Wallet 5 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 2 of 2, 1943-1945, Part 9

April.
Sunday. 1^st.  Easter. 1945 

Easter Sunday Morn & a lot of thoughts of Home

I often take a look at my snaps on Sundays

& get around to thinking of the changes there

will be for me to see when I get back, it's

too hard to imagine them after all this time

away. I remarked to Jack last night that

were I Home I would take the Family to the

Pictures & he said "Well the thought is

good & probably your Wife would appreciate it.

Men seem to be always talking of Food now,

a lot have got themselves in a bit, over it, I

know that it is a pretty serious thing, but it's

no use at all to worry about it that gets one

no place. There is still a big Fire going over on one

of the Islands & looks like the Sun-rising.

Menu:- Breakfast ¾pt. of Pap & Corn; Lunch ¾pt Stew

 Tea - Sweet Rice with Raisins - Milk, Beef Pastie

Salmon Rissole; Jam Cup; Cheese Biscuit;: Coffee &

Chocolate Cup for Supper (7 ozs of Rice; 7 ozs of

Red Cross Ration, 5 ozs Tapioca Root.)

 

 

April

Monday 2^nd.   Easter.

Stroll up to Jail for the morning, seen a few friends

spent afternoon writing a letter for practice & to fill in

time.

Tuesday 3^rd.

Still off Color. Resting & reading. Parties still Leaving

Wednesday 4^th.

More Parties to go A. Gilbert off Draft. Music

by Y.M.C.A. Anti-Dysentry needle ½ C.C.

Up to see Charles & Bert.

Thursday 5^th

Canteen Prices still rise. Coconuts $2.60¢

Soap $3.80¢ Bar, Toilet $2 Cake. Curry Powder

$.80¢ ozs. Cigars .40¢ each. Onions $1.10¢ oz.

Paid $3.50 to all Limbless, a gift from the

Assimi Indians in Singapore.

Friday 6^th.

Reports of Red Cross Clothing being in the

Camp.

Saturday 7^th

6 Lorries of Rations being in is main Camp

Topic. ALL Duty workers to go to Jail. A.G.H

Area No Duties only.

 

 

APRIL

Friday 13^th.  1945

Lib 1100 - 1700 hrs. Concert Party in to Singapore to

take part in Film, at the Swimming Pool.

Syd up in Evening.

Saturday 14^th.

Lib 1100 - 1700. hrs. Hamilton Party back. Down to

Con Depot in Evening.

Sunday 15^th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Bananas $2 each. Coconuts $2.80.

Parade for all put on at 2330 hrs - for 1 hr. Some one is

supposed to have shot thru. Down to see Sid &

Cpl. Rogers. Spent 2 hours with Bert on Plan

Monday. 16^th

Lib 1100 - 1730. Red Cross Rations on again. 

Syd up in Evening. Spent more time on Plan

Tuesday 17^th.

Lib 1100 - 1545 hrs. Made Locker. Coconut Grater.

Wednesday. 18^th

Lib 1100 - 1240 Lib 1100 - 1230. 1545 - 1700 hrs

Comforts issue. I drew Tube of Barbarsol. Moved

to A1 Block 1430 hrs.

Comforts were. Toothpaste; Comb; Pencil; Razor; Blade

Toilet Paper; Shave Cream; Boot Polish.

 

APRIL.

Sunday. 8^th

Reports of moves to take place today. Red Cross

Rations very good 22 men to 11lb Parcel, Milk

& Soap taken for Patients. Most of Limbless

tonight went to Jail.

Monday 9^th

Very quiet with most of Boys gone. H. Duty Gardner

move out tonight. Lots of Rumours of Curfew to be

put on this week.

Tuesday 10^th.

Not a good day for me head very bad. Lots of

movement here at Con. depot Today. Moved

out to J Grp at 2000 hrs. now with Unit in

attap Huts in E. Courtyard.

Wednesday. 11^th

Back to Work this morning 1100 - 1230 hrs. Down to see

Syd. the Cpt in Evening. Not too bad where I am

in the Jail. Red Cross. Rations.

Thursday 12^th.

Lib 1100 - 1700 hrs. Lot of work there at present time

O.J. Library moved in. Parties to move to No 2

Camp tonight. No movement outside Jail of an

evening from now (1930 - 2200 hrs).

