Wallet 3 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 1 of 2, 1941-1943, Part 8

February
9^th  Mon.     
First thing to wake us up this
morning was machine-gunning by
Jap planes. I think today will be a
lot worse than yesterday. there is a
Jap Reconnisance plane flying over now
& the Ac.-Ac are giving him Hell; he's
just released 5 Bombs.See 12-2-42.
The Japs are shelling very heavy
& Dive Bombing us. they got Petrol
Dump opposite the Camp, it's terrible
Two of the Boy's buried in Slit-Trench
3 wounded by Shrapnell, 5 taken to
Hospital, Boys evacuated, 5 of us
came back, More Dive-Bombers 
We wait expecting the worst, I
really don't think we will get out
of it alive; the camp is flattened
all the trees around us cut down
At 4 O'clock we had to get out

February
9^th  Mon
Pinched a Break-down truck to
get away got to Admin. H.Q. &
slept night on Lawn. Picked up on Road
Boss, Forely, Bill. Savage. Watty, Charlie
J. McMahon, Champ, Morry, Johnny
& Myself, first rest we have had
for 3 days, & we need it all.
10^th  Tues
Pushed into Singapore - got on to
G.B.D. & found rest of Boys there
met Mr & Mrs Thompson in Singap.
glad to see them, & glad a bit of
it's over, Damn near a wreck, it's
got us a bit rattled now we are
away from it. Heard that Allan
got out of the Segainat part O.K.
The Island is shrouded in a Pall of
Black smoke, making things very dull.
At night the Island is lit up  

February
10^th  Tues
by the fires almost like day at
times, Johore, Kranji, & an unknown
fire going. Got orders to move out
at 2000 hrs, looks like they are
going to evacuate to Singapore, I
don't know what the idea is.
We got down the road a mile or
so & a new order, we went onto
Patrol. Good news, they say the
"Yanks" & Wavell are coming in
& have retaken Penang.?
11^th Wed
Back to Base at 0800 hrs.
We spent day under Shell-fire
then at night moved out, seems
to be towards front-line to hold a
position, on guard for infiltrations of Japs
12^th  Thur
Moved back to new place, Japs
February
12^thThurs
Dive-Bombing & Machine-Gunning.
Things are Tough now I think.
I can't write too much now. I don't
get the time, we have too move about
too much. Lying under rubber & moving mostly
AT NIGHT.
All my thoughts are of Home & france
the last few days.
Heard that Allan was missing — 
yesterday & that Tom Hoskins got in.
We would do a lot better if they
could give us some planes.
We have dug in for the night
The Japs have just Bombed one of
the Oil Dumps.
The worst I ever saw was when they
got one 200 yds in front of us
at Bukit Panjang, on the 9^th the
longest day in my life to me
(Dozen of Indians Killed). 

February
13^th Fri.
We moved into the Rubber
for the night, then very early
marched to Singapore, the Roads
were being Shelled. Spent the
night on a School Sports ground
14^th SAT
Moved into Billets in some
Houses, at 1200 hrs we were
marched to Lavender St. &
put on Trucks, which took us
to the Botanical Gardens,
we were moved in to give
depth to the fighting Units
Were lying in some small
scrub, when the Japanese
sent over a creeping
Barrage of Mortars & Shells
I got Hit between ankles
with 3" MORTAR, should have
[*TED THEN-BERG. ORDERLY
R.A.P.*]
[*G. Hawkins K.I.A.*]
14^th SAT
been blown to bits, Charlie
Bill & Tom carried me out
to stretcher. Dressed at R.A.P.
Taken to ALEX. Hospital.
Japs took Hospital, terrible
things happened there. We
couldn't get treatment, Theatres
knocked about. Danny in with me
15th T. GIBONS - A. Leech - L. DANIELS - G. SMITH Sun
Just laid in agony for.
4 days 100^s SHOT by Japs at ALEX.
16^th, 17^th, 18^th, at 5 O'clock
19^th Thurs
Gangrene set in & they took
off leg, come out of the
anaesetic well; thought I was
in Queensland. 5. Hrs.
20^th Fri
Feel much better now 

