Wallet 5 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 2 of 2, 1943-1945, Part 11
AUGUST
1945
Wednesday 1st
Lib .0930 - 1230 hrs. Cut out pair of
Dixies in afternoon. Down to see Don etc
in evening. Talk by Mr Stewart on
Dental treatment & Dentures
Thursday 2nd
Lib 0930 - 1100. 1930 - 2130. Spent evening out
Fiction with Sid.
Friday 3rd.
Lib 0930 - 1230 - 1430 - 1545. 1930 - 2130 hrs.
Jack & Danny in after 2200 hrs.
Saturday 4th
Lib 0930 - 1230. - 1430 - 1545. Reading in evening
Planes putting on a show today. Blackout
Brownout.
Sunday 5th.
Lib 0930 - 1230. Down to ''Beans''! at Sids
1600 hrs. Church 1930 hrs. Down to see
Darky, Rory & Don.
Monday. 6th
Lib 0930 - 1230. Down to
Hosp. afternoon.
PR03884
Diary - Part 2 continuation
Aug - Sept 1945
AUGUST
Tuesday .7.
Lib 0930 - 1230. - 1545 - 1700. Kit inspection at 1400 hrs
Wednesday .8th.
Lib 0930 - 1230. Down to Hosp Area at 1400 hrs, plenty of
rain, had to stay till 1630 hrs. Spend time on home Plans.
Thursday. 9th
Lib 0930 - 1100. Morning reading, afternoon on plans; sometimes
I feel a bit against the world, all this time away & not being
able to get going on "Our Home". I miss France & the Kids
a lot, it's hard to imagine how much they must have
changed.
Friday 10th.
Lib 0930 - 1230. - 1400 - 1545 - 1930 - 2130. Jack Scully in for a
while at 2200 hrs. Full staff of Library.
Saturday 11th.
Lib 0930 - 1100. Spent day reading & sunning.
Down to see Sid & Don in evening. 0330 hrs was my
time to start thinking of times ahead again
Quite a good yarn with Len Payne in evening
Sunday 12th
Lib 0930 - 1230. Down to see Sid for a bit of spree at
1600 hrs. Church at 1930 hrs a very fiery Sermon as
was to be expected. The Camp just waits & waits
Monday 13th
Lib 0930 - 1230. - 1930 - 2130 hrs. Every body is just on
tender hooks now, waiting for some notification from
the I.J.A.
Tuesday 14th
Lib 0930 - 1230. - 1545 - 1640. Things are O.K. W.A.G.
tells me at 1615 hrs, you can see it in the faces
of all who pass. A most strange business is the
way things are going here. Repaired shoe, Toothbrush
finished Pipe. Razor etched. Saw Sid 1945 hrs.
August
3½ years
Wednesday 15th
Lib 0930 - 1230. Good night was held in our Room
Coffee for all at 2200 hrs, very Conginial Company
Danny & Jack.) Met Joe James, who I spent day
at Mallaca with, when on Leave with Allen.
Down to see Don & Sid. "SEAC".
Thursday 16th
Lib 0931 - 1100. On classification today. "H".
Down to Sid's to fix Sandal. Water colored plan
of House. Sharpened Razor. Sid up this evening
Cleaning up my Gear. Plenty of Red + Supplies (Medical) coming in
Friday 17th
Lib 0930 - 1230. Very wet & cold today, alright for me
but the Malaria's are feeling it. Down to see Sid &
the Boss. A great feeling of expectancy is all over
the Camp. Lots of thoughts of Home.
Lib 1930 - 2130 hrs. All I.J.A. working parties stop
today. All men to work on Gardens. parties from
Singapore to return to Changi.
Saturday 18th.
Lib 0930 - 1100 hrs. Reports of Nips laying down Arms in S.
Lots of Rice being moved to Central supply. O.R. Personell
to move to Hosp. Italian officers to move to 'Officers' Area
x 8" back at 1600 hrs Arthur Gilbert) Padres have been
Notified to give Thanksgiving Services Sunday &
Monday.
Sunday 19th
Lib 0930 - 1230 hrs. Red Cross Rations & Medical Supplies
are coming in, in a big way. The Camp is very much
different now, everybody very happy, now the Parties are
returning, & that the finish of Hostilities has been given
out by The Commander of I.J.A.
August
1945
Monday. 20th
Camp Holiday for all non-essential duties. Red + Rations
on today. Requests for Radios 4 Music not exactly refused
Outram Rd Personell sent in to Hospital. Issue of 20
"Camels". News from Home is very good & heartening.
