Diaries and papers relating to the Second World War service of George James Feakes, 1942-1946 - Part 9

Still the old nail holes through

which the rain comes. Holst pushed

some rubber into some of them. Also

we are off the floor now, & sleeping

on long wooden benches - each man

had 70 c.m. (28 inches) allowed him,

width, by 6 ft. long. I am between

Holst & Whalan. No more Tigers seen

since the first one - it was probably

after the native compound across the

road in the rubber trees. one small

crocodile disturbed by the camp

boys in the creek just below

the Lavatories. Much excitement!

Bought a coconut & grated it for

breakfast & made it last 2 days,

& enjoyed it immensely.

Whalan told me Js claim 45 boats

were sunk leaving Singapore the week

we left, & 9 on the last 2 days when

we got away. Some had only 3 or 4

survivors out of 300/400. Can't help

thinking how, absolutely miraculous it

was we weren't all killed or injured

on "Grasshopper". 'Dragonfly' lost 

all but 2 or 3 out of 400 & she

was steaming along next to us, & bombed 

at same time. A miracle!

26th Aug. 1943

Civil Gaol, Padang

More Dutch internees have been rounded up

by the Js & put in here. There are now

970 of us - very crowded. The newcomers

brought in the news that the reason

given for the severe treatment of internees

in Sumatra compared with Java

was that the Dutch continued to fight

on here after D. fort in Java had

capitulated. [[?]] (D.resident) now

the day time due to galv. iron

roof & walls & overcrowded. The

Dr examined me a few days ag.

& said I was weak & pulse too

low & put me on extra ration

of [[Kajang Ijau?]] / one spoonful),

but the very next day they 

supply gave out entirely so I get

nothing! I seem to be full of

Phlegm - also my few remaining

clothes are falling to bits.

There have been many offences

of men stealing food. from the

kitchen. Every morning we [[?]]

the days rice. Roof has been repaired

with 2nd hand G.I.S. There are
 

returned to the gaol after 3 weeks

with M.P's for interrogation, where beaten

up, slept on floor, no change of clothes &

no bath for whole time - got scraps

of food left over by Japs' own prisoners.

Now in hospital. I am walking almost OK

again, after 8 months limping due to

Sciatica. my sight very much weaker, & 

have practically cut out reading. We heard

of proposed exchange of [[A?]] internees

with J's next October at GOA. Twice

lately the Js have taken the names

of the 3 Australians here & we think

there is a chance of us (self, Whalan,

& Lindsay) being exchanged also, Together

with 2 Austn women (Mrs Whalan &

Mrs Brooks). Newcomers say 300 houses

demolished in Padang by earthquake here

which put our wall down. (Its still

down & barbed wire strung on patch across

the gap). I now have a few lbs Jala 

(sweet potatoes) to eat.

few beds away died at 3.30pm

He talked to himself all last

night & I thought he would pass

out soon. One or 2 others in

this room look very shaky.

The Js have not given us any

soap this month & I will have

to get some to give Botter as

he washed my clothes beautifully.

Bang Kinang

Sumatra

30-11-43

I was in hospital one week 10^th to

17^th inst. when I thought I was

better & asked permission to leave

on a/c of the terrible heat in
 

Civil Gaol, Padang

29-8-43

Bed bugs very troublesome, even in

the hospital. Have heard can send 

post to Java, only, but must be to 

family, so cant send one to Rickwood

(if hes alive.) Haven't given up

hope of getting one thru Red X from

Ettie or the children. More inoculations

for Typhoid, Dys, & Cholera [[?]] [[?]]

done last year).

Civil Gaol Padang

16-9-43

18 months internment now & not one word

of news of my wife & family! Surely

the Red X must try there utmost to

get news of our families thro to us,

let alone a parcel of food or soap.

I know Ettie & the children would

do their best to try to get news of

themselves thro to me but surely the

Australian Govt. must try to force

the Red X & the Japs to allow news

of our families. - Just a line - to us.

Small wild pig to eat amongst

900 odd of us. The Js have

cut our sugar down to 1½ ozs

per man per week. When the

Resident complained re food again

the J commdt said that the

British had starved to death 500

Jap prisoners at Delhi. There

are 3 T.B. cases opposite to me

Botter brought me a big cigarette

& [[?]] [[?]] & kindly washed

my Towel & spare shorts for me.

I have not had these trousers

off for a week & sleep in

them. The old chap a

 

It must be unique for any internees

in any war to be totally without news

or parcels for 18 months, & the strain

of this - added to semistarvation - is our

worst hardship. Our food gets no

more plentiful. Yestdy I was almost

too weak to share. I have had another

very feverish cold & the Camp Drs saw

me. It is hard to recover on our food.

