Papers relating to the service of Cyril John Watson, 1941-1945 - Part 15

JUNE.
SUNDAY 20th. - Canteen seems good
again. Plenty of [[?]] & bananas. Boys cook
[[?]] & fruit tarts. Cannot finish them
Keith takes Mattins & evensong. Reading
most of day.
MONDAY 21st. - Men out to work today.
Bananas, papayas, & pineapple plentiful in
canteen. Fruit salad for tea.
TUESDAY 22nd - Not feeling too hot.
Have touch [[?]]. [[?]] of camp
allowed. Old one blocked, new guard house
in use. N very good. [[??]] in camp
behind new H.Q. area.
WEDNESDAY 23rd. - Still a bit of [[?]]
Reading "Word from England" by Tom Bridges
& Kodak on "How to make good pictures."
Latest good story from Osborne at new
I.J.A. office - "We have lovely new office &
good system, everything is running like
a well oiled machine. I was a cog in the
machine. My job is to receive & read
your reports & recommendations - & to
throw them in the waste paper basket."
Work party just outside fence on road.
THURSDAY 24th. - Usual day. Cleaning
up for visit by Major Suga who does
not appear. [[?]] for the Offrs. Elect
hut reps. for committee to handle
our [[?]] & entertainments - to be
allowed in the red house once per
week. Maslow our rep. We shall see
what comes of this. Still no mail.
JUNE
FRIDAY 25th .- Major Suga arrives by
plane. No fruit in canteen today.
Reading , "The City of Gold" by F B. Young.
Standing by in afternoon for parade for
Suga, who arrives late & has quick look round.
Makes short address - not [[?]] to his standard.
[[????]]
SATURDAY 26^th. - Rains heavily in night &
still showering [[??]]. No work in the
morning. Dull in afternoon. I make
pastries filling with beans, [[?]] & onions.
Excellent pineapples coming in.
SUNDAY 27^th - Communion, [[leading?]]
nearly all day. No Tapioca - food position
not too good. Fruit still coming in.
MONDAY 28^th. - Boiling clothes & cooking
most of day. [[?]] coffee for the workers.
Small quantity of fish comes in & fry
for lunch. Keith [[?]] telling us [[?]]
[[?]] stories re [[Grindel?]] & [[Hoshi?]].
[[Number?]] of Malays trying to get horse
off [[?]] & [[?]]. Gunter [[?]]
horse & [[?]] it. Then gangplank is
too narrow, & while waiting for
extension, Gunter walks off & horse
follows. [[?]] has [[??]] so has
good hold over guards. Never has
trouble with them. Small amount fish
in the canteen
TUESDAY 29th - Quiet day. Held pork
scones into canteen. Braise it in [[?]]
Very [[?]]. [[?]] loses hat and [[?]]
[[??]] give us "[[??]]".
 

JUNE
WEDNESDAY 30th - W.P & F Anchovy [[?]]
today. No credit left in canteen but
should
have $10.00 at least left. We are to go
to [[?]] on tuesday. [[??]]
8 pts of compass & [[?]]
July
Thursday 1st. - Boil slacks & shirt.
Make pasties for tea. [[?]]
in canteen are rising. Oil now 30^c
FRIDAY 2nd. - Cyril Spring & I go into
[[?]] with party collecting rice.
So 3 trips. Good to see outside world.
All Brit names painted out in [[?]].
they pretty place. W.P. in afternoon.
See Aust. D^rs wife. Have shorts cut
down by George. Show over in N. Guinea.
SATURDAY 3rd. - Quiet day. Usual
bit of working. Reading "For whom the
bells tolled" by Ernest Hemingway.
Lights taken out of huts today. Looks
like a period of of darkness. [[?]] out
of hosp.
SUNDAY 4th. - Communion. [[?]] party
to [[??]] in afternoon. Not bad
afternoon. I.J.A. having sports which
we watch. Form of wrestling, running xx
Plenty of pineapple, bananas & papaya.
coffee, some sugared peanuts, toffee,
biscuits. Played gramaphone, & Sagai
came in & [[?]]. Had a good feed.
JULY.
MONDAY 5th. - Usual quiet day with a lot
of smoking & reading. Another man thro'
[[?]] canteen for about $75.00 Someone
tries to interfere with [[Grouse set?]].
TUESDAY 6th. Same sort of day. Believe
Nugari is ill. Larger parties for 'drome to
the finished [[?]] Setting teacans
around 'drome. Have had us [[?]] for
several days.
WEDNESDAY 7th. - Same sort of day.
Weather very hot & sultry. Heavy rain
storm about 2100 hrs. Second party goes
to [[?]]. Have good time. The dressing
up to go out so very funny.
THURSDAY 8th. - Start early & boil
sheets and mosquito net. [[?]] very
awkward stage & stands up. Drome to
be finished today & then 3 days holiday.
Ted [[?]] has put in grouse oven
and it [[?]] used for the first time today.
George & Dan still in hospital.
FRIDAY 9th. - Quiet day reading "Leaves
from a Surgeons Case Book." Bake some
pasties for tea. Very heavy thunderstorms
by night. Lightning terrific [[?]] out
transparency. Terrific noise & blinding
flashes & heavy skies. Comes in roof &
nearly floods my bed.
 

JULY
SATURDAY 10th. - Airing clothes in [[?]].
Another book - 'Dr Bradley Remembers' F.B. Young
[[?]] in the evening.
SUNDAY 11th. Communion. Keith cooks
morning tea. Another party t [[?]]
Carry John Flett & Dick Craig up there.
MONDAY 12th. - [[?]] day. Keith in. relieved
by Jock McLean. Obtained "Nanking Road"
by Vicki Baum. [[Read?]] in evening in Capt
Cooks cubicle. Toddy & [[I?]] have conference with
[[?]] & are to build miniature sports grounds
I feel very cheered with ", our men into Sicily
& off^ve in Sth Pacific.
TUESDAY 13th. - Quiet day reading, [[?]]
plays of houses with Gail Young. [[The?]] evening
lecture on "18th Century [[?]] by Ian [[Payne?]]
WEDNESDAY 14th - Usual day. Last party to
[[?]] tonight for month. Work party
building swimming pool & synthetic playground.
THURSDAY 15th. - Jus t another day.
Rumors about going to Kuching again.
Cookin & Boiled [[?]] very nice.
FRIDAY 16th. - Medical board of all
Offs. today. Andrew to Hospital. Nearly all
put out to work. Ridiculous situation.
Tony Fahey cuts out a pair of shorts for me.
from bottom of [[??]].
SATURDAY 17th - C.W.P again. Enjoyed
the day & feel better for it. Have to do
washing when we come in. [[??]] here.
JULY.
SUNDAY 18th - Quiet day. Communion
Reading. Boil clothes. Cooking for [[?]]
Keith [[Tyers?]] cuts hair
MONDAY 19th - About to go to work
when holiday declared. Have been in
camp here for one year. Reading most
of the day. Storm at night. Beautiful
sunset. Low [[?]] dark mass of cloud
showing spectrum colors on small white
fleecy clouds near edge of mass.
TUESDAY 20th. - O.N.P. [[?]] day. Some
bananas came into canteen again.
Rumours that strife in [[??]]
Holiday yesterday. [[Boongs?]] at 'drome [[?]]
up & taken to [[?]].
WEDNESDAY 21st. - O.N.P.  [[?]] day -