Diary/notebook of Herbert Stanley Geldard - Part 2

50
me to draw the rope up while he & the
"interrupter" retired some 20 yards away.
The job didn't exactly appeal to me, I
thought that it would be just my luck
to bump the d- thing _∧that was on the end of the
rope, against something 4 or other & go up with the
boat, leaving the 2 onlookers high & dry.
However nothing happened & let it _∧be said
that both Japs came to the edge of the pier shortly
& watched progress until the package
came to the top. And so the Japs got a
vessel undamaged as they got, the Military
stores _∧& oil at Panang, fishing boats (that enabled
them to send a force down the coast &
outflank us), bridges, & oil tanks at
[[Main?]] & all kinds of war stores at Kranju & [[Uer?]] Soon. 
In the afternoon about 4 o'c I was
told to rejoin the AIF & march to Changi.
The Japs from the C.O down had treated
me with every courtesy & treated the
Civilians humanely. But this was
no criterion of what was to follow for
while their treatment of the Malays &
Indians was good, - they tried hard to
woo the latter - they were absolutely
ruthless with the Chinese. Out of a 
population estimated at 3.000.000, one in
every 7 was killed. Thousands were
drowned in the harbour, over 200 were
washed up on BlacKang Mati Id, tied

51

together in lots of 6; while at Changi
we continually heard the firing of
machine guns on the beach, to find
later a score or more of Chinese
bodies tied together & left to the
mercies of a rising tide. The Jap.
spy system was apparently efficient in S'pore
before the war, & disclosed the organisations
& names of members with subversive
views which to which list was added
thousands of names obtained through
the medium of advanced tourture.
I move off in a car at 4/am, glad to
go too, for one felt a deep humiliation at
being a prisoner of war in front of the
thousands of men Bth subjects who had been
led to believe that we were the salt of the
Earth & who we had failed to protect. Did
they despise ^us now, I wondered.
Unfortunately for us, I stopped at the
[[?Maxwell?]] Police Stn to gather my kit which
had been _∧ left there in the morning for protection,
& on returning to the car discovered that
[[?]] [[?ing]] it - who finding found that
he couldn't start the car, had broken
the ignition lock. The Jap. median had been
kept well under control but it would
appear that he was 'warming up' & anything
might happen to private property in the future.
 

52

The dect detectives of the Police Stn were
apprehensive, they were being grilled for

lists of communistic organisations &,
while still operating as a public utility
force, didn't know whether they would
shortly be "fair game" for the populace or
be expected to share with the Jap. police
the responsibility of restoring law & order.
Hearing of my trouble they reluctantly
undertook to drive me in a police car
to [[?Praidari]] (about 3 miles along the changi
road) providing they were not molested.
The run was without incident except
that the an Indian driver of a truck tried
deliberately to run us down, & I joined
the A.I.F. who, strung out over many
miles were marching to changi with
full packs up. (17 miles all told).
Cable from Prime Minister.
on Sat 14th Feb. Gen G.B. sent a cable to me
for deciphering which he had just recd from
Mr Curtin. All cyphers were destroyed on the 13th
by man of  Fort C. & despite a search at F.E.HQ
& a visit to His Ex, who had left Govt Hse & later
were round in the Municipal Bldgs opp. the
Cricket Club, failed to reveal]one. What
would we have given to know the Context
of that cable?
 

53

[*landed 8 Dec 1952*]

Why did we lose Malaya?

Tps

1. The Japs employed more tps 300,00 to our 100.000.

   [*AIR*]

2. Insufficient airforce, we had 146 planes
   ½ bombers & fighters, the _∧big majority out of date,
   against their force which outnumbered
   us by hundreds.
   The Jap. Recce planes found our weak spots
   & directed their Tps to them. When an Infy
   attack was held up their bombers came
   & bombed the obstacle till the way was cleared.
   Their dive bombers demoralized our tps, tho
   certainly they moral effect was far greater
   than anything else.

   [*? 40% of landings if air force received no: of planes asked for →*]
   → It was supposed that the Air Force would
   account for 40% of the enemy landing force
   ever with their old Buffaloes & Catalinas.
   The enemy landed simultaneously at
   Patani & Singora (Thailand) & Kota Baharu with
   only 1.¼% of tpts damaged. The landing at
   Kota Baharu was determinedly resisted by [[?s'pore]]
   forces with heavy losses. The first 2 weeks _∧(would) [?vrates?]
   of attack failed to land. Would not have
   been possible if we had air support.
   The infantry throughout the campaign got
   practically no air support & no information.
   We had 14 [[?'drones]] inc. 4 on Island. Comb.
    