Anxious to get in touch with France & all at Home, it's
starting to sink in very gradually, how much this
means, being free & the general outlook on life from
now on; able to live again & not just exist.
Down to see Don, Sid, Len. Messing at 3 different points
the 6 staff of Library.
Lib 0930 - 1100. - 1545 - 1700. Tex Neilsen in from Pasir
Panjang. Red Cross Supplies Just rolling in
Pork & Eggs came in today. Seems to be thousands
of Dutch troops here. Parties coming in all the time
A.I.F. moving out to no 2 Area. Parties Coming
in till 2230 hrs. (Pork)
Wednesday 22nd
lib 0930 - 1230 hrs. Message 5 word to send Home.
"Well; Home Soon. Love, Frank"
Down to Hosp Area; Supplies still roll in. issue
of Singlet, Shirt. Shorts, 4 Shoulder Titles. Boss in
to see me 2000 hrs. all bar essential duties stopped
Plenty of work in Library, kitchen, Stores. Australian
Flour in Store. Weight (7 st 9 lbs). Down to "A"
Courtyard for coffee with McKenzie, Boss, & few
others.
Thursday. 23rd
Lib 0930 - 1100. Issue Sox, G-String. Soap, Classified "A"
Lib 2000 - 2030. Shortage of Water.
Friday 29th
Lib 0930 - 1230. - 1930 - 2030. Hand towel issue. Load of Beef
(4 carcases). Supplies still roll in. Oil, Cigarettes. Brandy
Down to see Sid. troops here are waiting for the
relief to come in to releive them from the machinations
of their own Senior officers; Getting free of the I.J.A.
to the control of Military Minded Madmen. (20 KooAS)
August
45
Saturday. 25th
Lib 0930 - 1100. Revellie Our Own this morning.
Very bad headaches, can't sleep, probably food
Down to see Sid. Concerts on all over
Area.
Sunday. 26th
Lib 0930 - 1100. Still of colour. Sick Parade. Thanksgiving
services at Churches tonight. Concerts. Very much
under the weather tonight. Radio Message to
France. Dear France. very well, hope you all same
Love Frank. Sid Neilsen in to see me. (60 boxes
of Aus. Butter) Fresh Fish.
Monday. 27th
Very off colour this morning. Issue of ¼ lb of
Butter per man. Took day off, very under the
weather. Slide taken at 2000 hrs in Hosp at 2100
hrs with B.T. & Malaria. bad Luck to get it so
late in the peice.
Tuesday 28th
Not feeling the best, after the Quinine. Issues of
all sorts of things, sugar, salt, cheese, sox, shorts,
singlets, soap, cigarettes, mostly native materials
Kraft cheese, '41'. Plane over dropping Phamplets in
afternoon, first ones instructions to I.J.A 2
2nd Plane dropped Pamplets for us, cheered every
one up. Plane very low could see Photographer
etc.
Wednesday 29th.
Feeling fair. Lot of the boys in to see me.
all the Unit. (B.B.B.) X Like to get back to Lines
don't like Hosp.
August.
Thursday. 30th
Feeling Fine. Plane over at 0800 hrs, dropped
something at Drome. Put it on the M.O. (Cpt. Wallace
to receive treatment in Lines, & owing to press of
incoming patients out I went. Planes at
0800 hrs dropped 6 Men. 2 Med. Capts. 2 Inf. Luiets
2 Med O.Rs. Planes at 1400 hrs dropped many
Packages, food, drugs, comforts. Read a Melb
Herald (June 6 '45) extra good to see the Papers
again, (Must see "Kings Row"). Read Adlaide Paper
later on. Then to top off the day on came the
Radio at 2130 hrs on the Square with news from
Headquarters at "SEAC", openening Musical number
"we'd be far better off in a Home". (and how)
Friday 31st.
Have to report to M.I.R at 0830 hrs every morning
for Quinine, at 1630 for thiamine. A Bundle of
Womens Weeklies. Women, Pix & other papers sent
in today, extra good to read these again, when I
looke back & think it's 3½ yrs since reading these &
to think how little the papers have changed.
More supplies down by chute, 3 planes at it
tis time. 2 Signal Corprals dropped this evening
with Radio transmitter. Plane forced down at
Kalang Drome with Prop trouble, came to
Library to borrow Aircraft books on repair
plane operating from Cocos. Is. Q. Wilhelmina's
Birthday held up by Dutch Forces. Supplies
still coming in from Singapore.
Lilliput, Men Only, Reader's Digest, London Telegraph
August 11th.
SEPTEMBER
1945
Saturday. 1st.
