Wallet 3 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 1 of 2, 1941-1943, Part 9

APRIL

5^th    Sun

Latest Furpheys

War has ended today. (Europe)

Japs have lost 94 planes over

Australia & New Zealand; & now

The British have re armed the

Japs to fight against the Germans

6^th    Mon.

Coolest day we've had, coldest I've

felt it for some time must be getting

pretty soft.

Latest Furpheys:

3 wks time Roosevelt will rescue us

Be on our way home in 5 wks.

He has given the Japs 8 days to

get out; We have heard reports

for some wks that the 6^th, 7^th & 9^th

Divs. are back in Australia;

They are going to send Ponies

from Sumatra to feed us now

APRIL

6^th     Mon

Tom sent up tin of Jam & a

note says how he's been trying to

get up to see me & I can guess

how he's been trying.

Prices for Food smuggled in is

terrible, $2.50 for Tin of Herrings

$3 for 1lb Tin of jam, $3 Tin of

Condensed Milk, $2.50 Bully Beef

Cigaretes $1 Pkt 10, Tobacco

$4. 2oz Tin, Papers 3 pkts $1.

Sent note to Tom. by DARKY.

7^th.     Tues

Rumour that  a Canteen is to

be started has been in the Air

for a while, now seems to be going

to be a fact. Medicene Iron. Mix

Cigarette Issue is twice a week

Red Cross & Japanese Issue.

Wrote to Tom, sent out $6.

APRIL.
7^th    Tues
Tom sent over Tin Milk, Tin Jam
Rumour that all able-bodied
Men are to ^lmoved to Singapore
Fish Soup for Tea. My Diet
is Milk & Rice for Breakfast.
Mild & Rice for Tea, & usually
Rice & Stew for Dinner made of Paw-Paws. We get a
Hell of a lot of Rice each man
gets enough for about 4 people
as we eat it at Home.
The milk is very watery, 1 Tin
of Condensed Milk, to 4 gls water
Stew x is just a bit they can't
get enough meat to make much
Boiled green Papaya is used
has a Veg. Bread with Stew
1 small slice, about every second
day we get a Rice Cake or a
Doughnut. Sugar is ¼ oz per.day
APRIL.

7^th    Tues
My Supplementray Diet is, Cocoa
no Milk or Sugar at. 1100 hrs,
Milo at 1600 hrs, sometimes a
piece of Bread, or a couple of
Biscuits; Sunday usually a
piece of Fruit Cake. A lot of
this is Red Cross Supplies
I believe that anybody who
wanted to pay up to $50
in their Pay-Books could
& this money is now being
used to buy the little
extras for us in Hospital
8^th    Wed
Rice & Milk for Breakfast, it's
good with a bit of Jam in it
(Ted. Enslow, SAILOR) Ted Faunt, & Self
have a pool of Our Supplies
Jam for our Rice & Milk; Milk for

APRIL.
8^th    Wed
our TEA. Thick Condensed Milk
or Jam for our Bread, Herrings in
Sauce, about 10 o'clock at night
This ought to help us pick up a
bit, & I suppose at first it will be
a pain in the Tummy if we're not
careful, being off such things for
a while, & only on Rice.
Today's Best Furphey so far is -
We are going to be releived in
48 hrs. Now they say we are
going to be allowed to receive
Mail from Home, but won't be
able to write back, this is
supposed to come off in12 days
Now they say a Convoy is on its
Way, & that we will be able to write
Home twice a month is the new
one tonight.
APRIL.
9^th    Thurs
Tom sent me over 6. Rolls &
some Sugar, sent last $2 to
Him.
Tom got over to see me for
10 mins tonight, sure glad to see
Him, he's sending in a bit more
stuff Friday he says & he hopes
to get across too.
3 of us had a tin of Bully in with
our Stew & Rice for Dinner &
it was the goods.
No Furpheys Today
10^th      Fri
We heard a lot of news, I don't
know where they get. it from
supposed to be Authentic.
Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin has
been Bombed I hope it's well
& truly wrong, They can do

