Diary of John William Cardwell Wyett, 1942 - Part 3

TUESDAY-March 10th, 1942

Still on wiring. Collected four fruit

tins from deserted huts, wire & large

camouf net. Tins may be useful.

No netting again today as too busy.

Area rather too populated.

Mac came back rather late from visiting

GOC while I was yarning to Mike.

Netting is out as Mac cannot be spared. 

Mike rather depressed.
WEDNESDAY-March 11th, 1942
Hell of a flap about wiring of area as

Col Sugita is inspecting today. I went

off early c̅ party to wire hosp area,

going to beach area later to inspect north

end of piles. This seemed satisfactory.

Found net & copper bucket, & returned

for lunch.

Went off for wire in truck after lunch.

G1 in flap when I returned to main

entrance. Collected knife rests & paint.

Was sent off to Ordnance after tea.

Bed on return.

No work on net today. Area busy.

Decided to continue as steadily as

possible to get net ready.

Moon very late (after midnight.)

THURSDAY-March 12th, 1942

Went to Malaya Comd just after breakfast

& had some difficulty in finding them as

nobody I asked seemed to know.

Eventualy found them and saw Chang

Duke re altered areas for wiring. Heard

that Japanese comd had been pleased c̅

wiring of hospital area.

Went c̅ Chang to contact wrng party 

and on to 18 Div. Here I saw

Quetta entrance examination 1936 c̅

set of maps which brought back

memories.

Heard that Rupert Crowdy's crowd were

probably alright having moved.

[*x*]

FRIDAY-March 13th, 1942
0900

Went early to beach area to investigate

quantity of wire remaining. About 2 diff

in tide levels.

After breakfast guided party to beach

to get salt water & delivered gear for

netting.

SATURDAY-March 14th, 1942

Out on job early, guiding Shearing's water

party c̅ trailer to beach for water.

Moved net round to smaller channel.

Out to tea c̅ 22 Bde, going to concert with

John Fairley for a while.

Bed early, very tired. Restless night

due to boil on back and pimple

discharging from ear.

SUNDAY-March 15th, 1942

Communion at 0830.

GOC sent Harry & I off round the wire

early after breakfast. Managed to visit

net first & shifted it to more favourable

position, trying it the other way up.

Saw most of wire on way back calling in

on Mike & Mac on the way. Mac interested

in fishing & wants to see GOC tonight to

get it on proper basis.

After lunch went to net. Bath & bed.

FRIDAY-March 20th, 1942

G1, AQ & Lee Stahle ordered to Changi gaol

today.

Supervised finish of wire collecting a

little from Loyang camp, also some

stationery for the office.

SATURDAY-March 21st, 1942

Went out early with Harry Jessup to

inspect unit garden plots & visited

net, getting one hole mended satisfactorly.

Saw several units during afternoon.

Severe indigestion pains again last night.

SUNDAY-March 22nd, 1942

Went to beach with crowd of unit water-parties

to collect salt water, doing recce

with Hughes & Kimber for fishing scheme.

Felt far from well. Started round

units to inspect garden plots after lunch

but did not get very far. Saw Tom

M & Ken Burnside for a few minutes.

Went to bed about 1700 hrs feeling ill

with headache & violent tummy pains.

GOC gave me a small tin of Horlicks

Thomsa also crook.

Three British OR's caught in civilian

clothes in Spore were shot today for

attempting to escape.

Saw Tamils near beach with crab

& what appeared to be a young

alligator. Seems promising source of 

food from Mangrove swamps.

MONDAY-March 23rd, 1942

A day in bed with dysentry. Was up frequently

during the night. Bruce gave Alex Thompson

& myself some bismuth & opium this morning

which had a quieting effect.

Before breakfast had a cup of weak malted

milk & water. Ground rice porridge with

a little cocoa powder stirred in for breakfast,

also the small biweekly slice of bread as

dry toast.

Bruce produced some custard pdr, blanc-mange

pdr, cocoa and a tin of condensed milk

from the hospital comforts for us both.

