Diary of John William Cardwell Wyett, 1942 - Part 8

WEDNESDAY-July 8th, 1942

Force B of 1500 left for overseas this
morning. Alf WALSH is in command,
Brig TAYLOR remaining because comd above
rank of Lt - Col is not permitted by
the Japs.
This morning 48 bombers & 17 fighters flew
over us to the eastward. They took
off from TENGAH & dromes.
I expect that they are going to
fly over the ASAMA MARU to impress
the repatriates. DORNIER type flying
boats towing drouges have been up
all day & all the coastal guns are
in action, mostly 92" as well as the
AA (BOFORS & 3.7") This is all very
good propaganda & I give the Jap full
marks.

THURSDAY - July 9th, 1942

I spent the morning in the office; feeling well

but weak. Michael W & I went

over to see MANSFIELD this afternoon, the

first time for a fortnight. He has

moved from 44 Bde HQ & Brig BALLANTYNE

was also in process of moving. The

area east of CHANGI rd is being

placed out of bounds, probably to clear

the beach posts in this area. ROBERTS

arrived while we were talking to

MANSFIELD who was telling us of

SLYGO & party.

In the evening I went to the concert

which was a poor show & not

up to standard.

Bed early after a game of checkers

c Lee STAHLE. 

FRIDAY - July 10th, 1942

Last night was cool, and I slept

well under a sheet. This is the

first really cool night for some weeks

& I hope will be the forerunner of more

to come.

This morning I prepared a report on yeast

for the ADMS who is still in bed with

dengue.

CURLEWIS is being brought in as G₃(O)

 

SATURDAY - July 11th, 1942

I started PARKINS off today on typing

the notes about the MALAYAN campaign

enlarged from Chas KAPPE'S notes.

Lee STAHLE went downstairs to the centre

this morning and the effort proved too 

much for him. As a result he has

been pretty unwell knocked up all day,

but is better tonight. 

My heart has been slightly [[?]]

again today so I spent another day

indoors. I started off on a bottle

of yeast a day today.

HDMA is about again & seems full 

of beans.

 

SUNDAY - July 12th, 1942

I was dressed ready for church parade

of all HQ this morning when Joe VINCENT

told me that he thought it inadvisable 

to go. I had mentioned to

him casually in the bathroom this

morning that any exertion left me

with a pain in the chest and a 

slight breathlessness. For this reason

he told me to lie up for a 

couple of days.

Capt DAVIS was in this afternoon with

a body for burial from the working

party on PULAU BUKIM about 4¹/₂ m SW

of SPORE. They are having a lot

of dengue & a high beri-beri incidence.

 

MONDAY - July 13th, 1942

 

TUESDAY - July 14th, 1942

I spent the morning going over my

lecture on Mesh Rd movement with the

G. & Chas KAPPE. After lunch

I went over to the lecture-room where

I fixed up the arrangement of two

belts running at differentially speeds of 3,

to demonstrate the packing of vehicles

on decrease of speed.

The lecture went off fairly well & I

was told by G. when I returned to HQ

that it had been very favourable 

commented upon. G. was not there

owing to a gouty foot.

On the way home I stayed for a bit

with Brig M with whom I had tin

cups of tea with milk.

In the evening I went to RAA HQ where

we chatted & sang round the piano,

spending a very pleasant evening.

GOC & most of HQ staff were 

there.

 

WEDNESDAY - July 15th, 1942

This morning I called on Brig M with W/E's &

showed him how to look them up, going on

to the lecture-room where I heard an

inspection of quarters was occurring. I got

Col WEBSTER to post a couple of piquets.

BROWNE stayed with the W/E's for syndicates

From there I called on MORRIS at

the sup depot & collected Brig M's MERCURY

annual, having a yarn to BUNNINGS while

there. He is full of ideas about returning

to this country as C.F.P's representative.

After that I saw Michael W who is

going ahead well on the peep-bo.

Lee STAHLE is not too good today.

 THURSDAY - July 16th, 1942

News came through this morning that all

senior offrs of the rank of Colonel & up are

being sent to JAPAN. Two forces, A & B

will be sent. A gp - All senior offrs about Lt-Col

c orderlies, all engg personnel & 2000 OR's

(2400 altogether) of which 100 will be AIF.

