Diary of Private Bernard Henry McCabe
Sunday February 15th 5-0 pm.
All silent in Firestone Park
sounds as if the last two shots have
been fired - one having hit Norm Allen
7-0 pm Unofficially surrendered 10-30 pm
official notification - am now kicking
myself for not making a break on
the 11th when I could have boarded the
"Argon" & made Australia -
Monday 16th A day of handing in equip
& ammunition - ditched my Tommy Gun
didn't fire a shot with it & no one
else will - buggar Malaya- xxx
went & got plastered on Cascade and
liquers in one of the Rubber Kings Mansion
& sat down to a dinner of Tongues Peas
mushrooms, pimento, asparagus, lobster
butter beans & crackers all off the Frig
& settled down for the afternoon to do
some steady drinking & Ill say we did
Tuesday 17th Back to where we left off
& at it again- two trips into the wharf
for 4 cases of Cascade- saw my first Jap
& plenty more in town - but we got our
ale.- notified that we were to march
to Changi Barracks in the afternoon
a 20 mile march, so Duffy, Telfer as driver
& I got all the foodstuffs we could get and
cached them in a truck and set on our
way- Telfer left us & went back along
the route giving cripples & sick men a
lift- found out where we were billetted
& shifted the food & set about making
up a drink for the boys when they
got in - & were they pleased & it was
well worth carting the water half
a mile & waiting until 3 A.M. till
they were all satisfied at the happy
way they drank it.
Wednesday 18th Feb Orders that all foodstuffs
be handed in to Q.M.S - later into
the A.S.C gone are nearly all our luxuries
Thank G. they didnt call in tobacco 5 lb or had
& 50 pkts papers - food & water going to be
very scarce.- one bottle of water a day
& for washing well it looks as if we'll
only get the waistband of the pants
washed.
Thursday 19th terribly hot- played football
met Rod Ross of Victoria also all the
Collie Boys of 4th M.Gs. gave them
all some tobacco papers & some
tinned herrings. Viv Kay came over
& got some cigs & a shirt.
Friday 20th Found a good drain
while having a rove round & hopped
in - a white tiled bath was not
in it stayed in for half an hour
& did socks - pants & shirt then
waited till they dried.
Sat 21st Feb starting to settle down and
get into routine - sent away
scrounging & got a couple of sets of
wheels also some buckets.
Sunday 22nd Church Parade in blazing
sun - text couldnt have been
nearer hell - I managed to get out
of it
Monday 23rd Feb a couple of showers
organized by engineers very
pleasant. Harry Fuhrmann turned
up just on dinner time so fixed
him up with a few comforts also
some tobacco & papers (½ lb) hes recomen
for M.M. -. beat the Artillery at footer still champs
Tuesday 24th Rice Ration started
brekker 10 tins of Bully & 30 gallons
of rice
worked out by Algebra one
streak of meat to the pannikin
everybody up for a 2nd helping
though. Still getting tea but
sugar scarcely noticeable in it.
Wednesday 25th Inspection of troops
by Jap heads the first weve seen
since coming out here that is
within a mile of the camp.
Had a tarpaulin muster & bought
3 fowls a couple of hatfulls of Rice &
some beans £3-- the lot - ten of us
got a feeds at 6/- a head she was dear
but worth it.
Thursday 26th Three feeds of rice
the mob gone swimming about
3 mile away on the sea front brought
coconuts home.
Friday 27th Feb Talking of making
bread & getting ovens built.
welcome news - Furphy 6th & 7th
Diving in Java - attempted invasion
of England - Russia in Poland.
G.O.C Callaghan visited us at tea
Sat 28 Feb Rice as base of every
meal still & Bully Beef getting
lighter - Good Concert on 4th M.T.
all beds called in also spare
clothing - Japs issue 40 cigs a month
Sun 1st Marc Church Parade 7-30 notified
1-27 quiet day
Mon 2nd Mar Visit & inspection by Jap
Admiral - started on growing
Vegetables - I hope wh we're home
before we pick 'em - got a slice
of bread & margarine to-day
some had forgotten what it looked
like.
Tuesday March 3rd Another concert
4th M.T. - knee playing up with
poison burn off shrap also blisters
all over feet from wearing boots
Wed 4th Mar Had a roam down to
Beting Kura & saw all the wireless
station [[impulse?]] gear which had been
smashed up before they went under
also 2 of the guns which they disabled
la More bread for tea.
Thursday 5th Mar started attending
book keeping classes. bar The finish
of the crook rice & back on white
stuff again. notified 4 meals to-morrow
extra large helping to-night - have been
promised mail & parcels as soon as
they have been censored by Jap Official's
Friday 6th March 4 meals. plenty of rice
got casing of 4.5. - gave Red Knight cigs
& papers
Sat 7 Rained in torrents - everybody
out in it doing washing - paid 2 brushes
for bar soap - concert 2/4th M.T. heard
Laugh Clown Laugh as it should be sung.