February
20^th SAT
my other leg is still very
painful & they don't seem
to know what is the matter
with it, sort of toss a penny about it
21^st  Sun
Just a day. Japs are
coming thru' all the time
Seem to be pretty good
chaps most of them (Educated)
22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th, 26^th, 27^th
All the same, just lay in bed
& watch Japs, some want to yarn
especially with Australians.
28^th  SAT
Australians taken to 10 A.G.H
Good to be with the Boys
again. Under Major. Hobbs.
Stump was in a mess, but
he quickly cleaned it up,
SAVed another operation on. it
Lucky to keep my right leg.
MARCH
1^st Sun
Tom came to see me & was
I pleased, tells me only.
A. Leech & G. Smith are still
missing. 12 of Unit were
injured, all getting alright.
They are trying to get the
Bakery going. George Hawkins Killed
14/2/42
2^nd Mon
Tom & Charlie in. I was in
Theatre for 1¼ hours.
3^rd Tues
Fraser & Wally Sarkies came
in Allan still missing
Wally (Blanchard thin as a rake) came in.
4^th Wed
Just laying in Hospital. some of
the boys in every evening
5^th  thurs
Just the same. Slim Berry &
G. Owens. 

March
6^th Fri.
Leg seems to be improving
Boys bring in anything
special they can get, can't eat
heavy food, which is all we get
7^th SAT
Talk of moving us to another
Hospital. Ivan ^ PITCHES was in to see
me for a while
8^th Sun

Shifted to new Hospital -

10^th & 13^th A.G.H. to combine

Wasn't too good a day, getting

moved about not the best.

9^th Mon
New place lousy with flies, they

have got them down quite a lot

today.

Tommy & The Boss got in to 

see me.
March 

10^th Tues

All I do is just lay in bed

Tommy still manages to get in

got to have a pass now

11^th Wed

Just another day. Time drags have

got onto a book to read

12^th   Thur

Met Harry Bells Mate "Southy'

from 20^th, now in 10^th A.G.H note from

Gwen at Seletar to Alf Willis

13^th Fri

Tommy not in, has to get a

pass from the Japanese.

14^th SAT

"Danny" got trip to see the

Boys. (Lucky Beggar) Says they

are all O.K. on Water Waggon

Wally Sarkies in to see me.

This business of living on Rice in

large quantities is not so good but

has to be put up with.

March

15^th Sun

Change in Our Supplementry

Diet a bit of Cake

These times are a bit of a 

worry, wondering about those at

Home, they must be having a bad

time, trying to puzzle out how we

are, I hope they soon get news.

16^th Mon

Just laying in hospital, stump

improves every day

17^th   Tues

Much

OUT - OF BOUNDS
Hand drawn diagram - see original document 

18^th Wed

Plaster leg giving trouble

M. Borthwick passed away

19^th  Thur

Three of the Boys in Burial

Party came to see me, only

chance they had to get over.

March

20^th Fri

Tom got in again, theres no

doubt about him; got a Major to

let him thru, worried him to it.

21^st SAT

Moved to another A.G.H.

building, ^0.2 much better place upstairs

22^nd Sun

Tom gets over every day

now, with the Working Partys

23^rd Mon

Plaster leg giving me

Hell, formed a pressure sore.

24^th Tues

Much same has yesterday

Boys not over for a few

days, for some unknown reason.

25^th Wed

Boys still not over. I don't know

who is the worse, our officers or the Japs

March

15^th Sun

Change in our Supplementry

Diet a bit of Cake

These times are a bit of a 

worry, wondering about those at

Home, they must be having a bad

time, trying to puzzle out how we

are, I hope they soon get news.

