Wallet 3 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 1 of 2, 1941-1943, Part 20

17

The good old Twy-ups going

We brought it to this land

We haven't got much money

But I guess we'll take a hand

18

There goes the pennies sailing

And we hear the Boxer holler

But luck is dead against us

And there goes our last Dollar.

19

"Lights out" will soon be sounding

And though we all are broke

We know that one amongst us

Will have to light up a smoke

20

Homeward to Our Billets

We wind our weary way

To lie upon the Concrete

To ends a P.O.W.s day.

 

A True Furphey

1

Now gather round, & just keep quiet

And I'll give you the news I got last night

The chap who told me, will bet all hes got 

That this fair dinkum & not Tommy - rot
2

No it's not from Brigade, & not from some Lieut

It's a place we all know, so you bet it's the truth

Unlike other Furphy's, which thru the camp race

And whose source of Origin you just cannot trace

3

This Rumour comes straight from our

good friend the Cook

Who I often visit just to change an

odd Book

He told me so softly with a voice

full of Sorrow.

Just tell the Boys, it's Rice again

for tomorrow.
Tom. Higgins

2/30 Bn

Bombs from ToJo

tune of "Pennies from Heaven."    V. Whitfield

When you hear the Planes above

It's Bombs from ToJo

You know each Plane contains

Bombs from Tojo

You'll hear them falling all over Town

Make sure your in your Slit trench

Lying face down

We'd like to see some Hurricanes

For we surely know

They are the Planes

So when you hear them thunder

Dont run under a tree

Just hope that those Bombs

Will miss you & me.

 

Ode of Malaya

I'm Sick of the Chink & the Tamil

I'm Sick of the Boong & Malay

And far away spots on the Charter

Is no place for Yours Truly to stay

I've had enough of Undersized Chicken

And Milk that comes, out of a Can

This is no place to stick in

For this Particular Man

_______________________

 

I'm tired of itch & Skin Diseases
Of Mosquitoes & Vermin & Flies

I'm fed up with Tropical Breezes

And Sunshine that dazzles your eyes

I long for a wind with a Tingle

A Atmosphere thats Zestful & Keen  

Oh Lord let me once again Mingle

 With the crowds that are White, & are Clean

_______________________

Ode of Malaya

To eat without fear of Infection

To sleep without using a net

And to throw away all my Collection

Of Iodine, Ointment. etc.

Just to hear all the noise & the Clamour

The hurry & fret of the West

I'd trade all the Orient Glamour

That Damned Lying Poets suggest.

______________________

They Sing of the East, as enthralling

Thats why we started to roam

But to hear the South calling

Oh. Lord but I want to go Home

__________________

Stamp

BY AIR MAIL

PAR AVON

 

The Mystic East.

You've heard of the Malayan States

The land of Stink & Smell

Where you sweat while doing nothing

And the mosquitoes give you hell.

2/  Well the A.I.F. has landed

In this Corner of the East.

Where the rotten stinking Climate

Is not fit for Man or Beast.

3/ Still there is not much use in grumbling

Conditions could be worse.

I'll just think of a few Compliments

And write them down in Verse.

4/ First of all theres the Dobby's itch

And burning prickly heat

And that awful itch of Tinea

That breaks out on your feet.

5/ There are all kinds of Diseases

That have us in their toils

While some of the boys have broken out

In Scores of great big Boils.       

P.T.O.

6/ There are Insects here in Thousands

From Centipedes to Bugs

And they have their little nibble

At us poor silly mugs.

7/ The Townships ^too are not so hot

With big steep, stinking drains

If a man got drunk & fell in one

He'd knock out all his brains

8/ We know all about Port Dickson

And Seremban as well

The Streets of Old Mallacca

The Hot Spots of K.L.

9/ When first we went into a shop

They took us down a treat

And now we know a thing or two

And we are not such easy meat.

10/ Another thing we do not like

Is the Bloody awful Beer

And when I think of Melb. Pubs

I nearly shed a Tear.

11/ Theres "Tiger Beer" & "Anchor"

Two of the best makes

We drink perhaps 6 Bottles

And in the morning we see Snakes

12/ Then theres Taxi Dancers

Who glide around the Floor

A Dollar for four Tickets

No wonder we are poor.

13/ But we are having a Marvellous Time

According to Miss Smith.

The Millionares & Swimming Pools

Are really just a Myth.

14/ We do not like the Country

But what really makes us Hot

Is that, well arrive back in Old Aussie

Without having fired a Shot.

15/ And at the next Dawn Service

While we stand up in the Domain

Paying tribute to our Comrades

Who did not die in Vain.

P.T.O.

16/ What of the "Eighth Division?"

You'll hear the People say

"Why there's the Front line Soldiers

The Tourists from Malay".

___________________________

"Maori's Farewell.

Now has Come the Hour.

When we must say "Good-bye"

Soon we'll be sailing

Far across the Sea.

While I'm away -

Will you remember me    

"On my return Will you be waiting. (Dear?

________________________

Constanly.

Hope.

And.

Never.

Give.

In.

 

"Our Picnic"

The Sixth are getting Battered

The Seventh are getting Hell

The Ninth are on no Picnic

They're getting their's as well.

While in the Distant Jungle

Many Thousand miles away

The Eighth are on a Holiday

All they do is play.

