Diary Major John Kevin Lloyd - 1942-1945 - Part 2

APRIL  1942
28 TUESDAY
Div Concert 22 Bde ✓
C.O.? Off Class 1430 hrs & 1915
[[?]] Court H.Q. 2 hrs ✓
A  2 hrs ✓
C.O. [[?]], Ward then barber?
C.O. fundraising, Sgt's Mess [[?]],

Blinds.
Padres lecture 1715
Check B's Tennis team
Recovered by now my Greatcoat.
and 2 cloth tunics. First
issue of pinapple has arrived.
About 1½ small tins per man.
Food since last night exceptionally
good, pastie. Chaplain Jones
replaced McNeil for 2 weeks.

1942  AP
29 WEDNESDAY
Off Class 1915 hrs Major Hore.
Thank Ned Condon. Sent note
Check Sgt O'Donnell re [[value?]]
Mirror & [[gu?]]
Rash bad again. Went for
swim and this appears to
have made it worse. Saw
Hughes, William, Boyce, White.
Poker during afternoon. Won
$3.90. Emperors Birthday
Debate won by Bde. Walk
with Throstle. Rash kept
me awake a good deal.
Hard to stop scratching.
Had to go for walk at 0300.
Brilliant moon. Can see in
moonlight. 

APRIL  1942
30 THURSDAY
Off Class 1430.
(My lecture 1515. "Org of duties &
duty parties. Duties of OO, O Sgt & Cpl"
40 minutes.)
C C Padang. HQ V A A & HQ Information
night] B & C information
Sgt. Mess.
Haircut 1030
Barber 3 6 hrs. [[swap?]]
Coy Roster
Gave lecture to Off Class. Visited
[[?]] store with all officers. It will
take 6 weeks to sort up.
Bridge won $2.75 but boys are
now ticking up. Full moon.
Visited Sgts. Mess. Cricket match
G O C inspected Gd mounting

1942  MAY
1 May FRIDAY
Off Class 1915.
Gardener
Barbers shop. Varient. ✓
Recreational night.
Water cart.
Hose tops to be received
McK Colonies
Rash kept me awake until
0200 hrs 2 May. head and rash in
agony. Went for short walk
to ease pain.
Ramsay went to comd 18 Bde
and Stringer to Bde Major 22
Bde a few days ago 

MAY  1942
2 SATURDAY
Off Classes 1430
BVC confirmation night
[[?]] to [[?]]
[[?]] re Guard House ✓
  "  re Blinds
Off Class. Took things easy.
for sake of rash. Rained heavily
about 2300 hrs. Padre produced
portable gramaphone and an
organ. Bridge Bert, Bence, Bill
lost $2.25. Full moon.
Started GBD. News dull and
conflicting. Food has been
good since Monday last. Japs
are building up our supplies of
rice to 6 weeks.

1942  MAY
5 TUESDAY
CO Off Class 1430 & 1900
CO Mess night Col Thyer
[[?]] [[?]] 1715
[[?]] [[?]]
Inspection
C C Officer for Capt [[G?]]
QM Re Bank of rations
Kit store 1100
Milk for Lloyd
Rice grinders.
Unit moved out in brilliant
moonlight at 0715 hrs. Say good
bye to officers. Re-organised [[Bn?]]
in H.Qs & 2 coys under [[?]]
Have taken; Surina, [[Cross?]] [[?]]
Heinz Throstle, Dreverman.