APRIL.
10^th     Fri
what they like, has long has
they leave "Aussie" alone; That
is the opinion of all thex Boys
over here.
I naturally worry how France
& the Kids are, & all at Home are
They say that the list of
Prisoners, Wounded, etc, is Home to
Australia, I hope it's right, it will
releive a lot to know how we all
are.
Tom sent 2 milk. 1 Bully.
1. Jam. & also says he can't get
over, they've stopped the way
he slipped over the other night
He got 9 tins for $14.
Had Rice with Flour cooked thru it
for Tea, should have used it to
stick Wallpaper on. Bit of Fish
APRIL.
11^th    SAT.
The new Milk. "Columbia" Tom
sent over is just the "Grouse"
on the Rice & Milk, better than
Condensed.
Tom over to see me today, came
has a member of The Concert Party
Brought 10 Tins of "Essentials"
Told me about big "Blue over at
Bakery.
12^th     Sun
Stump giving me "Merry Hell" of
a night-time, all the "Dope" I
used to take & knocked myself
off of, is coming back again in
dribs & drabs. I have to take a
Phenabarbel Tablet at night now,
to ease the nerves off in the leg.
Tom sent over Rolls, sure puts
the finishing touch to the Herrings
 

APRIL.
18^th.      Mon.
Today we have a Furphey or two
Reported that Battle for Malaya
is on again, said to be two
British Planes over yesterday.
I heard we are all on "Punishment
Diet" because someone done up a
couple of Indian Guards.
The Japs have got Indians has
Guards around the P.O.W. Camp
The Boys have to "Salute" them.
Japanese Guards have to be saluted
& bowed to, something seems to
tell me the boys will be a little bit
crook on all this.
Tobacco is now $8. 2oz. Tin.
Tom sent Book up today with
Harry. Hammond.
I don't know what happened to the
"Punishment Diet" but we in the
APRIL.
13^th     Mon
Hospital must be off it, the
"Special Diet" (I who am one
thereof) got Fish, Rice & Milk &
prunes (3). & a Buttered Roll
for Tea. Everyone had Stew
& Rice for Dinner.
They say we are to get our
Personal stuff out of our Kitbag
they are taking all clothing to
equip. the men (us included)
I hope I get my stuff back.
14^th     Tues
Rice Porridge for Breakfast.
2 mths today since I got Hit.
Dinner Stew: and Tea, Rice &
Milk, & Fish. 
15^th      Wed.
Quiet sort of day. Tom sent
over Salmon & Herrings.
 

APRIL.
16.^th      Thurs
Last night a bad night for about
40% of the Patients, a slight
case of Poison. They can't make out
what caused it. The night Orderlies
had their work cut out to keep
up the Supply of Basins & Pans.
Furpheys Today - Russia has given
Japan 24 days to get out of all
the Islands. Germany has Capitulated.
Great Industrial uprisings in Germany
Hitler has been Assasinated.
Tom sent over "Essentials."
17^th.     FRI.
I got what the 40% had, & it's
a crook time while it lasts, just
has if your Stomach is in knots.
Furpheys Today - All sick & wounded
to be evacuated on 1^st May. 7
Hospital ships on the way.
APRIL.
18^th     SAT
Tom & Fraser over for a while
I only see Tom once a week now.
He is trying to get some more of
the "essentials" over to us.
Sailor is "staking" us he gave
Tom $20 y to get them, he's the
luckiest Bloke in the world at "Swy"
He started off to try & lose $5
& has never been under a $100
since, up to $130 at times, hes sent
out $45, & lent $100 & has still 
got $109 in his Belt.
We get the news read to us now
& then, but I think you can take it
with a pinch of Salt, how in the
Hell they can get news in a P.O.W.
C. beats me. They say there is
a Wireless in the camp. (I wonder)
Off. 2 mths.
 

APRIL.
19^th     SUN.
I just lay & think at times of
all at Home, & how much I miss
them all. Especially France & the Kids
I'll make up to them when I get back
I hope to be O.K. & be able to get
away for a Holiday with them.
Sunday Morning at Home listening to
the Wireless & Sunday Nights after being
away for the weekend, I think how we
used to sit by the Fire, with Iris &
Syd, sure were swell times, & now are just
a memory.
Fraser over to see me tonight.
20^th    Mon.
Loaf & Curry Powder from Tom
Furphey's;- They say the Japs are getting
hell now; Flying Fortresses Bomb
Manilla, also rumoured that there
are negotiations are being considered
APRIL.
20^th     Mon
for the exchange of Prisoners.
Wounded & disabled & men over 40.
Just finished reading the. "Doughmaker."
21^st    Tues
Supplementary today "Choco-milk"
Furpheys Today. Div. H.Q.  A.I.F. are
allowed a Wireless, but are only allo
allowed to give out news what the
Japanese. H.C. let them.
They say the list of Wounded, etc.
Was Published in last Friday's -
Australian Papers.
Tea was a turn-up, Rice & Coconut
Fish, & Sausage Roll with Rice in.
22^nd       Wed
Furphey's:- Tokio has asked the
Yanks not to Bomb them has it
may bring on Earthquakes.
Many Japanese Prisoners taken.
 