Sunday 8th Aust day - church parade -
oven built in kitchen - Les Kemp gave
him tobacco & papers - went over M.Gs &
saw Finlay & Bill Phillips - [[Lofssy's?]] hubby
also Arthur Draper. - Arthur Rico did $60
at 2/up.
Monday 9th Still on book.keeping - leg
healing well. Still 4 meals.
Tuesday 10th Heard Italy had thrown
down arms also G. asking for
peace - got 6lb sugar £3 also bar soap
$1. - bar chocolate 3 pkts cigs.
Wednesday 11th Walked to G.H. Barracks
with Jack M. barefooted swopped
10 pkts Cigs for a kilt also 2 ozs T for
some more chocolate met Cpl Davey
also Pug Davy - Com Bank - J.M & Snowy
got 3 tins milk
Thurs 12th MAR - 40 men to go to Singapore
in working party - 3 meals a day now
Requiem Mass for the dead in Malayan
campaign - called tattoo roll on. T Russell
& Party left for Biddadarri River Valley Road on BLACK FRIDAY
MCH 13th ISSUE 5 pkts Cigs - pasties for tea
Sugar just about finished - they tried to
split us into our sections - it didnt
work. - Gordon Milne moved into our
room - rain all day.
MCH 14th Took cigs up to 18th 19th & 20th 262930
& got $18 for 20 pkts for trading - finished
our sugar - on the last of the chocolate
went to a good concert 2/4 M.T.
MCH 15th A month today since we were
sold - attended mass - violent pains in
back of head. - memorial service
by whole of camp. Snow & Jack on the
scrounge again - Red Ned still in Hospital
with dysentry - Doctor looks as if hes
got it. & after giving is such a lecture
on cleanliness. Jack & Snow turn up
late - got picked up by Japs and had food
taken off them 26 tins milk 5 lb sugar
5 pkts matches 13 tins of M&V&P. 6 tins of Bully
told not to be caught again - Jack
& Arthur won $100 between them.
March 16th Cigarettes selling at $3
for 40. - doubling of wire fence
around camp - Head much improved
pains easier. - J.M did 50 bucks -
Gates made bread from 2/4 recipe - tested
some - very decent 50-50 rice & flour
Tobacco going at 12/- an oz
March 17th Heard that Germany had
caved in and the Japs had Java
B. Moore returned to unit St Pats day
March 18th Duffy gone to get a cap for me
more men went into Singapore -
High tea - sweet rice - buns - bread & butter
concert 4th M.T. - Cigs 2 Bucks a pkt
MARCH 19th Struck another stope - paying
$3 Bucks a tin for milk, salmon, fish. in
fact anything tinned. - Cigs 15 Bucks a
carton of 20 pkts. - more fresh beef came in.
Snow paid 25 dollars for 8 ozs of Tobacco.
MARCH 20th Curry for Breakfast - organising
working parties.- Bernie Cleverly gone into
Singapore as tailor - heard loud explosions
about 4-30 this morning - saw Jap newspaper
where the Perth, Bathurst. Yarra had been
sunk. - broke camp with $33 & got a dozen
of sweet milk. Latest Furphy the
attempted invasion of Aussie didnt
succeed and the Chinese were in
Nth Malaya. - McArthur doing well
in Phillipines
March 21st Read out on parade that
3 P.O.W. executed trying to escape
saw lot of ships leaving the straits -
7 bombers flew over, the first seen
for a week - Apples the cook made
some curried rissoles - easily his
best effort to date - Andy taken to
hospital with Malaria - Went & bought
some salmon $5 for 2 tins - borrowed some
mustard & vinegar & finished up having
Salmon Mayonnaise.
March 22nd Went to Mass. - had to
work all day - afternoon Church Pde
only a few went. Joe Jennings for
O.Room for not going (-Fine) 8 days
detention
March 23rd Still hearing Furphys
this one that we wont be long before
release - it looks as if my forecast
will be passed
got a tin of jam today $3 - good buying
Tea was crook - so helped it along
with a tin of Camp Pie amongst (8)
about 2 oz each I finished up licking the
dish out - had a sample of gruel
made from crushed rice - very nice -
got 19lb of Pork tonight, - so rissoles
tomorrow. - they say we wont get
our boxes back - bad luck - hoped
I can get back to Firestone Park before
we leave a hundred $10 bills planted
2 feet under a hedge. gave the room
a scrub today - Otoole has just
come in and says he just had 4/6
worth of Salmon for tea
MARCH 24th Compelled to stop in our own
area - suits us. Someone reports seeing
Blue Lee coming from Singapore in an
Ambulance - cant get down to see
him.
March 25th Weve got to parade Thursday
for some Jap Prince - Gruel for Brekker
with stew & rice - Blue comes back
in to camp & brings a few things for
the locker helped tea along with
some salmon - had a tin of Red Pye
& large sardines for supper - met
Vic Barnett 2/4 M.G.
