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

April
Sunday. 1st^.  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 2nd.  Easter.

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

spent afternoon writing a letter for practice & to fill in

time.

Tuesday 3rd.

Still off Color. Resting & reading. Parties still Leaving

Wednesday 4th.

More Parties to go D. Gilbert off Draft. Music

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

Up to see Charles & Bert.

Thursday 5th

Canteen Prices still rise. Coconuts $2.60c

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

$1.80c ozs. Cigars .40c each. Onions $1.10c oz

Paid $3.50 to all Limbless, a gift from the

Assimi Indians in Singapore.

Friday 6th.

Reports of Red Cross Clothing being in the

Camp.

Saturday 7th

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

1945

Friday 13th

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

take part in Film, at the Swimming Pool.

Syd up in Evening.

Saturday 14th.

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

Con Depot in Evening.

Sunday 15th.

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. 16th

Lib 1100 - 1730. Red Cross Rations on again. 

Syd up in Evening. Spent more time on Plan

Tuesday 17th.

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

Wednesday. 18th

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. 8th

Reports of moves to take place today. Red Cross

Rations very good 22 men to 11 lb Parcel, Milk

& Soap taken for Patients. most of Limbless

tonight went to Jail.

Monday 9th

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 10th.

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

movement here at Con. depot Today. Moved

out to I arp at 2000 hrs. now with Unit in

[[a ttap?]] Huts in E. Courtyard.

Wednesday. 11th

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

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

in the Jail. Red Cross Rations.

Thursday 12th

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

D.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

1945

Thursday 19th

Lib 1100 - 1230 hrs. Red Cross Ration today.

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

Friday 20th

Lib 1100 - 1230. - 1430 - 1535 hrs. Rog. Hermon passed

away last night. Syd up in evening. Issue of

5 cigarettes. Clippers on Issue to Group Barber

Saturday 21st

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

Arthur in to see me. More Parcels in.

Sunday 22nd

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

Housewife ∧13; Blade Sharpener 1; Chewing Gum. 6 [[?]] to 130 man.

1,000 men to dig trench around Wire?

Monday. 23rd

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

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

Tuesday. 24th

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

night. Lot of men down sick with Food poisoning

about 405 of Jail. I.J.A. & Indian Troops in it

too. Suspect some kind of Root in de-hydration

vegetables.

 

 

APRIL.

Anzac Day

Wednesday. 25th

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

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

Creamed Rice - Sardines - Salmon - Margarine - 5¼ 9g

per man.) Work on Plan.

Thursday 26th

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

Friday 27th

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 50c ozs. Red Cross

Boots on Issue.

Saturday 28th

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 $7.75c; Clothing draw Sox; Soap Issue.

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

Sunday 29th

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs.

Wet Rice in store to be used today extra issue.

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

Sid.

Monday. 30th

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

1945

Tuesday. 1st

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

Jack Scully & Graham in for a yarn.

Wednesday 2nd

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

w. soap. Mail still coming in. Cable for

M. Borthwick. Clothing Issue.

Thursday 3rd.

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

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

Friday 4th

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. 5th.

Lib 0930 - 1545 hrs. Syd up in evening.

Sunday 6th

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

1945

Monday. 7th

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

in. Bill Goulds up in evening to tell me to

come down for a Peg.

Tuesday 8th

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

Cutter runs Palm oil. They've had it ?

Wednesday 9th.

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

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

70c ozs. Cinnamon $3.80c lb. Cigars .70c each

Thursday 10th

Lib 0930 - 1230 hrs Down to Con Depot to see

Bill & Syd. Syd gave me a Razor Case.

Friday 11th.

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

Red cross smokes. Out to a Doover-do at 

Syd's.

Saturday 12th.

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. 13th

Lib 0900 hrs 1230. Quiet afternoon Reading, down to

Hosp Area in evening.

Monday 14th

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

1945

Wednesday. 16th

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

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

(Book-stealer.)

Thursday 17th

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs. Collected Leg in afternoon

Quite a few yarns with Arthur. Dreaming a

lot of being Home.

Friday 18th

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

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

bit of pressure.

Saturday 19th

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

with Bert. Wally down in the Evening

Sunday 20th

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs. Wearing Peg - OK now. Red +

Rations. Stroll round Jail in evening.

Monday 21st

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

Jack in for a while, met Kranji man.

 

 

MAY

'45

Tuesday 22nd

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

Area on Peg. New shorts?

Wednesday 23rd

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

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

Thursday 24th

Lib 0930-1230 [[?]] Party to move out

Friday 25th

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

from Sumatra (Dutch) at 1930 hrs. Lib 1930

2030 hrs. Drome finished.

Saturday 26th

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

at 1000 hrs.

Sunday 27th

Lib 0900 - 1230 hrs. Red Cross Rations. Sown

to HP Area on Peg.

Monday 28th.

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

evening. Pay $7-50.

MAY

Tuesday 29th

Lib 0900 hrs - 1545 hrs. Syd Piddington on Staff

temporarily. Red Cross Rations, for an unknown

reason, party of 1100 expected in tomorrow.

Down to see Don & Co. at HP Kitchen.

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

2300 hrs.

Wednesday 30th.

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

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

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

2½ ozs. PKT. Curry Powder $.90c ozs. Blachang $.90c

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

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

$2.80 lb.

Thursday. 31st

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.