APRIL.
22^nd    Wed.
Piece of Bone taken out of Stump
today. Loaf from Tom.
23^rd     Thurs
Furpheys:- 4 Neutral Ships in the
Harbour. (Whose Neutral?)
Tokio reported to be in flames:
Plaster taken off today. I hope 
they leave it off. The wound is
still pretty bad, the pressure
sore has to have the Proud-flesh
burnt off now, feels good no
Plaster on.
Furphey's:- Reported that all the
Japanese Troops are being recalled
to their Home-Front.
Tea once again a Special.
Rice & Stew; Pastie, (meat. Veg. Rice)
Cook who done Pasties made good
job, under conditions here.
APRIL

24^th      FRi.
Furpheys:- Now we have 3 Supply
Ships in the Harbour, loaded with
Tinned goods from Australia.
They say our Rations are to be
increased. (We hope.)
Japs have lost 8,000 killed &
17,000 wounded in Tokio.
We will be Home in 3 wks time.
X-Rays taken today at 1100hrs.
Had a desire for a nice thick
slice of Fresh Bread, plenty of
Butter, & nice thick Honey that
wouldn't run off; makes me
think of France & how she used
to say She would like things
just when they couldn't be got.
Fish & Chips on Sunday night & such
other impossiblities at times, go
from Collingwood to get Dim-Sims at 2200hrs.
 

[* OUT OF BOUNDS
BEFORE - 1430 hrs -
AFTER - 2200 hrs - *]
25^th    Sat.
Furpheys:- Jap Fleet is trapped
Between, British & American fleets
Reported to be New Japanese Prime
Minister.
Japanese threaten to retaliate in a
terrible way, if Bombing of Tokio not stopped
Today is a day for Remembrance
what do we want to remember,?
Our memories are all of Home, &
the war is more in the line of being
forgotten, I for one don't want to ever
remember too much about it, the
bright side is alright; I hope there is
never any more, ANZAC, Dunkirk, Crete,
Greece, or Malaya, & that Peace can

reign forever more.
Tom over today, he missed the
Concert Party & near on got Picked up
by the Japs: 2/29^th came in from Muar
I wonder if there is still a chance for A
APRIL

26^th    Sun.
Rice Ration cut, all Units are told
to get a week's Surplus ahead, we can
take this for a good sign (I hope).
It's a beautiful morning this Sunday, just
like a Spring morning at Home, I hope that
x for the sake of a lot of Chaps in Hospital
that it won't be long before. we are on our
way Home, this country, & the Rice Diet will
never let them get better for months yet.
Big move today, another ward moved
in with us, a lot of Patients to go out
Furpheys:- The Limbless to go Home in
a fortnight. British & Americans have
control of all the Islands, Bar -
Singapore & Malaya. 35,000 Prisoners
taken. Wavell has Japanese trapped &
Rangoon is again in British hands.
Played Patience all day against
Sailor, he got it out once. 

 

 

APRIL

a printed tab see original

Sat.

Furphey:- Jap Fleet is trapped
Between, British & American Fleets

Reported to be New Japanese Prime

Minister.

Japanese threaten to retaliate in a 

terrible way, if Bombing of Tokio not stopped
Today is a day of Remembrance
Our memories are all of Home, &
the war is more in the line of being
forgotten, I for one don't want to ever
remember too much about it, the
bright side is alright; I hope there is
never any more, ANZAC, Dunkirk, Crete,
Greece, or Malaya, & that Peace can

reign forever more.
Tom over today, he missed the
Concert Party & near on got Picked up
by the Japs: 2/29^th came in from Muar
I wonder if there is still a chance for A

APRIL

26^th    Sun.
Rice Ration cut, all Units are told
to get a week's Surplus ahead, we can
take this for a good sign (I hope).
It's a beautiful morning this Sunday, just
like a Spring morning at Home, I hope that
x for the sake of a lot of Chaps in Hospital
that it won't be long before. we are on our
way Home, this country, & the Rice Diet will
never let them get better for months yet.
Big move today, another ward moved
in with us, a lot of Patients to go out
Furpheys:- The Limbless to go Home in
a fortnight. British & Americans have
control of all the Islands, Bar -
Singapore & Malaya. 35,000 Prisoners
taken. Wavell has Japanese trapped &
Rangoon is again in British hands.
Played Patience all day against
Sailor, he got it out once.