Diaries and papers relating to the Second World War service of George James Feakes, 1942-1946 - Part 2

28-2-42

An Army Major meets the launch

& we are parked in a [[fo?]] town &

given Kerosene tins of hot tea,

We go to a native coffee shop &

buy curry & rice & have a

good feed. Ate practically nil on

the "Kingfisher".

We are taken to sleep in the

Chinese School at Rengat, on

the floor, which covered with hay.

The mosquitoes were in swarms,

prevented any sleep at all.

I have chummed up with Mr.

R. C. Potts on this journey. He is

(or was) Singapore manager of the

Commercial Union Insurance Co. &

Mummy will remember having

Curry Tiffin with him & his wife

at the Rick woods in Singapore (at

[[Huscarisen?]]) one Sunday in October

or November 1941. Potts told me

his wife lost $10,000 worth of

her jewellery when they evacuated

as well as 2 cars & all possessions. 

Sunday 1^st March 42

10 am, we push on from Rengat

towards Ayer Molek 40 miles up

the River Indragiri. Rengat was

a bigger town than Tembilahan, but

food at Rengat was scarce.

Managed to get a curry though,

which is the national dish, & little

else offering.

Am feeling rotten after such a

night with the mosquitoes. We

go from Rengat to Ayer Molek in 

an iron Invasion Barge, diesel -

engines, towing 2 tong Kongs, one

filled with soldiers, the other

filled with women & children

evacuees. Apparently our wounded

from Grasshopper were taken off

Dabo by a Red Cross vessel, as

we have lost them. The touring in

the "Invasion Barge' is uncomfortable

& we get caught in rain showers.

6 pm  Arrive at Ayer Molek

stiff & hungry, after 8 

cramped hours.

2^nd March '42

Ayer Molek is the headquarters of the

Indragiri Rubber Coy's Plantations

& there are about 1000 soldiers

& civilians here (say 900 soldiers

& 100 civs) concentrated here trying

to get through safely to Padang, where

we hope to catch ships to Aust,

or Colombo, or anywhere Allied.

Sleep on boards in the Crepe Drying

Room. We take as much crepe

rubber sheeting to sleep on as we

like (to soften the boards)

Have a pretty good nights sleep

We are on the 3^rd floor of the

Drying Shed which is a large

building.

Rations are :- 8 am a cup         }

of tea or coffee, no food.           }

Midday, one cup of stew.         }

4 30pm Cup of Coffee or Tea. }

6 30pm one Cup of stew.         }

I wash out & dry my dirty shirt

& singlet & pr of socks.

I am very worried to know if

Mummy got to the children O.K.

from Colombo, where I last heard

from here by cable, & every night

I lay awake thinking of her

& the children, - hoping they are

well & wondering when we shall

all be able to get safely together

again. What we hear of the

war news is bad. Last heard

that there was fighting in Batavia.

If I get through this I'll never

xxxxxxx get separated from the

family again even if my job

necessitates it.

3^rd March '42

At Ayer Molek - wash out dirty hankchief

& singlet, which finish up a dirty

grey after washing on a/c no boiling.

Mosquitoes terribly bad, preventing any

sleeping, except for minutes dozing.

Plenty of well-water for bathing etc.

which we make good use of.

4^th March '42

We start off at 11am by motor truck

from Ayer Molek to go to Teluk

Kuantan further up the river (about

70 miles) Arrive there about 2 pm.

30 of us packed in one Truck.

Very hot. I am able to stand up for

last part of journey, & got rid of cramps

At Teluk Kuantan we are accomodated

in the outhouse of a large white

building (probably the Chinese School)

Six of us  - Riviere, myself, Joyce

Blackwell, Docker & Robins - sleep on

wooden shelves in a small room

10 ft X 10 ft, by height 10 ft. Fortunately

it has wire netting fine enough to

keep out mosquitoes so we get first

decent sleep for many nights.

This is our 6th day of travelling up

the Indragiri River en route to

Padang.

Washing & bathing facilities at Teluk

Kuantan rotten. One well only, & lots

of bad smells. This town is a

fairly small place with one main

streett of shops. We eat in a coffee

shop & get curry - a few fairly

modern residences, small.

We are unable to push on further

owing to floods, so make ourselves as

comfortable here as possible. The plain

wooden bunks are hard but clean.

5^th March to 7^th March '42

Have 2 good meals at a Coffee Shop

fried eggs, meat, small potatoes etc.

Find the waiting wearisome.

