Wallet 5 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 2 of 2, 1943-1945, Part 8

January 1945

Friday. 26th

Lib 1100 - 1700 hrs. New Catalogue nearly right.

Arthur over in Evening.

Saturday 27th

Lib 1100 - 1700 hrs. Music by Y.M.C.A. A.P.IP. Practice

on for two Days, became Genuine.

Sunday 28th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Catalogue completed in Aftern

Stroll in evening to spot in Camp.

Monday 29th

Lib 1100 - 1230. [[?]] Afternoon Twice a week. 1430 - 1700

Tuesday. 30th

Lib 1100 - 1230. Stroll in Evening. Plenty of Rain

Slit-Trenches being dug under Huts

Wednesday 31st.

Lib 1100 - 1230. Stayed in yarning to Arthurs & few others

Kranji away tomorrow Sid. W. to go; New Guards

Friday are very touchy, Indian Guards are right

off now. Canteen nearly had it.

 

February. 1945

Thursday 1st.

Lib never opened today. Big Raid on for

over 2 hrs. Kranji Party in.

Friday. 2ns

Lib 1100 - 1700 hrs. Recce. Plane over.

Swim 1415Hrs. Music by Y.M.C.A.

Saturday 3rd

Lib. 1100 hrs. 1230. Swim 1430 hrs. Music by YMCA.

Sunday 4th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Swim 1500 hrs. Plane over no

Brown - or Blackout??? Issue of Camp made

Toothpowder. (very Drak). Soap issue - no Paper.

Building a Paper & Nail Factory in Camp just about

ready to start up by look of it.

Tuesday 6th

Lib 1100 - 1700. Hrs. Not much too do now in Camp.

Lot of Cables in. always come when big seaplane

is about

Wednesday. 7th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Reading a Digest & a for Men Only

(Australian) even the "Ads" are good to look at.

Lecture on Wide World Series.

Thursday 8th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. 29 today & still away.

Friday 9th.

Lib 1100 - 1715 hrs. Stroll in Evening.

Saturday 10th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Read in Afternoon. Head very bad

Music by Y.M.C.A. New Ration Scale.

 

February.

Sunday. 11th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. New Ration Scale - is: - no Duties

Light Duties - Heavy Duties. So far we are on L.D.

Bit of a Mess in the Mess here, some on H.D.

& some on L.D. can't see how they work it out.

Plane over near on every day, no Signals for 

Blackout are given.

Monday. 12th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Kranji Date In. Lots of Talks on

the Ration Scale. Where is the Car? Guards

are very touchy at present, don't like to hear

the seats drop.

Tuesday 13th

Lib 1100 - 1700 hrs. Very Wet this month is so far; Slit -

trenches in all over the Area; Planes over almost

every day.

Wednesday. 14th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Music by Y.M.C.A. More talks

of Food Cuts. New Guards we have on are not

the best.

Thursday. 15th.

Lib 1100 - 1200 hrs. 3 Years P'.O.W. & still looks like

some more. 6 Planes over, very high.

 

FEBRUARY

Friday 16th.

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. Head very bad today. A

further Ration cut. ¾ Pt. Pap; ½ Pt. Hash &

1 pt Greens Stew; ⅓ pt Rice, ½ Pt Hash & 1 pt. Stew

talks of Lower Scale yet.

Saturday. 17th

Lib 1100 - 1230. Trouble at Drome by some fools.

Road & Drome to finish soon. Rice Issue is

9 ozs per Day. Soap Issue.

Sunday 18th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Made a pips in afternoon.

Bit of reading.

Monday 19th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Told to take things easy in

Camp Diet being so light.

Tuesday 20th.

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. Planes seen to be

over each Day, very high. Wood-yard moved

into Jail. 20 put off in Kitchen

Wednesday. 21st

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Rest this afternoon.

Coconuts $2.20c. Curry .35c oz, Garlic $1.50c oz.

Soap. $3 Bar. Oil $2.80c lb.

 

Feb.

Thursday. 22nd.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Made a pipe for J.R.N.

Cables in from Australia 7 days old.

Friday 23rd.

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. Not much too do of an

evening, go for a stroll. Ration very low

Saturday. 24th

No work this morning, many planes over

Raid on for 2½ hrs. Many fires somewhere

on Island. Lib 1430 - 1700 hrs.

Sunday 25th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Resto in afternoon. Down

to see Don in Evening. "P" party in amongst it

Monday 26th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Not the best, got a cold.

Fires still on the go.

Tuesday 27th.

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. Read "Red Cross News". Jan '44

Feb '44. Planes over at Night.

Wednesday 28th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Reports of Red + ship being in.

