Wallet 3 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 1 of 2, 1941-1943, Part 19

SEPTEMBER

6^th.   Mon.

Few more bashed up in Area today.

Songs of Bird very sweet. Play Bridge

of Evening. T- Brushes in Afternoon.

7^th.  Tues X

Some talk of Repatriation being on again

6000 O.R.s 400 Officers which makes me

think it is so much Hooey.

8^th   Wed. X

Just another day. Making quite a lot of 

Brooms at present. Play Bridge of Evening

9^th   Thurs.

Don & Bill" over pretty often. First of Mail

in today. 200 letters per day to come in.

Fine Weather for the Birds how the Whistle.    

10^th   Fri.

Very busy on T- Brushes of Afternoon

Quite a lot of Books to read.

11^th. Sat.

Band Recital on Square at 2000 hrs. 

 SEPTEMBER

12^th.  Sun

Very wet today been raining all night

Over to see Frank. Prosser he's not to good

not allowed Visitors for the 1^st week.

13^th.   Mon.

Things are very quiet in the Camp now.

380 in Con Depot, it's a G.B.D. not a Con now.

14^th   Tues.

Reports of move P.O.W's coming in from Java

to G. & W. Area. Over to see Frank, he's

getting a bit brighter.

15^th    Wed

Exchange of Personal from one Group to

another for Tea on Wed Evenings quite a

good lurk;

16^th.   Thurs.

A.I.F. Concert Party Band recital in

Y.M.C.A. Hut at 2015 hrs. Played Bridge

for a while. Mail still coming in a 200

per day haven't clicked yet.

Rice.

1.

There's an Article of Diet.

That's enough to start a Riot, 

[*KEEP OUT 

KITCHEN. STAFF. 

=ONLY=*]

You'll agree if you first try it

It is Rice.

2. 

It's the regular daily Winner,

Break-fast, Tea, supper, or Dinner,

It would make a Saint a Sinner,

Would this RICE,

3.

When you wake up in the morning.

You don't do your usual yawning,

You first run without a warning,

It is Rice.

4.

Even if your Diabetic,

It will make you quite Athletic

It's the perfect Diaretic.

Is this Rice.
[*AIR MAIL 

LETTER CARD

IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED THIS CARD 

WILL BE SENT BY ORDINARY MAIL*]
 

5.

You can fry it up with Gammon,

Or, cook it with Tin Salmon,

Or with lots of Strawberry Jam on,

Still it's Rice.

6.

Ladies when this War is over,

Bells will ring from York to Dover,

If you want to live in Clover,

Don't serve Rice.

7.

Your'e days will be quite Palmy

When your Man comes from the Army

But three words will drive him Balmy

"Have some Rice."?
 ____ v _______

English Red Cross

Concert Party

Changi P.O.W

Camp.

It isn't very Nice
In the land of Milk & Honey.
That Quotation now seems funny.
For in this land of Stinks & vice,
All you get is Husky Rice.
__________________
2 The Cooks each morning smile & say,
It's turned out Rice again, today,
You in turn construct a Pun,
And to eat it is lots of fun.
_________________
3 But hunger weakens the strongest man,
You're there each time with your Pan,
Eagerly you chew each grain of Rice,
And hope there's enough to back up twice.
_________________
4. But Rice alone is a damn poor scram,
For in your tummy it starts to Jam.
And chaps who backed up more than twice,
Will have to work to pass their Rice.
__________________
To Rice it is, & Rice twill be,
Till something turns up from over the Sea.
And we long for the day. when we'll get a break
Just to Sample the Rice, Mother used to make.
_________________

1 Take Your Pick.
Let me see; which shall it be?
"Sumatra", "Burma", or an Isle in the "Timor" Sea.
How about the noted "Formosa"
Or a trip by boat to the Isle of "Macao."
2
"New Guinea" is a favorite too,
And if we go there, that will do,
"Fremantle" is awaiting so they say,
For the coming of Troops from distant Malay.
3 
Some brag that we are going to the "Eastern Shore"
Of the land we all adore,
Others they don't even guess
if you name a place all they say is; "Oh, Yes."?
4
"Saigon,"? Golly! the bet is strong.
And rumours say it won't be long,
"Borneo," a place in the Straits
For us to come, just, waits & waits,

5
"Portugese-Timor," or maybe "Siam,"
A lot of them say "I don't care a damn,"
Just take us away from this Eastern Gate
To a place where we don't get Rice on our plate.
6
We would let out a Woop if we saw
The coastline of a "Neautral Shore,"
"Sumatra" or "Burma" wouldn't suit us,
We want "Australia", or we kick up a fuss.
7
You've heard of all these spots on the Charter
So far none of them's been a starter,
Nothing more can we see,
Than, that we are still. P.O.Ws at "Changi".
8
Now at the risk of being derided
On the Perfect place, I've decided,
Go ahead Mister & call me a Failure
But my idea is to go to "Australia."