Expect to leave on next stage of

journey from here Teluk K on

Saturday 7^th March.

Some leeches in the jungle here,

where we have to go for lavatory

facilities.

Our camp at Teluk K is a filthy

place & was never so glad of

anything as that I was inoculated

against typhoid before leaving S'pore.

The troops (& perhaps others) don't go

far enough away to use open ground as

lavatory.

Sunday 8^th March '42

Left Talock (or Teluk) by motor truck

at 6.30am for Sawoloento, about

120 miles distant.

A most interesting journey. Crossed a river

by ferry. Scenery very grand especially

up in the mountains which we crossed.

Had dynamo trouble with the truck.

About 14 civilians in it.

7pm  Arrived at Sawoloento which

by far the most attractive town we

have encountered in Sumatra.

Clean & attractive. We stay the night

(without charge) in the local hotel

with the Smiths - 6 in a room.

I slept on the stone verandah.

Saw the natives playing Soccer on a

very nice playing field, from the hotel

verandah.

Sawoloento  Monday 9^th March  

Up 5.30am  We leave by train for

Padang, on the west coast of Sumatra.

This was a most interesting journey.

We crossed the mountains at 5000 ft.

Had to wrap a blanket around me on a/c

of cold. Scenery magnificent. A big

lake on left hand side of railway

line. Much Padi growing. This

part of Sumatra very attractive.

Food sellers at every station, but no

money to buy anything with! Our train

consists of 8 carriage, Refugee british

& Australian soldiers in 6 & civilians

in 2. A comfortable journey.

2 pm,  Arrived at Padang. Walked

a mile & ½ with my sack in

which I have my few belongings (blanket

& spare shirt etc) to a School where

we are billeted with soldiers.

Billet filthy dirty. A Jap plane came

over low & I dived behind a private

house for shelter.

Padang Tuesday 10^th March

We move to another billet, 15 of us in

a private house, where we are fed &

housed at Govts expense (either Dutch

or British Govt, don't know which!)

Billet clean & comfortable after the School

I call at P.O to try to get a letter

Sumatra

away to Ettie & the children, but was

informed "No mails". Am very disappointed

at this.

I get a grant of a pair of white

trousers & an old shirt from the

2^nd hand linen at the Town Hall

donated by Dutch Residents.

See the British Consul who gives us

each a grant of 5 guilders

I am feeling the loss of my spectacles

very badly & cant see any thing clearly

or to write this. Cannot

read a book or papers.

Padang 11^th March to 14^th March '42

Still at "No 6" (the same billet). We get

one good meal per day, at midday - generally

rice & stew. The other 2 meals, breakfast 

& Tea, are pretty poor - just bread & butter

& tea, sometimes porridge - but never quite

enough. We get on the average, one Air

Raid alert, per day.

Sunday 15^th March 42

Went to 9.30am Services at the Dutch

Sumatra

Church with Wyatt. I thought it wise to ask

the Verger if he would allow me to enter, as

I have no coat, & only short pants, &

have not shaved for 3 weeks!

He replied "Yes, enter OK". I felt better

after the Service where I prayed hard

for the safety of Ettie (my wife) & my

children & the hope that we would be

all spared to meet again.

Padang Monday 16^th March

A fast Jap plane came over & circled

Padang several times. I bought a spare

toothbrush with my little money, & have

"collected" quite a few bits of soap

which may come in handy. It is over 

a month since we left S'pore, & we are

all pretty despondent now at what

appears to be the certainty of our

not getting away from here & therefore

being interred by the Japs - for how

long, God only Knows!!

Got a pair of spectacles free through good offices

of the Dutch Authorities at Town Hall here

My coughing up of blood, due to bomb

blast, has ceased. (A relic from Grasshopper).

Padang Sumatra

Tuesday, March 17^th '42

We receive advice today that the Japs may soon

occupy Padang. Seems as though I won't see

my family for some time! Am naturally upset.

Have no news that Ettie reached Australia

safely. Last news of her was the cable

from Colombo about Feby 5^th . Had hoped to

get away from here but apparently no luck.

4am  The Japanese are reported to have

landed

8.30am  the Japanese arrive at Padang,

and take over occupation.

Their behaviour is excellent - the troops

appearing to ignore the presence of

local inhabitants & to get on quickly

& efficiently with their jobs. We

are not molested, & keep to our

house where we are billeted. One or

two Japanese officers & privates come in

to see us & their general demeanour

& attitude towards us is beyond

reproach, being polite & civil

18^th to 20^th March '42

We do not move from our billet & feel the lack

of exercise. On the 19th I play one game of

"deck tennis" with a rope ring & feel

better for it. Must try to manage more.