Loaf of Bread off Roly $6. (3½" x 1" x 2¼")

 

APRIL
Thursday 19^th   1945

Lib. 1100 - 1230 hrs. Red Cross Ration today.

Afternoon off down to see Syd, Don, Cpl Rogers, etc

Friday 20^th

Lib 1100 - 1230. - 1430 - 1535 hrs Roy. Herman passed

away last night. Syd up in evening. Issue of

5 Cigarettes. Clippers on Issue to Group Barbers

Saturday. 21^st

Lib 1100 - 1545 hrs. Stroll to A.G.H. in evening

Arthur in to see me. More Parcels in.

Sunday 22^nd

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Red + Rations. Draw for

Housewife 13.; Blade Sharpener 1; Chewing Gum. 6 six to 130 man.

1,000 men to dig trench around Wire?

Monday. 23^rd

Lib 1100 - 1230. 1545 - 1700 hrs. Ration up 50 Grms

Curry Puffs $1. Weight 7s - 7p.

Tuesday. 24^th

Lib 1100 - 1230 - 1430 - 1545. Working on Plan at

night. Lot of men down sick with Food poisoning

about 40% of Jail. I.J.A & Indian Troops in it

too. Suspect some kind of Root in de-hydrated

vegetables.

 

 

APRIL.

Wednesday. 25^th   Anzac Day

Lib 1100 - 1700 hrs. 11 cases of Books from Red +

Red + Rations. (Bacon - Tomatoes - Sugar - Pudding -

Creamed Rice - Sardines - Salmon - Margarine - 5¼ oz

per Man.) Work on Plan.

Thursday 26^th.

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Quiet evening, a bit off Colour

Friday 27^th

Lib 0900 - 2200 hrs. Sorting, Cataloguing, Stamp &

number. Red Cross Books. Quite a lot of very

good Books, Fiction & Educational. Lib closed

till 1430 hrs Saturday. Issue of 5 cigarettes

Onions $1.60 ozs. Blachan 50¢ ozs. Red Cross

Boots on Issue.

Saturday 28^th

All morning getting books ready. 0900 - 1230. Lib 1430 - 1730 hrs

Groups issued Voucher. Cards for Non-Members.

Big rush of members at Library: (384) 100, 200,

Pay $7.75¢; Clothing draw Sox; Soap Issue.

Eggs $7.50. each; Curry Puffs. $1.

Sunday 29^th.

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs.

Wet Rice in Store to be used today extra issue.

Red + Rations. Stroll to Hosp. Area. See Bill

Sid.

Monday. 30^th.

Lib 0900 - 1230. 1545 - 1700. 1930 - 2030 Sid up in evening. Talk to

Arthur for quite a while, the first yarn we've

been able to get in for weeks.

 

 

MAY.

Tuesday. 1^ST   1945

Lib. 0900 - 1230 - 1430 - 1700. 1930 - 2015 Mail in Oct. '44

Jack Scully & Graham in for a yarn.

Wednesday 2^nd

Lib 0900 - 1715. Red + Rations. Comfort Issue draw

W. Soap. Mail still coming in. Cable for

M. Borthwick. Clothing Issue.

Thursday 3^rd.

Lib 0900 - 1715 hrs. Down to Hosp. Area. in evening.

Drop in to see H.E.G. every Night.

Friday 4^th

Lib 0900 - 1545 hrs. 5 Cigs Issue. Doing quite a

bit of reading, good light of night. Camp in

good spirits most of time. Mail cheers a lot

of them up.

Saturday. 5^th.

Lib 0930 - 1545 hrs. Syd up in evening.

Sunday. 6^th

Lib 0930 - 1230 hrs Two Letter-cards & Snap

from Mum. (22-6-44 - 8-9-44. lots of Kids

for me to see when I get back, makes one

realize how long it has been, by the snaps.

Red + Rations.

 

 

MAY

Monday. 7^th.   1945

Lib 0900 - 1230 - 1400 - 1545. Sid, Jack, Scully

in. Bill Goulds up in evening to tell me to

come down for a Peg.

Tuesday 8^th

Lib 0930 - 1230 - 1545 - 1700. Down to Limb. Shop

Sputter runs Palm-oil. They've had it?

Wednesday 9^th.