The weather is very wet & damp &

bedclothes etc always damp. I shave

once weekly on a/c soap. Bed bugs

worse. Our only news is rumours

trickling in secretly thro' Gds. Heard

of capitulation of Italy (month late)

& fighting around Solomons & bombing

of Pt. Darwin & Russians advancing.

Now there are 993 in the camp, few

more been rounded up. Heard of

exchange of internees (Americans &

Canadians) from Yokohama. Hope

Aust. Govt hasn't forgotten about

exchange of Australian & Japanese internees.

Hope Vernon is safe & not engaged

in more fighting. Queen [[?]] [?]]

mattresses are laid on

boards & they touch the

patients on either side.

My bedfellows (natives)

are in for dysentery &

malaria. There are about

40 of us jammed in. I

hope to be better soon. It

is very hot. Would give

anything to receive word

from Et & the family. 

16-11-43.

4 Dutch Doctors came in

today, handcuffed & looking

very thin - also we got a

 

birthday on 31st was celebrated

here with issue of bit more rice for which

very grateful. Tonight for supper we get

white bean soup with no rice. I will try

to boil a sweet potato but [[Puadg?]] stops

supplies coming in. My good friend

Holst gave me some Palin Leaf to smoke

(to wrap the tobacco in, as no paper). He

has had a bad cough. Total damage

of local earthquake over whole district

3400 house demolished & 165 killed.

Civil Gaol Padang

8.10.43.

Have been feeling in better health lately,

having shaken off the [[p?]] I had

after last feverish cold. Whalan down

with mild malaria last 8 days.

Got rid of the bugs in my bed- they

are everywhere - by taking it outside

(its only light wood) & pouring boiling

water in all the cracks. That 

was 10 days ago & no bugs since -

& well, & not worrying where

I am. I am in the Hospital

again, the Dr says suffering 

from "weakness" after attack

of Bronchitis caused through

sleeping under a leaking roof

on a stone floor. I got

an egg per day allowed me.

Breakfast is a spoonful of

mashed ration potato, &

tiffin is rice & vegetable soup.

There is a shortage of rice.

Our roof leaked badly &

clothes all wet. The hospital

is a shed & the

 

I got hold of a little sugar & put a 

few grains of it about the bed as

they say that will bring the ants

which will chase away all bugs,

& ants are easily, the lesser of 2

evils! Anyhow I now have a few

ants & no bugs. One chaps bed had

300 bugs in it when he took it to

bits! They smell awful when crushed.

Heard that overcrowding is

terrible in the Women's Camp where

there are 2500 (1200 Women, 1300 

Children) & that often there is a 

queue of 200 waiting to use the

Lavatories of which there are only

3 or 4 at most! Heard of more

deaths there. Schuitemaker is better

again - we thought he had diptheria.

Now, get 60% maize & 40% rice

in our food. Some can't eat

George's 22nd birthday & I pray

he is safe & well & has happy

birthday & is with Mum. I am

O.K. but my back is very bad thro'

cold floor & no bedding. Many

of the old are in bad way owing

to severe conditions, & lack food.

Some wild pigs & deer were shot

but don't go far amongst 900

of us here.

Bang Kinang

14-11-43

Last Wed. week 3^rd Novr was

Etties birthday & I thought

of her & hoped she was safe

 

the maize. We get an issue from

The J's of 15 cents (equal to 4d)

a month per man.to buy soap,

so have to be terribly careful, It

is very poor soap too. My bed

sheet & thin blanket haven't been

washed, for over a year & my

towel for over 3 months. It will

be Georgies 22nd birthday on

Wednesday fortnight, 27^th Oct

& I pray that he is safe & well,

& not in the fighting anywhere.

My eyes are much weaker, & I

read practically never. Heard

rumours through G's of more fighting

in Solomons & advance of Allies

in Sth Italy - also bombing of Japan

from China Airfields. Not many

Jap airplanes over here these days.

then 120 Km by motor truck & here
from [[Placoembo?]] to Bangkinang
gorgeous scenery over the mts.
to join camp & we were exhausted
by standing, before starting out
Nights cold.  Sleeping on rubber
sheets, covered by 1 strip matting.
This is old rubber factory - much
rubber sheeting abandoned.  J
Military Camp across road.
60 in a room.  I am with Van H
& Whalan, in De Kock's Room.
Food very scarce.  Brought 3
potatoes from Pdg. Plenty of
well water & sunshine.
my spare pants & shirt back
in Padang, 27th inst, 

Hope & pray Ettie & the children
are safe & well, also Vernon.
Concentration Camp
Bangkinang,
Central Sumatra
25-10-43
We were moved here by the Js a
week ago (18th Oct) It is 240 Km
(150 miles) from Penang.  We had
to march to the Padang Rly Stn
3 miles with as much of our
possessions (leaving at 5) as we
could carry.  Many had to
drop their bundles on the way.

(in the street) as too heavy
All night in the train to [[Placoembo?]],
bitterly cold after [[?]]