Wallet 3 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 1 of 2, 1941-1943, Part 16

February

6^th. Sat.

Took a stroll over the Unit, game of Bridge.

Lots of Rumours in the Air. Hospital Ship

has left Japan to take wounded A.I.F. off

the Island. ALL other Troops with exception of

Garden Party to move away by March, it's

Marvellous how all these Furphey's originate.

7^th Sun

Sunday our day of rest, quite different

from this day Last Year & previous year. 

no excitement at all, no Boat trip, no

Bombs & shells. Pay 80^cts.    X.

8^th Mon

27 today, & so I spend another Birthday

away from Home, I'm hoping I won't spend

the next here, this being away is getting

to be a bit on the nose, no presents of

any kind this time. Over to Unit for a

while, took a stroll over to 2/20^th to see

some I know there. Dreamt of the perfect

Kitchen.

February

9^th Tues.

There are a lot of Bets on in the Camp, that

the War in Europe will cease by 12 o'clock, -

(Midnight) tonight, strange where all these ideas

come from. Well I'm glad that I don't have to

experience this day last year all over again

it seems hard to realise now that such a

day could ever exist, you have to be in it, to

believe it possible, I can only thank God that

I came out alive from Bukit Panjang.

I wish that I could get some paper so that xxxx

I could do the plans of the rooms of the house.

Seems to be a bit on my mind at the 

present time, & would like to be able to fill

in the time by trying to put my ideas down.

10^th. Wed.

Parade ordered by I.J.A. at 2200 hrs, for

0900 hrs, raining like hell since yesterday

morning so Parade Cancelled.

Saw New A.I.F. Show. - good turn.
 

February

11^th Thurs.

No work for 2 days owing to rain. 2nd T.A.B. -

Injection, gave us some dope this time.

12^th. Fri.

Japanese Parade ordered again this morning

this is the third day it has been postphoned
owing to the rain. Over to Unit for

a while. Concert by 11th Div Artists at Con

Depot.

13^th. Sat

Parade for I.J.A. at 1300 hrs, more rain

today, maybe put it off again. Moving Pictures

were taken of the P.O.W's by the Japanese on

the A.G.H. Padang. Parade of 15,000 -:- 7,000

A.I.F.:- 8,000 B.E.F.

14^th Sun.

Musical Afternoon by 18^th Div Orchestra, very

good music, real dance Music. Well my first 12

months as a Prisoner are up, & I don't think

much of the life either.

February

15^th Mon.

Back to work again at the Brooms. Over to

Unit for a stroll; more rain.

16^th  Tues.

Just another day, saw new Edition of the

"Borehole News" at Supply Depot. Concert at

Con. Depot. Some bright person started a

"Going Home for the Boarded Furphey" off

again today.

17^th. Wed.

Talk on Repatriation by Capt. Gibson. I.J.A.

Medical Test to be carried out today (Dysentry).

18^th Thurs.

Play by Selerang Players. 2 yrs since we

Landed in Singapore, hard to realize that I

have been away 2 yrs from Home, I hope that

it won't be much longer, I'm a bit Homesick &

would very much like to see all the Folks,

especially France & the Kids, I hope they are

well & O.K. & are not worrying to much.
 

Page 3 is a duplicate of page 4 but with a piece of paper with the words ORDERLY ROOM. stuck over some of the words
 

February

19^th.  Fri.

Just another P.O.W. day. Food is very scarce

even the Rice Ration has been reduced, & talk of

a further reduction, believe price of Rice is enormous.

This food business is going to become a problem

& not only to the hips either. Breakfast Ground

Rice & tablespoon Sugar. Dinner. Plain Rice, -

Coconut Rissole; Slice Rice Bread, Passion Soup.

Tea. Plain Rice, Veg. Rissole, Veg & Passion Soup.

Rice & Peanut Pudding with Tapioca Sauce (unsweetened)

20^th Sat

Dysentry Test for Limbless today by I.J.A.

Doctors. Lot of talk about repatriation of Women

& Children in Changi Gaol, be a good thing if they

do, I much prefer them to go Home than I, it must

be a terrible thing for the Women to be locked up

over there.

21^{st. \} Sun

The I.J.A. are allowing us to send Home a

card again, of 24 words, I think the "Nips"

February

21^st Sun.

have been having a lend of us with the others

maybe this one will go if it's right about the

Changi Goal move. My Card reads:- :-

Dear France. Am safe and well, thinking of

you always. Love to Phyllis, Joan, and to 

Families, Don't worry. Lots of Love from

Yours Frank. 21-2-43.

22^nd.  Mon

Not much to do now, life is very monotonous

there are a hell of a lot of Rumours about

what with Red Cross Supply Ships, & Hospital

ships & mail being in, well - - -. ?.

Would be very nice to hear from Home, would

buck everyone up a lot.

23^rd. Tues.

So ends another day, just made a few

brooms; cooked some Sweet Bucks, took a

stroll over to the Unit, played Tom, -

Crib, as I do almost every night.
 

Page 5 is a duplicate of page 6 but with a piece of paper with the words 

x NIGHT x
URINALS
+ ONLY +
stuck over some of the words
 

 February
24^th. Wed

Took a stroll over to Unit. Choral Concert

at Con. Depot, Good Singing by Choir.

25^th Thurs.

Pay 70^₵. Went to A.I.F. Concert, with Tom -

Arthur, a good Variety show.

26^th Fri.

Parade for all those with sore mouths, bit of

a Diptheria Scare on again. Bought 5lbs of

Sweet Bucks & some oil, being goes 85₵.