Party B contains no offr above Lt-Col

& consists of 1100 of which 95 are AIF.

 

FRIDAY - July 17th, 1942

 

SATURDAY - July 18th, 1942

 

 

 

 

Two Dutch offrs & 12 OR's arrived this

evening from SUMMATRA, having sailed

from MEDAN. They are Ge OVERRAKER

C in C forces SUMMATRA & Col GOSENSEN

comd the forces in North SUMMATRA.

 

SUNDAY - July 19th, 1942

The two Dutch offrs say that the ROSEBAUM (KPM)

which left PADANG about 13 Feb. was

torpedoed in the INDIAN ocean & only four

survived. Once Lieut, one CHINESE girl & 2 natives.

They arrived back 25 days later.

Brig PARIS was killed in SUMMATRA by a bomb.

Col Brig COATES was captured at PADANG, having

elected to remain with the wounded. He was

one of a party evacuated officially about 12 Feb.

He is now in RANGOON. COATES was a 

surgeon with 10 AGH.

A revolt of ACHINESE behind Gen GOSENSEN

gave the Japs time to consolidate in front

& was responsible for his defeat. Nevertheless

his force of 4000 kept 40,000 Japs occupied

in the mountains for nearly 3 weeks

from about 7 Mar to 27 Mar. This

delay must have helped Australia.

The Japs had 7 tpts ready to

evacuate the Dutch forces & must have 

been very disgusted at such a

small bag.

MONDAY - July 20th, 1942

The remainder of the DUTCH party arrive

at 2230 hrs today & included Air-Commodore

MODIN (wife C/ Gro WILLS & Co. Shipping Agents, PERTH)

Maj Ge H.J.D. FREMERY (MGO) from BATAVIA &

Capt G.G. BOZUWA who was in charge of air

services at SOURABAYA.

A cup of tea c milk & sugar, hot buttered

toast & some cheese which was prepared

for them was joyfully accepted by me, Bill

GI & GOC.

Bill produced some Van De HUMS later

& then some Drambuie. GI Bill, Padre

DOLAN, Reg LOCKE, Joe VINCENT & I joined

in the wake, finishing up with a tot

of brandy. Some fun afterwards

in the dark followed. Bill got into padre's 

bed when he got up for a leak. He

gave a yell & jumped about six

feet when he came back to bed.

This afternoon I attended a very

elegant tea-party given by Brig MAXWELL

& his staff. Gen OVERAKKER & Col GOSENSEN

came along.

 

TUESDAY - July 21st, 1942

Today all the personnel going to JAPAN are

being medically examined.

The rest of us lined the road through

the camp for an inspection by a 

JAP commander. They kept us waiting

for two hours.

I had a chat with Capt. G.G. BOZUWA of

the Dutch navy & he told me that the

East monsoon is blowing over JAVA. The

DUTCH civilians are free in JAVA.

I went to see MANSFIELD with Michael

tonight.

News arrived during dinner that the

departure of parties A&B to JAPAN would

be delayed 2-3 days.

PARIT SULONG 2/29 LT HACKNEY K-L

WEDNESDAY - July 22nd, 1942

Today is my birthday. Fortunately I am

well enough for it save for a boil on

my seat which makes sitting rather

painful.

GOC held a meeting of all the staff

this morning & stated that he was

handing over at 1200 hrs to Col GALLAGHAN.

Col G told me that he could ^not & would

not do anything until the crowd had

departed.

I heard that 32 out of 65 of our nurses

are at PALEMBANG having been sunk in 

the VINERBROOK off MUNTOCK on Feb. 1

 

THURSDAY - July 23rd, 1942

 

 

THURSDAY - July 30th, 1942

 

 

FRIDAY - July 31st, 1942

We obtained permission today to concentrate

the Japan parties in one area & establish

ourselves in a new HQ. Orders

were issued accordingly.

Pat GARDE sent me a fitter who

should finish the job off in good style

He has found a lathe in the British

[[?]] & I have obtained permission for

him to use it.

 

 

MEMORANDUM

 

16         Tall poppies sent.

 

22        Bruce ANDERSON returned from MERSING

 

30       Parole forms presented.