Glamorous. Malaya.
Land of Syphilis, Sin & Sorrow,
An inch of rain today; Maybe two tomorrow.
Singapore Ear, & Footrot rife,
I wish to goodness I was Home tonight.
2
Stinks & clinks, from half-bred Chinks.
Padi fields,Palm-groves where "Sikhis" slink.
Women abhorent with Sarong & stench;
"Oh! for a night with a little white Wench."
3
No.1. Girls in Lavender St.
Your lucky if you can keep your feet,
But I think to myself I'd be right.
Back in Lonsdale St tonight.
4
The Rickshaw Boys, they make your hair curl,
All they can say is "N^o. 1. Girl."
Their beautiful figures, invite seduction,
Would lead you to Moral destruction.

5
Thousands of Black Kids, with "Hello Jo."
Proves that the Girls never say "No".
Most of this Country is a Bloody big Myth
But we do get on, A few "Stingahs" with.
6

The Taxi Girls with Slim & fine deportment,

Have an idea they are most important,

A Dollar a Book, & then not a look

Just a Blooming Daughter of AH. fung, Whark.

7

If you ever get in a Opium Dive,

You're Bloody lucky to get out alive,

Bugs & Worms, & Lice Galore,

Are all in the make-up of a wholesale Whore.

8

Beaches are muddy, Dirty & rough,

Seaweed & shells, & all that sort of stuff,

But we can take it for the Guy of Sea-Breezes

But they're ^never sent this way, By J__-s.
 

9

Eurasians, Tamils, Malays & Cross-Breeds.

Praying & swearing, according to Creeds.

Never a hustle, or ever a scurry

Lets sell the bleeding place, & leave in a hurry

10

Land of Chats, & Diarhorrea,

Stinking roads, & Watery Beer.

"Chinese Heaven", "Aussie's Hell"

B______d, Country, Fare thee Well".
 

Picture of two Asian girls, see original

 

 

Orient - 1941

¹ Lotus eating Singapura, Relic of some

 ancient times         

Stirs uneasily as to it come, men from distant climes

Many Anzacs, Men of India, Men

from Britains, distant shores

Fill Malaya's Jungle lairs, now the Empire lion roars

^II   From down under comes the thunder, as

Australias factories run

In full flood as stirs the blood against the

the threats of Dia Nippon

Against her Rabid German Masters, Teuton

greed and Nazi guile

Lest Hitlers Oriental Allies, Britians Orient defile

³Up in Burma there's a murmur as the

troops stir midst the trees
To hill & glen come fighting men, Old

Thebaw, never saw men like these

Then along, the long long highway, supplies

pour in for Old Cathay.

Orient  - 1941

Columbia's aid won't be delayed to chase

 Japan's high hopes away.

⁴ Now from Hong Kong there booms a gong

The Maple Leaf is hoisted high

For the Canuck there'll be no truck, with

modern would be Samurai

So from the Peak to Burma's teak, the

 Lion & her cubs stand by

Its Domino for the Kimono, in not too

distant bye-&-bye

⁵ Sleepy Hollow Singapura, Relic of some
ancient times

Sees the cob-webs torn as thru them

brush the men from other climes

Many Anzacs, Men of India, Men from

distant Britain's shores

Fill Malay's Jungle lairs, now
the Empire Lion Roars.

_____. . . V   ____- . . .

     A.P.O.W^'s. Day

1

No doubt that we were Bunnies.

To swallow, all this talk

Of Yankees, at Port Dickson

And Tommies, Air Support

2

They marches us out to Changi

 ten thousand men or more

The fallen by the wayside

Made us yearn no more for War

3

We're planting Beans, by numbers

 We're Sloping Arms no more

Were thru with Bloody Fighting

 For Tojo topped the score.

4

We live in Shell-torn Barracks
 Minus Water, roof & tile

The N.C.O^s & Pippers

 Eat with the rank & file.
 

5

Our clothes are most scanty

Our trousers ripped & torn

We are Bloody near as naked

As the day that we were born.

6

Our Charpoys they have taken
We sleep on them no more

There is nought for us to do

 But doss upon the floor.

7

We rise at Seven-Thirty

And creep down to the Tong

We think of old Rexona

And hope it won't be long

8

We fall in at the "A" Parade
And answer to our names

It's stand at ease, stand easy

Then the B.C. crys again.
 

9

Tales of Jap violence

Tales of Changi Goal

A long trek thru the Jungle

And God help those who fail

10

Next up we have breakfast

Our appetites to sate

In single file we get it
It's Rice upon our Plates

11
The Greasy Babbler's moaning

 The back-ups standing by

And Cpl Death aleading

With hunger in his eye.

12

Next up were Duty Company

It's work to make us hard

Collecting meagre Rations

And sweeping up the Yard
 13

Our after lunch Siesta     

Is spent in many ways

With dreams of Steak & Onions

We knew in better days

14

We are wakened from our Slumber

 By a voice that's loud & harsh

"Come grab your dirty washing"

 And to the Tong we'll march

15

With shadow's of evening falling

 there's visits we must pay

To see Bill & Harry

Who live across the way

16 

There's Pals from other Units

 There's Mates we'll never see

Then we think of Dear Old Aussie

And Our Homes across the sea.