Papers relating to the service of Cyril John Watson, 1941-1945 - Part 9

Understand, chaps in hospital are 

doing much better, food picked up &c.

We have stopped taking extras

over there.

MAY 1942
MOTHERS DAY. SUNDAY 10th     

Drill - Church parade - Essay.

Job for Sgt. [[Jarak?]] - over to unit &

played Bridge till 9.15. Then back 

to bed. Working party 2500 standing by 

on Tuesday for overseas. R.A.A. 500 men.

Monday 11th

Speculation as to fate of school, & who

is going on overseas party. Usual 

day. Lectures fair. Saw Vance later.
He, McBain, Smith, Dumbrell going.
G.1. Guest. period gave views on move.
Tuesday 12th
Usual day. Have Heard Churls. speech,
Very good. Lecture on Ordnance. Went
over kit store. No Trunk Good tea, meat
pasty. Over to unit for a while.
Wednesday 13th
Some leave school to join party, now
leaving tomorrow at dawn. Supposed
to have come over A.B.C re exchange prisoners.
Lectures Engls. To Unit for tea - rice
apricots, pasty, bully patty, biscuits &
marmalade. Concert. Said Au Revoir
Vance & boys. Saw Maj. Blanksby. 

Party leaving by transport this morn.
MAY 1942
Thursday 14th
Brig. Taylor - Lecture on Action on Island.
Parties moving all day. Strong furfies
re neutral ships &c. Lousy troops rat
all kits of Sing. parties. Saw Maj. Blanksby.
went for walk. Afternoon tea at Regt.
Went to bed full.
Friday 15th
All Offrs shifting to R.A.A. - Tps. to 2/10 quarters
Did two hrs. drill on padang at R.A.A.
Very tired. Lecture Major Hughes.
Squad  O.O in evening, finished washing.
Concert.
Saturday 16th

Drill - Lecture on Medical. Two lectures
in afternoon. Students lectures evening.
Walked over and saw Monty. B.
[[Shledly?]] had note from Vance - no news of note.
Acquired decent pair of shoes today.
Have had added milk rations lately, which
helps considerably. Meals fairly good
of late. Very little news of Eur. situation
I am feeling quite fit, inclined to tire
easily, but thinking more clearly. 

Today I intend writing summary of
events & sealing. Either to send home later
or for my own inform. later. Should eventually
prove interesting. Shall try to do this weekly.
MAY 1942
SUNDAY 17th
Church pde. G.O.C. present - Lunch - Essay.
Write resumé of Camp thoughts.
Over to unit after tea, then saw M.B.
Went for stroll, then home to bed.
Rumors prevalent that hosp. is going home.
Monday 18th
0800 Breakfast - 0930 Breakfast - 1030 Lectures No
drill. Lectures A.S.C. - students.
Walked unit & to see Maj. B. after tea.
Home feeling tired.
Tuesday 19th
Very listless feeling this morning.
Drill all morning - lecture. Col. Kappe
afternoon. Good lunch, and tea.
Meat pasty. Gave Maj. B. $10. Good news re
European situation.
Wednesday 20th
Breakfast - drill - lecture A.A.S.C. - lunch -
lectures, chaplains - Mess Ettiquette -
Div. H.Q. - Tea - Lectures by students
Walk to Unit & G.B.D. - Bed.
Maj. B. rather despondent & wants
"snapping out of it." 

MAY 1942
Thursday 21st
Breakfast - Coy drill all morning -
Lunch - Lecture Courts Martial.
Concert in evening (Still confident.)
Friday 22nd
Breakfast - drill on Padang. practising
for G.O.C. parade - Lecture A.A.Q.M.G. -
Students lectures. Walk to unit.
Supper (1 biscuit). Another work. party
required. (This is amazing coincidence.)
Saturday 23rd
Breakfast - practise for parade - Lunch -
lecture G.S.O.1. Appreciations.
Still very [[nice?]] rumors. 

