Wallet 5 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 2 of 2, 1943-1945, Part 3

January.
Wednesday 26^th.
Playing cards; very little else to do of Evening
Thursday 27^th.
New mail starting to come in to Camp
reports say August - Sept- 1943.
Friday 28^th.
Meat issue Today first Beef we have
had for months.
Saturday 29^th.
Went to see "Shootin High; A.I.F.
Concert very good show. probably one of
their best. Meat again
Sunday 30^th.
Meat issue today again, its alright
Too; Touching up on Maths with Charlie.
Monday 31^st.
Meat Issues to be every day until
further orders. Food has improved..
Anti-Dysentry needle today.
FEBRUARY.
1^st. Tuesday. 1944.
2^nd T.A.B. at 1415 hrs. Mail still
just drifting in.
2.^rd Wednesday.
Stroll around Camp. Fire Precautions
being strictly enforced.
3^th.Thursday
Lighting Restrictions; Semi-Brownout.
Black-out ordered for March.
4^th. Friday
Boys over from No 2. Area. Played Bridge
5^th. Saturday.
First rain for weeks, & not very much
6^th. Sunday.
Had to write of a Personal Experience
that occured to me in the war, all
ranks have to do same- (150 word essay)
Something to do with I.J.A. Celebrations.
Tea at No. 2 Area. with "Mac" etc.

FEBRUARY
7^th. Monday.
28th Birthday today & still away from
home; Went & saw "Hat Fever" at
"Little Theatre" , a most excellent show
Possibly best in Camp to date.
8^th. Tuesday 28^th. Birthday.
This light restriction business is no
good. Lin Fenton over to see me.
9^th Wednesday.
Saw Boys in A.G.H. others over from
N^o2. Area.
10th Thursday
Started to make Models of Home, gives
me some thing to do, always working
on how to improve it.
11^th Friday.
Just another day.
Saturday 12^th.
Went to A.I.F. Concert, "Bits & Pieces"
a very Bright & good show.
Sunday 13^th.
Last of Mail in. Lots of news of
Aug - Sept. '43'.
Monday 14^th.
Saw "Good Morning " Bill", at Phoenix
Theatre, quite amusing (Turf - Turf.)
Tuesday 15^th
Good Raubs, drought has broken.

PLayed Bridge.
Wednesday 16^th
Visited boys in A.G.H. Danny in
again.
Thursday 17^th.
Pay $1-10^¢. Sugar $1.50; Tobacco
70^¢. hard to get. Biscuits $1-30^¢.

February 
Thursday 17^th
3 yrs. Today since Landing in this land
Friday. 18^th
Lecture in Mess on "Sinking of Bismark"
(P.O. Eden)
Saturday 19^th
Getting Model of Home in Shape now
Sunday 20^th
A.I.F. Orchestra in Y.M.C.A. Hut
6 of Unit over.
Monday 21^nd.
Fill Brooms in Morning; & Brushes
in afternoon. Do a bit of model.
Tuesday. 22^rd
Over to A.G.H. "Staff" in. Made
Pipe for Him.
Wednesday. 23^th
"Don & Bill" over in afternoon.
Thursday 24^th.
Popular Recordings at Ed. Centre.
Don & Bill over.
Friday 25^th
Quiet day caught up with Brooms &
Brushes. Doing Model under great difficulties
Saturday 26^th
Very wet last 3 days. few Brushes to 
do. No weed in Canteen. all that
comes in is rationed out to Units
(3 Cigars per man)
Sunday 27^th.
Leg Parade, for Col. Webster.
Boys now smoking Paw-Paw leaves &
Chervy - leaves dressed up with Brown
sugar. Bridge.
Monday. 28^th
U.S.A. Red. Cross Supplies are to

February
released to the Camp. Reported that
30, 000 Troops to return from Northern Malaya
Burma - Thialand - Borneo, Dutch. - English
Australian - American - Chinese, Indian .
Tuesday 29^th.
Issued today with 20 Chesterfields, 8 Caniols
 1 ¼ ozs Chocolate Ration, & Soap.
List of rest of Contents of Parcel sent
to Group Q.M. for 385 Troops, to be
used before 16^th March.
Prunes. 16. lb. Sugar 200oz. Coffee 360 ozs.
Ham & Eggs 400 ozs. Meat loaf 100ozs.
Tinned fish 16lb. Cocoa 200ozs Prem. Meat 100 ozs
Corned Loaf 400 ozs. Bully 100 ozs, xx
Jam 20lb. Cheese. 204 ozs. D. Soup 400 ozs
Boullion. 12lb. Cigs 150 pkts 20^e.
Soap 100. 20zs Cakes. Chocolate 51 4 lb
Pkts.

MARCH
Wednesday 1^st.
Quite a taste in the food from the little
that they were able to put in. Coffee for
Breakfast (weak) 3- ½" cubes of Sugar.
Played Bridge. Saw A.G.H. Boys for while.
Thursday 2^nd.
This Red Cross Food is making quite a bit
of a difference to the meals,
Friday ^3rd.
Went to see A.I.F. Concert. "All at Sea"
a very good show. I.J.A. are taking
Photo's of P.O.W in camp area, at
work & at sports.
Saturday 4^th.
Big Garden scheme in operation, every
man to spend 1 hr per day in Unit 
Gardens. immaterial of what duties. N^o.1.
Section Excluded.