Read on Notice Board of Red + Ship being in, then

it was not, but expected.

 

MARCH

Thursday 1st.

Lib 1100 - 1230. Brownout in Morning. Things are very

Dead in the Camp. Kranji Party out in 69.

More to come Pay $7-75c. 10% Rice Cut.

Friday 2nd

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. Big Raid, shells hit our Hut

I was in Jail. 5 men injured (not serious).

Head worse. Weight 8st. 3lbs.

Saturday 3rd

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Music by Y.M.C.A.

Sunday 4th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Ship in. (5 days immunity

from Bombs from Singapore). Stroll in evening

Monday 5th.

Lib 1100 - 1230. Party in to unload ship. Tracters

to be got ready.

Tuesday 6th.

No lib, Ration Movements in Jail. Party

in to pack supplies at Sarangoon Rd, School

Say everything you can think of is there.

Wednesday. 7th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Lot of Parcels in Supplies

Music by Y.M.C.A. made Razor handle.

 

 

March

Thursday 8th

Lib 1100 - 1230. Wally Sarkies over. 10% Rice Cut

back. Meals Breakfast ¾ pt Pap. Lunch -

1 oz Rissole, Tea ¾ pt hash & ½pt Stew.

Tuesday 9th

Lib 1100 - 1715 hrs. Lot of discharges from HP.

Kitchen Staff Quarters Out of Bounds

Saturday 10th.

Lib 1100 - 1230. Don up to see me. Meals are

very light on. Red + rations due in.

Sunday 11th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Lot of People out of

Con depot. (Len Payne) Forestry working in

Singapore on Supplies. Sign Non-escape Form

Monday 12th

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. Raid - Blackout for 2½ hrs

in Morning. Weather very wet. Made pipe

Tuesday 13th.

Lib 1430 - 1730 hrs. Walk in Evening. Not much

Reading at Present. Made a Recipe Book.

Wednesday 14th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Music by Y.M.C.A.

Red Cross has got a lot of worried.

 

 

MARCH

[*8.15  115/109*]

Thursday. 15th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Not a thing to do. A lot

are feeling the Ration cut.

Friday. 16th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Red Cross Card holder to

work in Kitchens in HP Area. Lots of

rumours about moves at present time.

Saturday 17th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. No Raids for a while.

Music.

Sunday. 18th

Lib 1100 - 1245 hrs. Very little to do. Read most

of Afternoon. Don up in Afternoon.

Monday 19th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Nothing to do.

Tuesday 20th

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. More People reading now

than at any other time in the Camp (out 50)

(Pepper 4 oz. Issue of Corns) (Kranji in 100)

Wednesday 21st

Lib 1100 - 1230. Card Home. Dear Mother: - Hope

you all well. Received Cards from All. See

France, Phyllis, Joan for me. Love to all.

your Son. Frank.

 

 

MARCH

Thursday 22nd

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Most talk is of Food, everywhere

you go they seem to be discussing the Food Question

or when will the Red Cross Rations come in?

Weight 7st 10½lbs.

Friday 23rd

Lib 1100 - 1730 hrs. Rumours of Big Party to go

away. Wally Sarkies:

Saturday 24th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Very wet. Music for 1 hr.

Sunday 25th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Rest all of Afternoon, don't

feel the Best

Monday 26th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Parties to Leave Camp 100 left

this Morning. British

Tuesday 27th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Still of Colour decided to have

a bit of time off.

Wednesday 28th

Hair cut - Shave bit of Reading in Morning, bit

of Bowel trouble, Cold, Bad head, still up

to jail in Evening too see Unit.

Party of British & 27 Bde left today.

 

 

MARCH

Wednesday 28th.

Another Party forming of 600 British, 400 A.I.F.

None of Unit on it.

Thursday 29th

Big lot of Noise of Guns & Planes early this

morning, Blackout on. Party Cancelled for

24 hrs. Blood slide taken (Negative).

Another Raid in Night. Arthur. Gilbert on Party to go

away.

Friday 30th.

Doing a bit of Study on Trade. Kranji Party expected

 in this morning. 300 in). another Party this afternoon

Plenty of fires Burning in the Distance.

Saturday 31st.

Fires still burning has well as ever, Harry the Horse

stirred it up a bit more, He comes over daily & looks

around; Decorated a cake for a 21st, Candles made

in the Camp. Red Cross Rations in 1 Parcel

to 20 Men, to go thru Kitchen on Sunday.

Feeling a bit better today. camp is very quiet, seems

to be hushed. Lots of rumours of Moves to various

places. Some of Limbless have put in to be allowed

to move into Jail, seems to me to be a poor show on

their part & a bit of panic in it.

3 more trucks in from Kranji.