Spent morning reading the papers (5 mths old)
Still issues of Soap, Salt, Cheese, biscuits, more soap in
the last week than I've had in previous 6 mths
Fighters over today. Concert in E Courtyard
Radio Program later on.
Sunday 2nd
First news to greet us this morning, that some
of the Guerrillas had come into camp early this
morning. Listened to signing of Surrender on
the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokio Harbour over the Camp Radio.
Planes still dropping supplies on Drome. News & music
in evening from 2000 hrs. 2315 Hrs "SEAC" Paper.
Monday 3rd
Lib 0930 - 1145 hrs. Flags (let fly) broken at 1200 hrs from the
Tower of Gaol. Supplies still come in from I.J.A.
Down to see Arthur Gilbert, is in with M.T. malaria
Radios going all parts of Camp. Very good
session from 2130 - 2315 hrs in Jail yard. Concert
More Paratroops landed at 2000 hrs, 4 press rep's
Tuesday 4th.
Lib 0930 - 1100 - 1545 - 1700. Drew a Red Cross Parcel
1 Razor; 1 Blade, 3 Hankies, 1 S. Soap. 1 S. Brush, 3 Soap.
1 Book. 1 W. Tablet, 1 Comb, 1 Toothpaste, 1 T. Brush
3 P.K's. 1 Housewife. 1 B-Laces, 1 Pencil. Frank Lowe
went to Singapore, Press taking over Cathay.
Issue of Cheese, Biscuits, jam, Nutter, Cigarettes daily
Enjoying Boiled sweets Charles drew. Down to
see Sid, Came back to listen to Radio t.v.
2300 hrs. with Paratroop Thompson.
Wednesday. 5th
Lib 0930 - 1230 - 1545 - 1700. Radio Reports 5 indian
Army started landing at 1530 hrs. Things should
move from now on.
September
1945
Thursday. 6th.
Lib 0930 - 1230. 1545 - 1700. Lot of Aussie
Press & Camera men in. 6 Nurses of Hosp for
day. Listen to Radio at Night Classification
at 1900 hrs. Letter Home on special Card.
Touch of Beri-Beri Time back 1½ hrs.
Friday 7th
Lib 100 - 1115 - 1400 - 1600 hrs. New meal Hours
0700 hrs, 1130 hrs, 1630 hrs. First of British
Hosp Cases move this morning. Yanks leaving
today, (43 yesterday) by plane.
Friday 7th.
Lib 1000 - 1115 - 1500 - 1600 hrs. Naval Men in
Camp today. Listened to Aus. radio at 1430
hrs. Walk around Camp in evening, News
at 2000 - 2200 hr Lights out
Saturday 8th
Lib 0930 - 1115. Went for about a 5 mile Hike
to Selarang, saw the Old Con Depot &
places I knew. Leg stood up extra well
Band off H.M.S. Sussex in Camp, 1700
Lot of Nurses & other Women around
Camp boys are making a fuss of them, I
want to see them only in less of a
crowd, can't be in this mob business
Sunday 9th
Lib 0930 - 1115. Lots of new Books & mags
in. Troops moving out by Air, & Sea, (Brit)
Sid up in evening, Listen to news. A.I.F. first
troops (after Americans & British to move
Rations are now very Plentiful. Mostly Brit
Rations, Bulk made up with Rice. (NO Bread at Jail)
Lady Mountbatten arrives at Kalang.
SEPT
Monday 10th.
Lib 0900 - 1115 hrs, plenty of books now, lot of
work to No them. G.B.D & Base standing
by to move by Air. Danny on standby.
Sid Piddnigton left for Katong this morning.
Tuesday 11th
Lib 1400 - 1600. Danny in to see me at 0530
Leaving for Seletar at 0600 hrs. George Warren
left at 0530 for ship to England via Columbo
Camp is fast emptying out now, most Brit
sick have gone either boat, Air, or to the
Hosp. Letter Card air mail to France.
Letter by Danny to France.
Down to Hosp Area for walk in afternoon
Plenty of Good food here now, new supplies
in from Australia. Radio talk by Lt. Col Marsh
on what we are to expect on Our return to
Australia, (Sounds very good).
Wednesday 12th
Catalinas circling Jail before leaving for Australia
Lib 1400 - 1600 hrs. Letter card to Mum.
Darby Jeffries standing by went to see him
in Hosp. this evening 1900 hrs. went to
Talkies at Hosp with Don & Co. 1000's Cheer &
a News Reel, Show made me feel just
how much I want to be Home.
Thursday 13th
All A.I.F on Standby, Limbless moved to
Hosp at 1400 hrs. Jail in evening
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