MAY 1942
SUNDAY 24th
Parade for G.O.C. - Church parade
in New Chapel - Talk by G.1.
& G.O.C. - Back to Unit Building.
Monday 25th
Reveille any old time - Breakfast -
Salt water party - Lunch - washing
& gristing. - Tea - Walk to G.B.D
& supper with L.J.M.B. (Rolls & herrings.)
Tuesday 26th
Gristing in morning & washing.
Straightening things out. Concert
in evening. Japs come & watch.
Wednesday 27th
Gristing in morn. & onto it
again in afternoon. Nearly 
beat at finish. Read in
evening then bed. Some Changi
Pop.corn & dates. Have $5 left.
Rossy & Bob doing very well. 

MAY 1942
Thursday 28th
Breakfast - Salt water party. - lunch,
Trailer for bulk rations to Arty. square.
Quiet evening. Game cards.

Heard from Chas. today. Sent us
his suit case.
Friday 29th
Breakfast - Trailer party of O.R's to
Arty Square - Afternoon free,
many things I want to do with Kit.
Saturday 30th
Trailer party for wood all day.
Very hard work, on this diet.
Food O.K. - could be worse. I still
have small reserve. Typical day -
Breakfast - Porridge (rice or wheaten)
Lunch - Rice & Stewy soup.
Patty or bun
Tea - Rice & soup with Greens
Pasty - mainly rice filling
Biscuit (also supper) 

MAY- JUNE 1942
SUNDAY 31st
Communion.
Breakfast - Gristing rice & wheat -
lunch - read till 4. then to
lecture by Brig. Crawford. (El Mara
Townshends force.) Walk in evening,
saw remains of Bty.
Monday 1st
Breakfast - Salt water party - lunch -
Trailer to Arty. Square. Saw Skrivens.
Chat with C.O. - School report V.G. - Read in
evening. 3 Parties tonight. (G.B. & R.P.).
Tuesday 2nd
Rained early in morning - Breakfast -
Gristing - Lunch - Gristing at
mens quarters - Tea - Read in
bed. Bought 1 tin fruit 3 sardines cost
$1.75. Have $3.35 left.
Wednesday 3rd
Breakfast - Salt water (2 days supply) -
Lunch - visit Rossy & rest in hospital
Doing very well. Can notice wonderful
improvement - Tea - Concert.
Long talk with Padré O'Donovan.
Another School is starting. 

JUNE 1942
Thursday 4th
Breakfast - Gardening - Lunch -
Wood carting - Tea. Share tin fruit
with Padré. Extra pasty from P.P. Notice
today that Tps will be shifted from area.
Friday 5th
Breakfast - woodcarting for Hut 2 -
Lunch - gristing - Tea. Read most
of evening. Another pasty extra (P.P.)
Tea M&V with K. Crawford.
Saturday 6th
Breakfast - Gristing - lunch - gristing
Tea - lecture on Vitamins.
Second tin fruit with Padré. Letter
from Chas. per Maj. Quick. Sent him
photos of Nola. 

JUNE 1942
SUNDAY 7th
Holy Communion - Breakfast - church pde
Gristing - lunch - sewing &c. Tea
Walk to Education Centre &c. Saw Maj. B.
Possibly going to 22 Bde. Finished "Return to Malaya"
Monday 8th
2nd school starts.
Breakfast - Salt Water but did not go.
Cleaned belts &c. - Lunch - Trailer party to
Arty square - Tea - Talked food with Vern & Peck.
Supper. V.G news re Midway Is. Opened cheese.
Good rations today. 12 oz meat, 20 oz. vegetables.
Tuesday 9th
Breakfast - Agriculture party - Lunch -
Gristing, washing - Tea. Had big
supper. Pasty (2) Biscuits, rice & greens.
News we are to be paid $4.00 for month.
Wednesday 10th
Breakfast - washing, agriculture, saw
photos. Educ. centre - Lunch - gristing
read till tea - Tea - Concert. Very
Good effort, supper of rice, greens, biscuit.
Concert party still confident of going
home. Something brewing. 

JUNE 1942
Thursday 11th My birthday.
Breakfast - woodcarting - Lunch -
woodcarting - tea - big supper
party (Soup, rice, greens.)
Friday 12th
Breakfast - salt water party -
Lunch - gristing, cooked rice supper -
Tea - supper. Purchased goods from
Canteen for party. Maj. Owen back
from hospital.
Saturday 13th
Usual day - gristing - Hospital
in afternoon, Boys very well -
Paid today $4.00. - Tea, walk
to Canteen. Extra big supper, 1 egg
poached & egg flip. Then to bed.
News of the week good. Big force landed
in India, heavy losses in Naval battles,
Europe about same. Subs. in Sydney
harbour & shelling of Newcastle. 