March 26th Jack still bad with D. up all
night. & gone to Hospital - Big parade
before some big Jap General - didnt
attend - Washout Wilson had his
goods pinched.
March 27th Up all night with
"D". - Heard that Java still in
Dutch hands & Radio Manilla
still operating - High tea bread
& 2 Coconut Buns with - sweet
rice. Les Kemp got 5lb Jam
2ozs Tobacco & 3 pkts Cigs for $3
March 28th One fresh beef for breakfast
& dinner also a loaf of bread for $1
Sent Les Kemp $10 - someone pinched
Jacks milk in hospital - had straw
berry jam on our bread.
March 29th Went to Dr with pain in
the arm & neck - missed church
got more bread. Dame Rumour says
war has ceased in Italy & Libya
Blue Gallagher fined £5 for abuse
Jack out of hospital.
MARCH 30th Bread $1 a loaf - Tobacco 7/6
an oz
MARCH 31st Indians on guard -
the B's have to be saluted.
April 1st News of Sumatra given up
by Japs. - in paper - also we are to be
shifted to Formosa - Snow won 150$
April 2nd Saw potatoes coming into camp
Also Beef. price of tinned goods
rising
April 3rd Good Friday - No mass -
report of Meningitus in 2/12th Camp just
behind us - some of the troops gone into
Singapore - milk & other tinned stuff
back to 2 bucks a tin - bread $1 a lof
H+ Buns for tea. - Salmon for supper & bread
April 4th 400 M/G with about 2000 others
lining up for march into Singapore
Harry Fuhrmann, Finlay, Tommy Green
among them. Les Kemp got $11- and went to Rosary
APRIL 5th EASTER SUNDAY
Communion & Mass - Got $100 from S. Goldfish
for food - 9 of us in it - had a Royal Tea
Sweet Rice - Rice & Meat Pies - Pineapple &
cream - bought $40 worth of tinned
goods.
APRIL 6th Tinned stuff selling at 4 tins for
$5 Tobacco 8 oz tins 16 Bucks - got onto
cheap bread & sold them 3 for 2 bucks
so the room got 9 loaves for a dollar
wrist watches - stop watches boots shoes
tooth brushes, paste, soap all at a
price at Paddys Market Milk (sweet)
still $2 a tin - fresh meat in also
some greens - good concert at 27th
Brigade Barracks - rumoured all able
bodied men to be in Singapore a week
or two - no wireless news - very stormy
atmosphere. - got loaf for supper 5 cents.
April 7th No fresh news overnight
two chaps from over the way got
held by the Indians last night but
finished up knocking one cold & getting
back in one received a slash
across the backside with a bayonet.
APRIL 8th Jimmy Scott returned from
Hosp. as thin as a rake. - got some more
Bread 50cents also cocoa $1-50.
APRIL 9th Kit bags coming out with
clothes only in them - another tin
of milk issued from the box. - they
say our names have gone on there
way to Australia this week to the
Argentine. - very crook rice tonight.
APRIL 10th Got 2 tins of milk $1-50 a tin
O.C. stopped moocher making a bed
for Jimmy Scott - stinking rice - lucky
got Porridge. played a CriB Tourney out 1st
APRIL 11th 1 big cruiser & 8 smaller ones
came up the Straits to-day - heard
Ceylon was bombed and we had
lost the "Hermes" Aircraft carrier
a loaf of bread each free to-day
out of our sales.
APRIL 12th Mass - still carting wood for 2/12th
Geo Harris came back to unit - bread 50 cents
got tin of jam each.
APRIL 13th Got 2/3 of a loaf each this morning
Paddys Market shifted up from bush
near A.S.C - saw Convoy of XXX 39 Warboats
making North East - 6 Aircraft Carriers
amongst them. - A.I.F. Concert party gave a
good show. - on last of tobacco.
APRIL 14th Just enough for a couple of
smokes after brekker - sold 3 pkts of Cig
papers for a $1 - got 4 loaves of bread free
for sending a customer over to Smithy
bought tin of Cond Milk 4/6 turned out
thick. Mulligan picked up by Japs
APRIL 15th Very Sleepless night -
notified to stand by for a shift
on to an Island. - went down
to the Submarine Base for a weed
like Spinach. - went to a Debate on
whether Brothels should be licensed
or not. our Room won by 33 points
APRIL 16th Standing by a lot of infantry
going out - argument at tea about stuff
being cooked in the cookhouse by the
cooks - tinned stuff going up in price
Mulligan returned from Jap camp
got some tobacco off Washout Wilson
April 17th Personnell changed of
mob to go on Island - general strike
after breakfast re cooks being kicked
out of kitchen - party of 5 put under
open arrest - dinner served to prisoners
but not mutineers - paraded before
O.C to get in crowd for going away went
with Arthur but had no luck -
Parade called for 5-30 - finished
up winning our point - Rainbow
found lying - had a light tea
milk going up in price - also
cigs. 10Cts each-nearly 6'. a packet
of Cigs supplied to each man I missed
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