Have enough food but not too much.

Pray each evening for Ettie & the children.

Hope we may be allowed walking exercise soon.

Play a good deal of poor bridge to while

away time. There are 16 of us civilians

sleeping in 2 rooms: 7 in mine & 9 in

the next one. Thank God we only have 2 bad 

snorers.

Friday 20^th March 1942

Graham's birthday! Wish I could have sent him my

wishes or something, but did the next best thing - thought

of him, & all of his doings, etc, & read over some of

his letters & School Reports which - by a great stroke

of luck - were saved from the "Grasshopper" blitz.

(Satdy) 21^st to 25^th March (Wednesday)

Still at "No 6" (Kept by Mr & Mrs Oliviera, Dutch). Meals

consist of, Breakfast : porridge, generally instant milk

sugar. 2 slices of bread & Margarine. Coffee without

[[milk?]] or sugar.  Tiffin: Rice & vegetable soup

Dinner (about 6 pm) 2 slices of bread & margarine

perhaps a banana, coffee without milk or sugar.

For "Dinner" there is never enough & we generally

go hungry. For Tiffin there is generally plenty.

Wednesday 25^th March '42

We are each interrogated by a Jap Officer, &

all particulars of us asked for, such as age,

profession, etc. I am given a Japanese Identity

Card, No 38. The Officer is quite polite.

We are not allowed to walk in the Streets, he

is emphatic  on that point.

Thursday 26^th March '42

Play rotten Bridge again. We each put in One

Cent & the winner takes the 4C. In one 

hand I actually get 9 of Clubs high & only

one 9 at that! Am worrying as to how 

Ettie & the children are faring. We hear that

Pt Darwin has been bombed. We are all very

anxious & depressed concerning our families

who are never really out of our thoughts.

I have done a lot of sewing - mending my shirts

putting on buttons, etc. Did I say that the

Dutch Authorities gave me a 2^nd hand pair of

pants & an extra shirt & pair of small

pyjamas, all of which had been used.

for which I am very grateful. I still keep my clothing

in a sack.

Friday 27^th March to Thursday 2^nd April 1942

Still at "No. 6 Sociateswy"  Have been interrogated once more by

Jap Officers, who very polite as usual. Meals now a

little bit better. Still not allowed outside for any exercise,

but can walk in the small grounds. Fix up a clothes line

& a rope coit & play Deck Tennis, but on a very sandy

pitch, & so keep fairly fit. Still seems to be no

chance of getting any word through to Ettie as to my

whereabouts - also hers which causes me constant

anxiety. There are now 7 of us in one room & 9 in the

other room. Mosquitoes pretty bad. Listening in to

any foreign broadcasts is prohibited, but we have no radio.

Good Friday 3^rd April 1942

We had a visit from the Salvation Army officer who will come again

on Easter Sunday to read a service. There are 16 Internees

(all civilians) in this house. Weather extremely hot.

Saturday 4^th April 1942

Nothing to report. Still not allowed outside house, by 

Jap orders.

Easter Sunday 5^th April '42

[[Thinking]] of Et & the children all day, & fancying them

[[?]] to Church. I wish I could. Salvation Army

reads us 2 hymns & a lesson - we

think it inadvisable to sing the hymns for fear of

being misinterpreted by the Japs who are all around.

Easter Monday 6^th April '42

We are moving from No 6 to another house at No

42 [[Dalontoring?]] which is next door to other

British internees. Go by motor lorry. We are fairly

comfortable in the new Quarters - 6, 7 & 8 in a 

room . News received that the Dutch are today

being interned by the Japanese - in addition to

the British. The Dutch Sanctuary children

[[?]] the house with their bedding etc to report

to the Police Station I had a bad headache

all day, & have to [[exercise?]] My eyes troublesome.

Tuesday 7^th April '42

At 1.30pm we are told to move from No 42 (where we were

allowed to stay only one night) & ordered to gather our few

belongings together (mine in a sack) & go to the Military

Gaol. We walked the distance - about 1½ miles - carrying

our stuff on our backs through the streets - the natives

staring at us & wondering what was the reason. At the

Gaol we were divided up - I was in a room with 19

others. Room was crowded we were told we could only

leave the room to get water and to go to lavatory a

few yards distant. At about 4.30pm the Japanese

commandant visited us & much to our joy