 ______________________

Because there are no Shells here

And no Bullets flying thick

We have the name of "Glamour Boys"

And the name will always stick

Plouging thru the Jungle

With the mud up round our Waists

With every step a Mouthful

It has a Putrid Taste.

P.T.O.

Our Picnic

Fighting "Mossies" by the Score

And Cobras by the Ton

It's no use denying it

Were having lots of fun

If you don't believe it

When I say it's very hot

I'll state a Native Custom

To show you What is What.

____________________

Everyman is Buried

With his overcoat as well

Just in case he needs it

And in case he goes to hell

Take us to the Middle East

Where it is cold at well night

So we can join Our Cobbers

And help to win the Fight

If they'll only grant this Favour

Miss Sheldon Smith may say

The Eighth Div. Glamour Boys

are not on a holiday.

 

Sticker placed over text

Australian Young Mens Christian Association

 

From down under

He grabbed one by my slender neck

 

Boss had to go & find Tom, Fordy,

Free-French Bill, at 0200 hrs, he found

them trying to get a Coffee at "Slims"

down the road, just dressed in their

Evening Clothes (Pyjamas). Brought them

back in the Truck, & so ends one

very good & merry night; with everyone

hoping to enjoy them-selves has much 

again some day in the future.

Xmas was almost a repeat.

x _____x ______x______x______x___

3

Left a nasty Taste in our mouths must

have → (A "Melbourne Bitter")

16^th Item by ex. 4th Div A.S.C. about the

same as Sturt St. (Tune wrong, words right.

(Call for More Beer)

17^th Item by Alf Marven out the door &

out of him (who left his teeth in the sand)

(Courage by "Tiger")

18^th Pte. Daniels gives us the Sigs. Song

before he fades away.

(More of the Amber Fluid)

19^th Cpl Lewis (Fatty Boom Boom) gives us

a yarn. (Censored) (Beer & Tea)

20^th Niggerly. Corner. Quartette gives

us "Moari's Farewell" not bad (awful)

:-:-:-:-:-: (Some more. How did you guess):-:-:

M.C. Driver. A. Leech who stood

on the sloping form & didn't know.

Time is about 0100 hrs & boys are

drifting to bed. A. Leech last seen lying

on top of Cpl. T. Jones in Gutter

2

(Before going any further we will have a Vic)

9th LLoyd George & Bill (Own Selection)

(Time for a "Vic")

10th Item by Bendigo Boys "Maori's 

Farwell" (glad when they went

(Supper)

Beer Sausages Fish & Salmon Sandwiches

Scones (Beer Beer Beer)

11th S/Sgt McKenzie Singing "Drinking"

(& everybody carrying it out.)

(Interval for Beer.)

12th Pte. Frost & Cpl Reade singing "Playmates"

(must all have a Drink)

13th Pte Delahant (Free French) & Boyd

(Mitiama's Playboy) Yodellers (Extra

(Time for a "Tiger")

14th Item from Sturt St. Boys (no one knows

what it was

(Beer to Revive You)

15th Big Bill Davis (Two Ton Tony) Tells us about

(Body Vermin)

 

Item     Camp Concert       19-5-41

1/. Pte W.H. Blanchard ALCM. V.D. (not what you think)

Instrument not as well as might be. but will

Endevour to Conduct Niggerly Corner Choir.

2/. Pte Frana's L. Jeffery (Darky). Wispering Baritone

own selection. (Frankie & Johnnie)

(Interval for Beer.)

3/. Q.m.s. Chorus Verse by everyone or pay

for a bottle of Tiger for Neighbor

(Short Interval for Beer.)

4/. Pte. Phil Bernstien . (alias Dr Cyclops)

Solo (Interval for More Beer.)

5/. Pt. V. Whitfield to Conduct Community

Singing (Drinks on the O.C.)

6/. Quartette. Whitfield. Bernstien. Jeffrey. Day

(Time for a Tiger)

7/. Pte. W. (Garden City) Grammer & Alphonus

Willis.  Their Version of Malay Dance.

(Interval for Beer)

8th/. Pte. A. Willis She's my Lily (Censored)

 

MALAYA 1941

Flags of Selangor - Johore

F.M.S. - Negri Sembilan

Pictures - see original Document

 

Mrs F.R. DAY

9 ALEXANDER ST.

COLLINGWOOD

MELBOURNE

VICTORIA.  AUST

Flags of Perak - Sarawak

Brunei - Pahang

Australian Flag - English Flag

Pictures - see original Document

"LET US UNITE" - Newspaper Clipping

"I'm sorry but I don't want to be an emperor. That is not my business

I don't want to rule or to conquer anyone...

"We should all want to help one another. We should want to live by

each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. But greed has poisoned

men's souls and has barricaded the world with hate. It has goose -stepped us

into misery and bloodshed.

"To those who can hear me I say: Do not despair. The misery that is

upon us is but the passing of the greed and the bitterness of men who fear the

way of human progress. Hate will pass away, dictators will die, and the power

they took from the people will return to the people.

"So long as men will die for liberty, liberty will never perish

"Soldiers do not give yourselves to those brutes who despise you, enslave

you tell you what to do, what to think, and what to feel, who drill you, diet

you, treat you like cattle and use you as cannon fodder.

"Now, let us fight to free the world: to do away with national barriers

to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance.

"Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us unite."

Charles Chaplin in The Great Dictator.