MAY  1942
6 WEDNESDAY
Off Class 1915
CC [[?]]
[[?]] Offs
[[?]] & [[Mc?]]
Inspection [[?]]
[[?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]
[[?]][[?]]
[[?]]
[[?]] organizing [[?]]
[[room?]] recreation room barbers
shop [[?]] officer. borrowed
[[?]] saw Merrett Anderson
[[?]] Stringer, Wright, [[Kapping?]]
[[?]] Bridge lost 50¢

1942  JUNE
10 WEDNESDAY
News of new camp definite.
CO & Adjt inspected it. Accommodate
1500. Overis of "A" Bn died
and was buried with military funeral
Escort, Guard, full bearer body
wrapped in blanket on bullwagon
driven by Burman. Accompanied
salt water party. Road lies through
rows of native houses, only foot path
width, many shops, children in
schools, food places and by Bank
for our troops to gather. Fishermen
take buckets out in boat to get
at clean water. No ships in sight.
Rec taken. spent day in bed. 

JUNE  1942
11 THURSDAY
Went out I/C drome party. Visited
by Lt. Imalie & told we must
take command in full as if
we were in Australia. 4 huts
still stand, now used as stables.
Indian surveyor stated there
had been no fighting at
Mergui. Br garrison of 400 were
withdrawn & RAF personnel
also. Our planes never occupied
drome but some did come
over & bombed hangars, oil etc.
Rained all night. Burman night
men stated dollar could not be
accepted as currency. Grandstand
being built for football on 25 June.
Burman afraid of being conscripted
for labour on drome.

1942  JUNE
12 FRIDAY
Rained all day. New camp was
not started in any way until
a week after our arrival. Native
funerals about 3 per week. Very
silent, body wrapped in grass
walking and carried on shoulder
litter. Japs agree to a second
W P starting daily 1200 hrs to
cover personnel from sick pde.
Had mouthful of cheese and one
banana for lunch. No further
news of exchange of 2 prisoners.
Visited hospital. Am pleased to
yarn with Coats & Chalmers.
Merrett came back to camp yesterday
Had great supper. 1½ bananas, 1 bun,
1 piece bread. Salier has malaria -
our first case. 

JUNE  1942
13 SATURDAY
Rained nearly all night but
clear this morning. Doubtful sick
men seen early by RMO and about
20 marched out to drome under
an Officer & Jap sentry to do full
days work. Martin refused to go
and was put in guard house.
1 tin of milk to 6 men for breakfast.
Jap Comd would have put the above
men in local goal but our
message to them in the field.
was fortunately too late. Handed
over duties to "C" Bn. Had first
lesson in chess. Rumours of raids on
Rangoon., Peronne, Cologne & naval
engagement off China, & Midway Island.
Still speculate about our release

1942  JUNE
14 SUNDAY
Mass at 1000 hrs in tent. French
Missionary Order but first sermon
to be half Burman. Brought his
own altar boy. The bun salesman
is a Catholic. About 100 men only.
Rained until afternoon. Threat
to cancel salt water party and
we handpicked men. First game
of chess. Church Pde 1830, tea, and
nightman all clashed. Jap ship
still in bay. Dysentery about same
for some days. Down to $1 and 1R.
Salt water party was [[?]] of doubtful
characters, appealed to, hut 3 when
still took food. Comdr P. [[Roberts?]]
that Bn Comdrs would act as
Coy Comdr for Orderly Room. 

JUNE  1942
15 MONDAY
Rained till breakfast time. Went
out I/c of W P of 495. Worked
smoothly. Jap ship still in
harbour. Visited on drome by
Comdr Chui Togeru. Shoi Imari
and Kubodera (soldier interpreter).
Developed feverish condition on
return to camp, temperature over
100°, flushed, aches & pains.
Several orderly rooms on [[?]]
Kitching & Minton. Geng fatigue
has to be replaced in kitchen
as they are useless.
Imari evaded my question
as to whereabouts of our
2 prisoners.

1942  JUNE
16 TUESDAY
Still feverish. Medical inspection
of coy. Men in detention go out
on WP. CO & Adjt visit shops.
People very sympathetic. Imari
stated again on drome that
only drome workers would be
paid. Boys (native) fond of
football & basketball. They have
a few horses. Milagrosa & CO
supply us with beans for
canteen. Admin of this camp is
very weak. Comd afraid to introduce
severe disciplinary action
and is lazy. C.O. & Adjt were
shopping for hospital [[resources?]]
Shopkeeper tries to undercharge
& offered loan. 