JUNE 1942
SUNDAY 14th
Communion - Breakfast (no milk since Fri)
Salt water party, but is cancelled.
Lecture by Gen. Heath in afternoon.
Walk after tea, then supper & to bed.
Monday 15th
Breakfast - Gristing at Building 2 - Lunch-
Agric. party. Stan Illig out from
B. Timah, letter from Chas. sent G/sheet 
Tea - walk to Canteen, supper (2 eggs.)
Party moving to Katang cancelled.
Tuesday 16th
Breakfast - gristing . lunch -
Salt water party. walked to
canteen. Sgt. Jones got me 3 prs
shorts white.
Wednesday 17th
Usual day - gristing - salt water
party, Concert in evening.
Eggs for supper. Raisins,
peanuts at canteen. 

↓ Maj. Drabble from South Devon Ech over ←
to see Chas. & I today.
JUNE 1942
Thursday 18th
Breakfast - Woodcarting. Accident with
Trailer. Thomas & I came off. Wrist sore &
bit scratched. Lecture by Gen. Percival.
Concert. Another 1500 for overseas called↑
for. Good supper. Slept badly.
Friday 19th
O.O. this morning. Milk for Breakfast.
Wrist sore, rested. Vern over to other
building as Q.M. Taken off O.O. Cards
available for sending home.
Saturday 20th
Rested all morning. Wrote Card home
Vern & I chatted with John Morris
at Supply. Went to sleep in
afternoon. Big supper of rice & raisins.
Concert at building.
News fair. Libya - O.Tps back to Egyptn. Border
Kisch [[Resv?]] about to go. Churchill in America.
Curtin warns Aussies to wake up. Yankees
claim to have doubled their losses with
Jap losses. Big furphy - still going home.
Brit.Tps apparently moving at night. 

JUNE 1942
SUNDAY 21st
Breakfast - Church pde. Egg flip before
lunch - lunch - wrote Chas.
Monday 22nd
Quiet day - Packed Chas. valise.
Wrist out of bandage but very
stiff. Have egg flip of morning now
with stew.
Tuesday 23rd
Quiet day - decent meat issue.
Roast beef for Tea & good pasty.
"Rice going from store". Concert put off.
Wednesday 24th
Agriculture in morning. Lunch.
Vern & I visited hospital in
afternoon. Then cooked. Tea.
Concert (Review very good) Big supper
Patty & greens. Rice & blackberry jam.
Blackout tonight. 

News varied. We are pushed out of
Libya, but Russia adv. Ships sunk in
Straits Malacca.
JUNE 1942
Thursday 25th
Breakfast - agriculture. Marmite &c in
at canteen. Bought (1 lb dates) 1 lb raisins
2 oz. jar marmite $2.05. - Lunch - wood party.
Tea - concert again. Supper peanut meal & patty.
Friday 26th
B/fast - Salt water party - lunch - agric.
tea - cooked supper rice, raisins, & greens.
Supper on roof, beautiful night. I.J.A want
particulars re Aust. rds &c.
Saturday 27th
B'fast - gristing - lunch - agriculture
mount Gate Guard Offr 

JUNE—JULY 1942
SUNDAY 28th
Gate Guard all day. Cooked
in afternoon - big supper, rice
& raisins, bread roll & marmite.
Slept on verandah. Beautiful moonlight.
Monday 29th
Bfast - gristing - lunch - trailer
party to Arty square. R.A.A move
to other building. Men coming
to us.
Tuesday 30th
Bfast - gristing. moving into
building - lunch, mess now upstairs
again - wood party, lecture on
Norway by Gen. Percival. No supper (xpress)
JULY
Wednesday 1st
Bfast - cleaned out room - now only
Jim, Bill & I - lunch - gristing
 

JULY 1942
Thursday 2nd
Quiet morning Over to Ammo.
Pier (Fairey Pt.) in morning for
rations. Lecture by Maj Sandy
on "Chinese Army."
Friday 3rd
Not much to do. Washing &c.
Gardening in afternoon. Greens.
seeds & veg for supper.
Saturday 4th
Usual day. School passing out ceremony.
Odd jobs. made pannikins &c.
Rations very light. (?cause - overdrawn.)
Rumours rife this week. Libya fighting
back to Matruh. Sebastapol evacuated
Big. offensve. to begin in Pacific. 

