Diaries and papers relating to the Second World War service of George James Feakes, 1942-1946 - Part 6

I do hope Vernon is safe and well.

I  pray for Ettie &  our 3 

children & Vernon every night.

I can get a little exercise in

this Prison but need little

on a/c of the little food. I

play draughts nearly every

day. I never thought I'd be

half starved in a Gaol but

I am pretty fit all things

considered. I wish I knew for

certain of Etties safety &

whereabouts - nothing since

Colombo. we have appealed

to the Japs to get Funds from

the British Red Cross to

feed us properly. No reply.

25^th March '43

Military Prison, Padang

Last Saturday 20th March, was Gras

13th birthday, & I was thinking

of him all day, & wondering if he

was OK, & if Mum was there with him.

On 16^th March (just over a year

since we arrived in Padang) Joyce died

in the Military Hosp here of T.B.

We firstly heard this only by rumour

from our guards, but a few days 

later his clothes were sent to us

from the Hosp. So that constitutes

our really only advice from the

Japs that he had died. They never

advised us in the case of 2 other

of our men who died previously,

(Farquharson & Mac) ! Poor

old Jockey - its just 3 months

since I said goodbye to him

when I was in the next bed

to him in the Hosp (with Sciatica)

& I thought he'd last longer. We

weren't allowed to visit him at

all from this Gaol & dont know

where he's buried. Probably there'd

be no one at all at the funeral.

What a terrible shock for his

wife & boys! We are now reduced

to 14 cents per man per day now

for food (about 4^d) & its just

rice for each meal, with a

little vegetable water (called "stew")

at Tiffin. We are nearly always

hungry, & I have not slept well

for months. My sciatica is no

worse thank God. We had a 

short memorial Prayer for Joyce

last Sunday. Tomorrow is food

Friday(?) Today it has poured with

rain nearly all day. Thank God

our cell is dry, but there is not

too much air. Wyatt is very

morose & quiet & seems to think

only of food -[if he can get a bit extra].

I have only a little tobacco left, &

dread being without any. Of course

we are shut off from everything in

this gaol & get no news. How I

wish that Ettie & the children &

Vernon are safe & together, & that

the J's are not in Australia - its

hardly ever out of my thoughts.

Military Prison

Padang

7^th April 43

Yesterday 4 Jap officers came &

told us that we would have to

vacate the front cells. & the 

big room & where Levisons & 

Cairns were. That meant that

about 10 men had to be

shifted around & places found

for them in the other (rear)

cells. Nobody wanted poor

old Sauble-Nicholson XX in with

them so, after a lot of fuss

& altercation etc, & a Committee

meeting, he was balloted for!

and won by Droker, Smith &

Robins! Who therefore had to

acccomiaodate Nicholson in their

cell. Page (Camp Presdt) tried

to put a quick one over one by

saying Nick had to come into

our cell (Self, Wyatt & Bartholamew)

but I insisted on a ballot.

Have today moved my bed outside

to the Cell porch, & had to cut

6 inches off my bed to fit it

in. I have been getting things

(attays screens etc) fixed up

all day. There has been much

air activity the last couple

of days - J bombers & fighters -

& we think there surely must

be something happening in Sumatra

(of course we are cut off from

all news) We heard there were

barbed wire entanglements in

the street. A Jap Wireless

Transmitter Set has been installed

in the Barracks next door to

our Gaol & much activity there.

I am smoking a mixture of

dried carrot tops & local

tobacco. Many sparrows  have

been caught & eaten by our

men, specially McPhams,

Malcolm & Ben Travers. I

have a Quaker oats Tin of

tobacco still left. I have been

feeling very off colour last

few days, probably due to lack

of food - its all rice, with

occasional morsel of curry, or

nasi goreng - also we crush up

maize for breakfast, with

which we get ½ mug of coffee

(without. milk). Our vegetables

are coming on OK - mostly Tapioca.

We filled in some Identity Forms

for the Japs last week, so hope

thereby they will advise our families

of us. Heard from McPham that

poor Joyce would probably be

buried in 3^rd class ground without

a coffin!

Civil Gaol, Padang

28^th April 1943

We have been here now 6 days,

the Japs made us move from

the Military Gaol on 22^nd inst,

TRO5245.002