27th. Sat

Competetive marching by Squads on Con

Padeng, for Shield. Concert by L.O.C.

Concert Party.

28^th. Sun.

Went over to see Arthur & Tex, then down

to Unit. Plenty of Rain. Inspection by O.C.

before Church Parade. Y.M.C.A. Sing-Song

after Church. Padre Foster-Haigh, very

good speaker.

MARCH

1^st. Mon.

Classification Parade. Red Cross Card holders -

Non-Combatants to be paid by Red Cross.

Over to Unit in evening saw Concert again

had supper with Arthur, Tom & others.

2^nd. Tues.

A day in name only, just a bit wet.  X.

3^rd. Wed.

Kit inspection for some unknown reason,

Officers must be short of something again.

4^th. Thurs.

Pay 70^₵. Over to Unit for a walk, very hot

today out in the sun. Some of the Boys

started on eating snails today; one man is

doing 28 days in Detention for eating another

man's Cat.  3 dogs have also disappeared; the

Garden Party are doing the snakes  over.

5^th. FRI.

New Books from I.J.A. on issue at the Library

today. Very good news over the air today.
 

Page 7 is a duplicate of page 8 but with a piece of paper with the words SMOKING AREA stuck over some of the words 

March

6^th. Sat.

Walk over to Unit, 2,500 A.I.F. told to stand

by, to go away to Thailand on the 10th.

22nd Bdge 1000, 500 from 27th Bdge.    X.

7^th. Sun.

Day of Rest no work in Camp. Lots of

Talk of Mail being here for A.I.F. seems

to be pretty right, according to reports.

8^th. Mon

Classification by Major Phillips, tried myself

out on a Pylon today, be alright with a bit

of practice.

9^th. Tues.

Tommy says he heard that 11 of the

Boys to go away on "Dun" Force, if this

is true it's going to be hard losing my

best mate after all the times we've gone

thru together, & all he's done for me; my

hope is that he gets off the Party. It's

right about the mail; but when we get it.?

March

10^th Wed.

Saw some of the Letters from Home, am

just hoping now for my own, be the Grouse

to hear from France & Mum after all these

long months.

11^th. Thurs.

Listened to a Programme of Light Music at

the Education Centre, at 2000 hrs. Things in

the Canteen have reached a new high & what

there is; there is very little of.

12^th Fri.

No work today, too wet, spent morning

reading. Over to unit to see Tom, went to

A.I.F. Concert. "COOEES Birthday Show"

with Tom, very good show.

13^th.
Tom received a letter from Mary, to say things

are okay at Home & Ronnie got Home; quite a lot

lot of news in the mail from all the boys.

Meeting held at Unit before we all got broke up. 

March

14^th. Sun

Went over to A.G.H. to see, Don, Phil &

the others I know. Tom over this evening

has per usual, I wonder how many more

evenings we will spend together in Changi.

15^th. Mon.

Pay 70^₵. "Kas" brought me a letter over,

from Mum, written on 30-6-42, sure is a nice

feeling to hear from the Folks, be pleased when

I receive a letter from France, God only knows

how much I miss her.

16^th Tues

Over to see Tom & the Boys. Quizz on sport &

Talkies at Con Hall. Lance Robinson went

away with Anti-Tank to BangKok.

17^th. Wed

Went over to the Square to see Tom & the Boys

off, crook having to part with Tom after the

times we've had together, I hope we are back together

very soon.

March
18^th Thurs.

Tom, Frank, "Stal", "Kas", "Scooter, Arthur,

Charlie, Wattie, Harry; Laurie left today was

in M.I.R. with a Temp. I miss Tom a bit.

Fraser, Arthur, & Ivor, over for a while.

19^th Fri.

Went to A.I.F. Concert, nothing else to do now

my mate has gone away, Fraser over each night

20^th Sat.

Over to see "Mac" & "Laurie", & Concert Party boys

Started on Plan of House for something to do,

I hope this plan of mine comes true.

21^st. Sun.

Compulsory Church Parade. Lot of Mail in

during last two days, said to be a lot to

come in during next week.

22^nd Mon.

Said that Col. Anderson of "A" Force" got

Home to Australia after the break in

Burma.  (Now Bull.)
 

March

23^rd Tues.

Stroll over to Supply; spend a lot of time

reading now that Tom has gone away, of

course Fraser comes over every night for a

game of Cards.

24^th. Wed.

Classification for board. Been very dry for

the last 4 days a real drought. The nights

are beautiful at the present time, very

hard to imagine; what & how to describe

them to people would be very hard.

25^th Thurs.

Still working on "My obbsesion". Kain

came today. "Darky & Danny" over this

evening, quite a lot of mail coming into

camp at present, I'm always hoping for my

letter, the one I really want.

26^th Fri.

Pay 80^₵. Spend a lot of time reading.

Concert by L.O.C. Concert Party.

March

27^th Sat.

Strolled over to Canteen in afternoon, after a

busy morning doing nothing. Fraser's letter came

thru today.

28^th Sun.

"E Force" started to leave this morning,

500 in first party. No compulsory Parade

29^th Mon.

So starts another week on the brooms. Spent

a while in afternoon making myself a clog.

30^th. Tues.

Still plenty of mail coming in, hope I click one

from France soon, some chaps have received 17^s

& 18^s, some 4 or more. Went to A.I.F. Concert.   X.

31^st. Wed.

Visit to Unit (what's left of them) not much good

going down there now, has they are all on duty, most

of the time. News gleaned out of mail is read

to us at 0940 hrs of a morning. Fraser over

at night, Ivor comes over some evenings.