JULY 1942
SUNDAY 5th
Communion - picked greens - lunch
Jim, Bill, Vern, Keith & I to hospital.
Boys doing well. Walk to Supply Depot.
Supper on small balcony.
Monday 6th
Weight 11 st. 12 lbs.
Bfast - washing then gardening. News
of another move - under 24 hrs notice.
Packing &c. Postponed 24 hrs. Almost
everyone going. Big supper - curried eggs.
RC Rations Arty Square in afternoon.
Tuesday 7th
Getting ready packing, washing &c.
Pay $2.50, Parade in afternoon
for G.O.C. I have too much gear. Egg
flip with chocolate. Good meals.
Wednesday 8th
Up at 0500 hrs. ^shower. Gear ready by 6. B'fast.
Leave Changi 1000 hrs. Board boat
rather small, very crowded on our
standards. Meals very disorganised.
Sweated like hell. Pull out from
wharfs in afternoon. Very tired. 

Party of 1500 in ship no more than 3000 tons
Our hold - length 25x width 8x -18x.
about 350 men. Deck space not
so big.
JULY 1942
Thursday 9th
Under way early. meals better, lack
tea & water. Pass other ships coming
in. Seem to be going S. of E. 2 big boats
seen going E. Hot restless night.
Friday 10th
Same old day sailing. Sea calm
Gen direction N of E. Looks like Borneo.
Meals poor - stew & limed rice. Passed
2 small islands to S. At evening, small
island with lighthouse to N.
Saturday 11th
Can sleep below O.K. now. Very dirty
& unshaven. Small water allowance.
Tea best part of meals. Passed one
spot near land where blue & yellow
water clearly defined. Don't know
where we are off to. Looks as though
the "[[Homers?]]" are as good as any.
Guards O.K. Situation could be much
worse, few "wingers" make small troubles
Life is just one long "up & down" from
hold for meals. Skin trouble showing
up on many of chaps. Going slowly. 

JULY 1942
SUNDAY 12th Had shave.
Dropped Anchor early in morning at
'Mersi". Can see many Oil derricks
on shore. High saddle backed mounts.
in distance. Country looks "wild".
Decided to leave on "Moustache."
Monday 13th
Still anchored. Ships name said
to be YUBI MARU. Hot while not moving.
Had hose on deck. Sailors going
ashore & coming back drunk. [[Batios?]]
hit by one. Tin of bully for tea.
Beautiful sunset.
Tuesday 14th
Up at 6 (water picquet) dawn magnificent
O/C Guard says he will be i/c of us. Are
going down E coast. 20 leave this afternoon.
Very hot. Have slight Tinea. Tin M&V for Bfast
Sail about 6 p.m.
Wednesday 15th
Sailing quietly along. Pass
several islands. Very hot. Meals
the same. J say they are worried
re Subs. All below except 50 at
night. Most have lifebelts, but would
have poor chance, if anything happened. 

J. very reticent about our destination.
The lazy way we are sailing on makes
us wonder. Why the casualness.
Thursday 16th
Sailing smoothly (about 8 knots). Pass
lovely looking attols. Two meals
today. Have skin rash. Hose down.
Anchor at evening among islands. Can
see very high mountain (Mt. Kina Balu)
Friday 17th
Off again early. Entering bay (or Estuary)
Anchor off Sandakan. Off boat in
hurry at lunchtime. Onto Padang.
Meal. Then march to School for night.
Very crowded. Things very topsy. Treated
like prisoners (our idea) for first time.
Saturday 18th
Up at 4 a.m, finally to Padang at 7.
B'fast. March to camp about 7¾ mile.
Route looks promising for fruit &c.
Camp in Experimental plantation. Huts
fair. Not the class of Changi. Very
limited space in wire. Meals bit
haywire at present. All kit safe.
Very tired & sore. Slept well. Sanitary
arrangements poor. Divided reserve.
I got Sweet Corn & Bovril. Rained in
night. Hut roof leaks