6  Sunday
March

8
Slept in this morning and went along to 10.30
Mass, the rest of the day being as exciting as usual.
Padre Dunlop, the Anglican chaplain for the local
Stalags had a service here his afternoon and came in
to us for afternoon-tea, seems decent chap of about 45
I spent most of the afternoon writing letters to Glad,
Mum & Dad, and Zia Celestina, and cards to
Zia Clementina, the Packers, and the Birds. All these
letters should bring a few in return in time: Advised
Glad and the family that Glad & the kids should
go to them in case of necessity.

Reached Packers 22nd July
 

March 

9
Blank day. Bit depressed. Two anaesthetics &
a French exercise.
 

55

Men. It is said that they lacked initiative
but pushed ford. without fear of death.
On reaching our objective they "sat"
till given another task.
They had a big advantage over our men
as most had see active service in
China.

Topography. The jungle, which was supposed to be one
impenetrable barrier, was the enemy's
friend. They used it to outflank our
positions, make us fall back & then
advanced _∧themselves along the roads.
They had made a careful study of
Malayan conditions & surprised us
by a capacity to utilize everything to
their advantage . (Prof. & amateurs).
Repairs to bridges were made with
extraordinary speed.
 

February
29
 

Sunday
1942
March

1
Early Mass & Communion. Rest of day uneventful.
Rumours tonight that Russians have taken Vilna and
that English parachutists landed on French coast,
overpowered a coast guard station and were taken
off by sea.
 

March

4
Nothing to.day except news that Russians are
doing well and have surrounded a German army
in the north numbering about 96,000 men.
Beautiul day, lovely & warm

March

5
Snowing again to.day, Spring apparently still
a considerable way off.
R.A.F. bombed Paris, probably after drones &
factories. Germans report 600 killed and 1000
wounded!
Played bridge with the French tonight,
enjoyable evening.
 

January
20
The old lumbago has been rearing its
ugly head again, brought on again by
this bloody awful weather. It's not the
cold that matters but the eternal
dampness - water and ice on the floor &
walls, ice on the inside of the windows,
and everything that goes with it. A
pair of boots not worn for a couple of
weeks show a lovely growth of blue-
mould.
Did sick- parade his morning in
compound, and louse - inspection of
soup cooks after lunch, and had a
long talk with Ben Humphreys about
the chances of getting a decent second-
hand car in England when we get
there.
More mail for barrack, no luck
 

January
21
Heard Mass, served for Fr. Beny and met
Staff. Lawrence afterwards. He told me that
Fred wished to have a note from me in
reference to his services since capture
up to and subsequent to joining us, in
case we should be separated.
Went along to their hut after finishing
rounds in afternoon and came back
to our own barrack to find that we
had received two issues of pay - 72[[?]]
Am saving so that I may get a good
camera in repatriation.
More mail, but still no luck.
No Red X parcels this week yet, nor
any cigarette-, issue, must be some hang-up
in supply.
4° of frost this morning, Brrrr!!!
 

1942
February

1
Slept not so well last night, mainly because of back,
Mass & Communion early, slept most of morning, since
lying down is most comfortable position. Hope to meet
rest of French M.Os later, and; if I can manage it, will
look around wards.
Spent rest of day doing. S.F.A., slept a bit
and felt sorry for myself and my back,
otherwise nothing.
Bed reasonably early
Met a new French M.O. (regular) who
speaks Italian - captured in Syria by Aussies
whose main job appears to have been to protect
them from De Gaullists - sent back to France
and then on ward to relieve an older man.
 

February
2
Did not sleep particularly well last night - woke
up with a bladderful in the wee sma' hours
and nearly had a most embarrassing accident,
as the room was in complete darkness and I
couldn't find the damned door. In desperation
I had to resort to the wash basin. Confessed to
the lads in the morning and the laugh was
on me.
Chased the [[?Stabsargt?]] around the medical
wards with Allan (he & I have been put on
Station T (med)) and that was the whole of my
work for the day. Weston is to be O.C. hospital
and is also on Station T, & and I'm trying hard to
be put on anaesthetics as at present they're being given
by a French officer. cadet, all [[?chlos]]!! Walked in the
quadrangle with Owen at 5 p.m. and had a
wonderful 1½ hrs, with a German guard – will remember
my introduction to Berlin. Played Bridge with two
French officers in the evening, Weston and I, and had
a pleasant time
Had infra-red & ultraviolet to my back this
morning and it feels a lot better already.