March
Sunday 5^th 
Spent all day after doing washing
on Model of Home. Played Bridge.
Monday 6^th.
Had to attend A.I.F. Theatre for 
a performance to be Photographed
by I.J.A. atr 1000 hrs.
Played 500 in the Evening.
Tuesday 7^th.
Plenty of Meat coming in the last 
5 days. so with R.C. Issue we are
doing exceptionally well; Issue should soon
cut out.
Wednesday 8^th.
Just a day - Over to see Boys in
A.G.H.
Thursday 9th.
Played "Housie" for a while.
Friday 10^th.
Saw "Love on the Dole" at Phoenix
Theatre by the Rose Player; Probably
one of the best shows put on in Camp
Saturday 12^th.
Played "Housie" for while; Still working
on Model of Home a most difficult job
to do in this Camp.
Sunday 12^th.
Water & Power off cut in wi wire
some place; Some one put Chunkel
thru it.
Monday 13^th
Went to see Wally & rest of Boys
still without lights; Rec Cross Supplies
all out. Some talk of more; Poor
supply of Rations coming into Camp

MARCH.
Tuesday 14^th.
Lecture "Spy Ring" at A.I.F. Theatre.
Power on again.
Wednesday 15^th.
I.J.A. Inspection by General Sito, on.
Barrack Square at 1100 hrs. General arrives
at 1430 hrs. Played Bridge.
Thursday 16^th.
Talk to McHugh on Sugar. Music at
Education Centre
Friday 17^th
Finished Model of House. Lecture "Spy
Ring" in Australia at A.I.F. Theatre
Sinking of P.of Wales Con Depot.
Saturday 18^th.
Lecture Digging up the Past in Egypt
by Capt. Greener at A.I.F. Theatre.
Sunday 19^th.
Music in Y.M.C.A. by A.I.F. Orchestra
Played Bridge with Bob & Jim Wilkie
Finished Charlie's Pipe.

Monday 20^th.
Played Bridge. Stroll to A.G.H. Don & 
Bill over.
Tuesday 21^st
Went to Little Theatre no show
owing to sudden illness of some of actors.
Food shortage. no Veg's coming into Camp
Meat 20 issues in Month.
"Mac" & staff over. from No.2. Area.
Wednesday. 22^nd.
Pieces in Canteen up to Billy - ho.
Biscuits $5 per lb. Sugar $3.20, Garlic $4.20.
Tobbacco $.70. Soya Sauce .45^¢ Pint.
Guala $2.75. Shoes for Staff.

March
Thursday 23^rd.
Duck Syndicate Broke up Shortage of
food. We got £5 per Duck between two
men & 80^¢ refund for lay out of £55/—
Music at Education Centre.
Friday 24^th.
Went to see “Star dust” performance off
owing to illness in Orchestra.
Saturday 25^th.
Over to see Wally. Played Bridge
“Housie” in Men’s Mess.
Sunday 26^th.
Asked by Lt. Swaddling to go in to Off’s
Cook house has Pastry cook, not very anxious
about the work over here in my condition.
Played Bridge with Charles, Bob.I. Jim Wilkie
Monday 27^th.
Went into Cookhouse on trial, work easy.
Monday 27^th.
but monotonous, small oven, slow cooker
and Materials hard to get & use.
Tuesday 28^th.
2nd day in Cookhouse, starting to get
the hang of things, played 500.
Wednesday 29^th.
“Don & Bill” over in evening. Housie in Mess.
Prices in Canteen still rising. Tob. $1.40^¢
1½ oz. other things very seldom in.
Thursday 30^th.
Quick inspection by our Officers for
wireless parts; its an offence to have
any small part, xxxxxxxxx
being a cook, could make use,
glad that this xxxxxxxxxx thrown.
Friday 31^st.
Just another day.

APRIL.

Saturday 1^st.

Went to A.I.F. Concert Anniversary Show.
Rations down to Billyho; & we were promised
a rise of 10 ozs Veg per day, last month
we were down 33,000 lbs.

Sunday 2^nd.

No rest for Cooks; job is good-oh now I’m
getting used to it. Played Bridge Bob & Jim.

Monday 3^rd.

Lecture at Business Bureau “Timber”.
Rumours of Move for Pondepot.

Tuesday 4^th.

Inspection of Building by the S.A. &
Malaya Command Officers, B.J. & others,
looks like out we go.

Wednesday 5^th.

Orders to move out by Friday.
Thursday 6^th
We have to learn a bit of Japanese
Nippon-Go, meat for 4 days running.
Move is definitely on & we go to
xxx Building 171 on the Square.
I moved out with Officers at 1730 hrs.
Friday 7^th (Good Friday)
On 3rd floor of 171 good spot to 
Mosquitoes, cool, plenty of fresh air.
Lot of work to get Cookhouse on the
go. All notices in English to be removed
Saturday 8^th
Working a bit uphill trying to get things
going very hard, stove uses too much
wood.
Sunday 9^th.
Put in another stove, cooks only on
Bottom, burns one side

APRIL

Sunday 9^th

No Parade, over to see. Don + Bill in their new quarters

Monday 10^th (Easter Monday)

I.J.A inspection promised, hasn't come

off yet in our Building.

Down to Parade on Square. No 

Parade was held for 3 nights owing

to the Season (Easter)

Tuesday 11^th

Quite a few of the Boy's up. Don

Bill, Arthur, Darky, Cookie

Lot of Planes about today, seem 

to notice them more from up here.

Wednesday 12^th
Still in Trouble with stone, lack
of water. Charles up most nights
Thursday 13^th 
Usually yarn till 2400 hrs, to J. Gore
Ted, Alec. Gil at times.
Things in Kitchen on improve.
Friday 14^th
Rations seem light not much in the
Canteen to buy.
Saturday 15^th
JOe & Bill up. Charlie's Pipe goes
into election.
Sunday 16^th
Stove worse, had to get Wally to
do a bit in his Oven. Most of us
seem to be settled in noe.
Music in Y.M.C.A. Jut
Monday 17^th 
Got stove fixed. Charlie made me
too slate hones.