JUNE  1942
17 WEDNESDAY
I had to visit the latrine twice
last night. Felt very weak when
I awoke but recovered remarkably
before breakfast. Fine morning
with very little rain. Rumours
of relief of Tavoy prisoners by
mixed guerilla forces. C O very rude
unnecessarily. Quite recovered.
Football intensely interesting
to natives. Imari butted
into game & played the
whole field. Bill & Davey
are dead; shot by Japs & confirmed
One man from each house has to
work 10 days on drome without
pay, bullock wagon 60-70 have
to be provided & women for Japs
all without pay.

1942  JUNE
Birthday. Thinking of
Nancy all day. Feel her close.
18 THURSDAY
I/C W P to drome. Rainy morning.
Smooth organisation. Mounds of
grass all now moved. Natives cutting
stone & breaking into smaller parts.
Burmans wanted Japs to come but
now very sorry. Heard that 8 prisoners
^escaping from Tavoy were shot. Jap had
good spy system, we have none.
Plenty of petrol? Still rumours of
exchange. Pay will soon be available
from 2-10 Jun for WPs & essential
duties only. Our men loot shops on
return from drome. Fruit, rambutan,
doriens, bananas, mango , cocoanuts
much in evidence. Women graceful
in carrying things on their heads.
Extraordinary weights. Ponies too small
for coaches. Carey lives at Tamworth

JUNE  1942
19 FRIDAY
Very wet morning and W P left in
quarters until 1200 hrs. Mild
diarrhoea again.
Pay arrived in 10 & 5 rupee bills.
Ledwidge died last night and
funeral at 1830 hrs. Visited boats.
Faber & Burton in hospital. Rumours
of an advance across border into
Burma. Japs had flag race on
Padang. Very fit & fast. My
2nd last rupee was confiscated
by Burman police from native.
Medical & disinfectant supplies
almost negligible.

1942  JUNE
20 SATURDAY
Fine day. I am well. Two more
men died from Dysentery, Scott
& Darcy, British Bn. Visited new
camp with Merrett. Delightful
walk, parallel with sea. Quality
an immense improvement on
school. Larger grounds, covered
with lawn, double-deck
quarters, airy, tress tables inside,
adequate & private latrines,
spacious RAP, MIR, comd HQ,
Guard room, kitchen, 2 deep
and clean wells, fenced one
side only, officers quarters
in 2 storied brick house.
Plane about. 

JUNE  1942
21 SUNDAY
Fr SENDY a KAREN priest of
French Missions said
Mass. I went to Confession &
Holy Commn. Marched out to
new camp at 1015 hrs. Men
carried own baggage. Parties
returned to school to clean
up. Natives showered workers
with food & cheroots. I was
lucky also. Saw first swarm
of bees. Settled in very easily.
Buried both bodies. Could not
get Scott, a Catholic, buried
in R C portion despite representations
of local secretary & ourselves.
Band gave short recital. Am
quartered with Merrett, O'Brien,
Ewart, Trelevyn & Bostock.
Tooth aching. Plane about
again. Paid 1.80 for 2-10 June.

1942  JUNE
22 MONDAY
Awake for 2 hours during night.
Up early and
breakfast on time. Out with
W P of 10 & 488. 300 forced
labour, 50 native prisoners
all working together. Seems part
of Jap plan to belittle us in eyes
of native peoples. Camp inspected
by Comd. "B" Bn best lines.
I was able to buy 3 biscuits
from native vendors on drome.
Native organiser gave me a drink
of "country beer" before a whisky
Reported Pryde to C.O. First
lesson in Contract Bridge.
Severe tooth ache. Br troops
most undisciplined & stupid.
Japs insisting on more
interference in Camp.