I gave two of the blanc-mange packets

to the cook with instructions to make

them up with b water to a thick porridge

so that I could add the condensed milk,
not trusting him with the tin. The

idiot produced a thin water gruel.

Only an imbecile could possibly mess up

such a simple dish. Hot water

produced of Peray made a good drink

with some of the sweetened cocoa powder

which has added milk powder as 

well already mixed.

G1, AQ & Lee Stahle returned from Changi

gaol after three days detention.

Talk with GOC before going to sleep.

TUESDAY-March 24th, 1942

Feel very flat after early morning attack of pain

etc. Cup of cocoa and little blanc-mange

for breakfast.

Con's birthday next Friday. I wonder what

has happened to the set of jade jewellery

I bought for the occasion in Rawalpindi.

WEDNESDAY-March 25th, 1942

Heard today that an officer had seen

some cases bearing my name being looted

on the wharf at Singapore about two

days before the end. Looks as if all

my effects and treasures are gone. Must

check up finally with Calcutta ESO as

all the cases may not have been sent.

Tummy pains severe this morning. Nothing

at all to eat except several cups of cocoa.

Little custard for tea.

Many in Rangoon according to Syona Times.

THURSDAY-March 26th, 1942

Feel very flat this morning although pains

are better.

Inspection today by fourth head of Japanese

Army.

Tried a little broth & rice for lunch.

Bruce Anderson not well & must have

picked up prevailing complaint.

G1 has swollen knee.

Alex & I shared a tin of M & V for tea.

Sudden "Summatra" storm about 1700 hrs

lasting about 20 minutes. Very still, close

& muggy during early part of night.

Tommies caught coming through our area x

during the night carrying sacks of provisions

presumably bought from outside the wire.

80 tins pineapple, some tinned meat, about 1000

cigarettes etc were confiscated & sent to the 

hospital. Consider they might have

kept a few tins of pineapple for the patients

here.

Spent rather a restless night.

FRIDAY-March 27th, 1942

Fine, sunny morning. GOC paid his usual

visit to enquire after Alex & me. Has been very

decent.

Ate the usual breakfast & feel no worse for rice

with a little milk, and a small piece of

hard toast scraped with jam.

Must try and see Col Anderson soon, also Brig

Maxwell & get Harry busy on organisation.

Andamans occupied.

SATURDAY-March 28th, 1942

Feel better today although very weak.

Back to normal diet except that Alex

& I had one tin M&V & one tin pineapple

cubes (small) between us.

SUNDAY-March 29th, 1942
Uncomfortable night disturbed by pain in 

stomach & neuritic pains in right shoulder

& head.

Temp up 1° & pulse 60. Hope I am not

getting dengue.

G1 still in bed with gouty knee.

Repacked lighter with cotton cord & works well.

It should last much longer between fills now

as the wick is continuous.

Played two rubbers of bridge with Col Derham.

Herb Geldard & Alex Thompson.

Yarn for half-an-hour with Col Derham

before going to sleep.

MONDAY-March 30th, 1942

Disturbed twice during the night with colic &

indigestion pains. Bruce tells me that

they must eventually clear up & that no

permanent digestive upset could be expected.

Ken Burnside & Tom Mitchell called, also

Hughes who could not stay but promised

to return.

Saw Chas for a few minutes - looks rather

better.

Have had odd spasms of tummy pains

& diarrhoea this morning but feel generally

better. Alex is up & about.

TUESDAY-March 31st, 1942

Bowels started all over again this morning with

severe colicky pains. Felt very weak &

was content to remain in bed.

After lunch felt better and was about

to get dressed at 1615 when Bruce came

in demanding a sample.

Managed a watery squeeze for him &

Ken Burnside's assistant examined a smear

under the mike. Bruce had suspected

an amoebic infection when I relapsed but

no entamoebae were visible. A fairish

number of red blood cells & pus cells

were present.

Had a good tea, sharing another tin

of M&V & small pineapple with Alex.

WEDNESDAY-April 1st, 1942

Feel better today but will remain

in bed. No news of Gus. Read

most of day.

Pat Garde called and I asked him

about HARPER replacing STOKES. Said

he would fix it.