Lib 0930 - 1230hrs. 1545 - 1700. Red + Rations

British Parcels. Coconuts $3. Oil $1. Blachang-

70¢ ozs. Cinnamon $3.80¢. lb. Cigars 40¢. each

Thursday. 10^th

Lib 0930 - 1230 hrs Down to Con Depot to see

Bill & Syd. Syd gave me a Razor Case.

Friday 11^th.

Lib 0930 hrs to 1545 hrs. 5 Cigs last issue of

Red cross smokes. Out to a Doover -do at 

Syd's.

Saturday 12^th

Lib 0900 1000 hrs - 1545. hrs. Down to Limb. shop

Len Payne in strife. Work on plan with A.E.G.W. Lot of

vegetables in, in the Last 2 days. Nuts & Oil coming in

more often. Nuts $3. Oil $2.lb.

Sunday. 13^th

Lib 0900 hrs 1230. Quiet afternoon Reading, down to

Hosp Area in evening.

Monday 14^th

Lib 0930 hrs - 1545 hrs. Down to limb shop; Evening

on the Home with Bert. 2 Cards from Mum.

(9-5-44 - 1-10-44)

Tuesday 15th

Phyll's Birthday. Witness at Orderly Room. Lib 1000 -

1230 hrs. 1545 - 1715 hrs

 

 

MAY

Wednesday. 16^th.   1945

Lib 0930 - 1230 - 1730 hrs. Red + Rations. Nuts

$2.50. Curry .90¢ ozs. Down to see Don.

(Book-stealer.)

Thursday. 17^th

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs. Collected Leg in afternoon

Quite a few yarns with Arthur. Dreaming a

lot of being Home.

Friday 18^th

Lib 0930 - 1230. Comforts draw. 1 Blade). Down

to see Syd. Leg a bit hard on the Stump, a

bit of pressure.

Saturday 19^th.

Lib 1000 hrs - 1545 hrs. Leg altered. Talking Homes

with Bert. Wally down in the Evening.

Sunday. 20^th

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs. Wearing Peg - O.K. now. Red +

Rations. Stroll round Jail in evening.

Monday 21^st.

 Lib 0915 - 1230 - 1545 - 1700 hrs. Stroll on Peg

Jack in for a while, met Kruisman,

 

 

MAY.

Tuesday 22^nd    '45

Lib 0900 - 1230 - 1400 - 1545 hrs. Walk to Hosp

Area on Peg. New shorts.?

Wednesday 23^rd.

Lib 0930 - 1230 - 1545 - 1700 hrs. Red Cross Rations

Down to see Don & Co. on Peg. Weight 7st. 6 lbs.

Thursday. 24^th.

Lib 0930-1230 hrs. Party to move out

Friday 25^th

Lib 0930 - 1700 hrs. 350 to No 2 Camp in

from Sumatra (Dutch) at 1930 hrs. Lib 1930

2030 hrs. Drome finished.

Saturday 26^th

Lib 0930 - 1545 hrs. Part of 500 to No 2 Camp

at 1000 hrs.

Sunday 27^th

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs. Red Cross Rations. Down

to HP Area on Peg.

Monday 28^th.

Lib 1000 hrs - 1545 hrs. With A.E.G.W. for the

evening. Pay $7-50.
 

 

MAY.

Tuesday 29^th

Lib 0900 hrs - 1545 hrs. Syd Piddington on Staff

temporily. Red Cross Rations, for an unknown

reason, Party of 1100 expected in tomorrow.

Down to see Don & Co. at tP Kitchen.

Talking with A.E.G.W. & Maj. Wyatt till

2300 hrs.

Wednesday. 30^th.

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs. Canteen Prices go on & on

Gula-Mallacca $16.50¢ lb. Nuts $3. Towgay

$25. lb. Salt $6 lb. Tobacco $7.50¢ per

2½ ozs. Pkt. Curry Powder $.90¢ ozs. Blachang $.90¢

ozs. Soap Toilet $2.80¢ cake. Wash $1.50¢ cake

Palm. Oil $2.20¢ lb. Sugar $24 lb. Tap Root

$2.80 lb.

Thursday. 31^st

Lib 0930 - 1230 hrs. "Yasume" all afternoon & Evening

Party to leave today Cancelled.

Troops are very optomistic all the time

which is a good way to be.