16^th Mon

Just laying in hospital, stump

improves every day

17^th Tues

Much the same

18^th Wed

Plaster leg giving trouble

M. Borthwick passed away

19^th  Thur

Three of the Boys in Burial

Party came to see me, only

chance they had to get over.

March

20^th Fri

Tom got in again, theres no

doubt about him; got a Major to

let him thru, worried him to it.

21^st SAT

Moved to another A.G.H.

building, ^0.2 much better place upstairs

22^nd Sun

Tom gets over every day

now, with the Working Partys

23^rd Mon

Plaster leg giving me

Hell, formed a pressure sore.

24^th Tues

Much same as yesterday

Boys not over for a few

days, for some unknown reason.

25^th Wed

Boys still not over. I don't know

who is the worse, our officers or the Japs

March

26^th Thurs

Plaster changed was

to be done Saturday.

I think there was a slight

infection in it.

I hope that France & the 

Folks know by now that

we are O.K.

27^th Fri

Still just sitting up &

lying down, it's a bit of a cow

not being able to get about.

28^th SAT

Just another day.

29^th Sun

Can hear them down at Church

wouldn't mind going down but

it's well out of the question.

30^th Mon

Well it's Monday that's all

March

31^st Tues

Just about sick of not seeing

e Boys.

EDUCATION CENTRE
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

1^st Wed

April Fool's day & it's

raining like anything, nice &

cool. One thing about out here

at Changi, it's a nice part of

the Island, fairly cool all the

time & a few nice breezes.

2nd Thurs

Looks like being just another day

and it was.

3^rd Fri

Good Friday. We had a sort of 

a Bun; Soda Bun, not bad, very

little sugar, no Fruit, bit of Spice

Still, it's not bad to get it.

March

26^th Thurs

Plaster changed was

to be done Saturday

I think there was a slight

infection in it

I hope that F

Folks know by now that

we are O.K.
[*supply 30 piculs whi*]

27^th Fri

Still just sitting up &

lying down, it's a bit of a cow

not being able to get about.

28^th SAT

Just another day

29^th Sun

Can hear them down at Church

wouldn't mind going down but

it's well out of the question.

30^th Mon

Well it's Monday that's all

March

31^st Tues

Just about sick of not seeing

Tom or any of the Boys.

APRIL

1^st Wed

April Fool's day & it's

raining like anything, nice &

cool. One thing about out here

at Changi, it's a nice part of

the Island, fairly cool all the

time & a few nice breezes.

2^nd Thurs

Looks like being just another day

and it was.

3^rd Fri

Good Friday. we had a sort of 

a Bun; Soda Bun, not bad, very

little sugar, no Fruit, bit of Spice

Still, it's not bad to get it.

APRIL

3^rd Bright spots are the Fri

The Furpheys that go about

are beauts, latest is the Japs

have been given 24. hrs to get off

the Island.

Now they say we have got Two

Hospital Ships in Singapore to

Take us Home.

I'd like to be with The Boys at

The Bakery today or just see Tom

or some of them, I bet they would

have a Bun that was pretty good

after a bit of scrounging about.

Cigarette issue today.

Latest Furpheys, Russia has bombed

Tokio & the Japs are reported to

be leaving Singapore (Oh. Yeah).

4^th SAT

They say there's a Working Party

of 3,000 gone to Singapore

APRIL

4^th SAT

Latest is that big Naval Battle

has been on between Japs & British

& American Fleets. How they find

all this out beats me.

Now they say Wavell is going to

throw it in unless he gets Air Support

Now the Yanks & the Chinese are

supposed to be coming down thru

Malaya like wild fire, (sounds good)

5^th Sun

So Dawns Easter Sunday a

beautiful day. I wish I could get out

& enjoy the sunshine for a while, but

a blokes unlucky enough to have to

lay in bed all the time, I'm getting

soft & talk about being skinny

I'm a fair imitation of a rake now.

Medicenes now are A.P.C. some

iron medicene, & Pot.- Brom.