drome.
Changed guard & pressure is put
on. Offrs. insensed with Flems.
decision on pay. A/i J-a-J B Club
inaugurated. Choir practice.
Lessons in Jap. Pulled out on pde for Tanks.
Tuesday 22nd
O.D.P. Pressure on. Keith made
stand in the sun w/o hat &c.
Carry wood in from barracks. Back
in very bad humor. News v.g.
Entered into Burma. Lecture - Hoping
by W.O. Kinder. Wednesday 23rd Pay for 20 days
O.D.P. Hard days work. 3 more
stood up. Situation rediculous.
Then give us cigarettes. Very poor
life guard. Boots nearly finished.
Have been bringing in spuds.
Jonah gives me box. very nice.
Choir practice. Lights out 9 pm.

Tengko of a night very funny
with our lesson in Jap. orders.
Very few know any orders.
DECEMBER 1942
Thursday 24th
O.D.P. Reveille & Bfast earlier 0700 hrs.
Pushing us again. Evening meal
at 'drome, carry home timber. Special
guard for 10 of us. Xmas Carols & sketch
Hosh. present. Flem makes good address
N. so good it is censored. Carols 1130.
Friday 25th
Communion 0615 hrs. Great spirit
prevails in camp. Cooking everywhere.
Have dinner in cubicle in evening.
Very nice setting & makes feel good.
Saturday 26th
O.D.P. Another rather unpleasant day.
Hit on chest with brick. Rains at
lunch time. Tea at drome. Rumor
- Iberia bombed. Supper late. Orders
yelled by men at Tengko funny. B'shit
Hosh. shouts our dismiss orders in J
Xmas dinner - Pork stew, rissoles, bananas
dugong, Chips. Evening -Curry tiffin
chicken, pork & chips, cheese fruit tea
coffee & cigars. Speeches & toasts.
Everyone impressed. Everyone
seems very happy. Pressure
has been on us since last Sunday

Days at 'drome unpleasant, picking
on men & parties to stand still
in sun, with arms up &c. Tickets
for coffee, to best workers - no Sabotage
Verns & tinea looking much better.
DECEMBER 1942
SUNDAY 27th
Communion 0700 hrs. Washing then on
track job most of day. One pair shorts
are worn out. News very good - so good
but censored. Am very optimistic.
Afternoon tea - by Rae. Supper.
Monday 28th
O.D.P. Putting in new rail. All men
left in Camp on 'Tengko' sent out to
'drome. M.O's Padres &c. Coffee tickets
not redeemed. Two parties stand with
arms up. Johnny Morrisons semiconscious
Tuesday 29th
O.D.P. On another line again. Parties
filled. Last 25 min. of afternoon
standing up with arms up &
hit 3 times. Neck, arm & hip. Then
on tail when near camp, after
carrying wood.
Wednesday 30th
O.D.P. Parties reduced. O.P 35.
Heavy rain at lunch time. All
offrs. hit get coffee ticket. Trucks
hard to push & ground very wet.
My boots nearly in peices. Work
till 5. Tea in camp. 7 fritters tasty.
Keith says "Eat more rice."

H very good.
DECEMBER 1942
Thursday 31st
Holiday. Wash our room & clothes.
Rain. Hosh. inspects kitchen in afternoon
Orders in J. Interested in box. 2 hoppers
All men singing out & made slap each
other. All look for good New Years
FRIDAY 1st.
New Years day. Rain all day without
stopping. In bed all day, reading
and sleeping. Face N.E & salute
in morn. No chance to cook.
SATURDAY 2nd.
O.D.P. Chamfering again. Rain did not
wash much. Plane lands & takes
off about 2 hrs later. Quietest day
for some time. Henry goes to 
hospital. Many rumors at present
Very optimistic note of other &
hopes for finality this year. Shops
taken over here by. J. Talk of
food (fowls &c) being confiscated
by J. Rice difficult to obtain.
Talk of blockade on but things are
certainly not as easy to find

[[Rev?]] offrs are dodging parties now
things are tough so some of us
never have day off. However we
refuse to stoop to their tricks.
SUNDAY 3rd.  Rained.
Holiday. Communion. Reading &c
Quiz in morn. Hobbies Exhibition
very good. Maj. Owen not too good.
Very limited movement. Stew for
supper. Now very option. note.
O.D.P.  MONDAY 4th.
Late starting. Hard work in mud
and slush. Bashers not so bad.
Laurie Maddick gives us orders in J
on Tengko. Very tired. Rain in night.
TUESDAY 5th.
O.D.P. Work in rain. Knock off
occasionally. Work we do is
stupid as line busies, no oil
& still too soggy. Rice meal in
rice these days.
WEDNESDAY 6th.
O.D.P. Slightly late starting. Work
for almost 2 hrs. then rains. Lunch
& return about 2 pm. Lunch
[[?]] and lousy. Meals very poor
again. Coffee when we come in &
fried Tapioca keeps us going now.
Bananas are becoming scarce.

Merchants go from Sandakan sent
to 'drome to live & will work on
E end. Must not talk to them
according to Hosh.
THURSDAY 7th.
O.D.P. Looks like fine day but after
1 hour rain pours. Truck gets under
strip in water. [[Spades?]] [[?]] [[?]]
featuring Rae & St John - Excavators.
Home by road in parts under water.
Strip 1 ft under water in parts.
FRIDAY 8th.
Holiday from 'drome. Fine day
for washing &c. Had 3 extra feeds
of Tapi & coffee during day.
Exchanged slacks for shorts with
Jonah.
SATURDAY 9th.
O.D.P. Guard tips Len Jackson that
Bashers will do us up at Guard
change. Malays stood up and
belted. Bill Clayton hit on face.
Tension on party as day goes
on. Work quite easy, trucks
easy &c, but 3 men pass out
Nervous strain evidently too
much. Carry home very heavy
timber.

Songs from Concerts.
Pickfords Plums.
[[?]] Song Selection.
Yesterday. There'll always be an England.
Pagans Love Song. Student Prince.
Goodbye from White Horse Inn.
Funiculi Funicula
The night is young.
Goodnight my Love. Stardust.
Masie Farewell. "I'll see you again."
Xmas Carols. -
"While Shepherds watched" -
The First Noel. Silent Night.
Hark! the herald Angels sing.
Come all ye faithful.
The Holy City.

A Prayer.
O Lord, support us all the
day long of this troublesome
life, till the shades lengthen
and the evening comes and
the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over
and our work done;
then Lord in Thy mercy,
grant us a safe lodging,
a Holy rest and peace at
the last, through Jesus
Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Australian
War Memorial
PR86/174