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

APRIL
28 TUESDAY
Div Concert 22 Bde ✓
C.O. Off [[?]] 1430 [[?]] & 1915
[[?]] Court H.Q. 2 hrs ✓
                       A  2 hrs ✓
C.O. [[?]] [[??]]
C.O. [[?]], Sgt's Mess [[?]][[?]]
Padre's lecture 1715
Check B's Tennis team
Recovered by now my Greatcoat.
and 2 cloth [[?]]. First
issue of pineapple has arrived.
About 1½ small tins per man.
Food since last night exceptionally
good, tastie. Chaplain [[Joires?]]
replaced M^cNeil for 2 weeks.
29 WEDNESDAY
Off Class 1915 hrs Major Hore.
[[????]]
Check Sgt O'Donnell re [[?]]
[[?]] & [[?]]
Rash bad again. Went for
swim and this appears to
have made it worse. Saw
Hughy 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. [[?]] was in
moonlight.
 

APRIL
30 THURSDAY
Off Class 1430.
(My lecture 1515. "Org of duties &
[[derly?]] practice. Duties of O O, O Sgt & Cpl"
[[??]].)
O C Padang. HQ V A [[?]]
[[???]]
Sgt. [[?]]
Haircut 1030
[[?]] 3 [[???]]
Maj [[?]]
Gave lecture to Off Class. Visited
[[?]] store with all officers. It will
[[?]] to [[?]] to sort up.
Bridge won $2.75 but boys are
now ticking up. Full moon.
Visited Sgts. Mess. Cricket match
C O C inspected [[??]]
MAY
1 May FRIDAY
Off Class 1915.
[[?]]
[[????]][[??]] night.
Water carts
Hose tops to be [[?]]
[[Mc?]]
Rash kept me awake until
0200 hrs 2 May head and [["]]
agony. Went for short walk
to ease pain.
Ramsey went to [[comd?]]
and [[?]] to Bde Major
Bde a few days ago
 

MAY
2 SATURDAY
Off Classes 1430
BVC confirmation night
[[?]] to [[?]]
[[??]] Guard House ✓
  "  re [[?]]
Off Class Took things easy
for sake of rash. Rained heavily
about [[?]] hrs. Padre produced
portable gramaphone and an
organ. Bridge Bert, [[?]], Hill
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.
MAY
5 TUESDAY
CO Off Class 1430 & 1900
CO [[?]]
[[???]]
[[??]]
[[???]]
C C Officer for [[??]]
QM Re Bank of [[?]]
Kit store 100
Milk for [[?]]
[[?]]
Unit moved out in [[luxurient?]]
moon light at 0715 hrs. [[??]]
bye to officers. Re-organised [[?]]
in H.Qs & 2 coys with [[?]]
Have [[?]] Surina, [[?]]
[[?]] Throstle, [[?]]
 

MAY
6 WEDNESDAY
[[?]] 1915
[[?]]
[[?]] Offs
[[???]]
[[???]]
[[??]]
[[??]]
[[??]]
[[?]] organizing [[?]]
[[?]] [[???]]
[[??]] officer. [[?]]
[[?]] saw Millett [[?]]
[[?]] Shirger, Wright, [[?]]
[[??]] Bridge lost 50¢
JUNE
10 WEDNESDAY
News of new camp definite.
CO & Adjt inspected it. Accommodate
1500. Overis of "A" Bn dies
and was buried with [[?]] funeral
Escort, Guard, full [[?]], 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 [[?]]
for our troops to gather. Fishermen
take buckets out in boats to get
at clean water. No ships in sight.
[[??]] spent day in bed.
 

JUNE
11 THURSDAY
Went out I/C drome party. Visited
by Lt. Small & 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.
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 parade.
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. [[?]] has malaria -
our first case.
 

JUNE
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. [[?]] referred to [[?]]
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., [[?]], Cologne & naval
engagement off China, & Midway Island.
[[?]] speculate about our [[?]]
JUNE
14 SUNDAY
Mass at 1000 hrs in tent. French
Missionary Order [[???]]
to be half Burman. Brought his
own altar boy. The [[?]] 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
[[night?]] all clashed. Jap ship
still in bay. Dysentery about same
for some days. Down to $1 and I.R.
Salt water party was [[?]] of doughtful
characters, appealed to but 3 [[?]]
still took food. [[???]]
that Bn [[?]] would [[?]] as
boy rounds for Orderly Room.
 

JUNE 
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
[[???]]. 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. [[?]] fatigue
has to be replaced in kitchen
as they are useless.
Dinari evaded my question
as to whereabouts of our
2 prisoners.
JUNE
16 TUESDAY
Still feverish. Medical inspection
of coy. Men in detention go out
on W.P. C O & Adjt visit shops.
People very sympathetic. Iwari
stated again on drome that
only drome workers would be
paid. Boys (native) fond of
football & basketball. They have
a few horses. Milagrosa [[also?]]
supply us with beans for
canteen. [[?]] of their camp is
very weak. [[???]]
[[?]] severe disciplinary action
and is lazy. C.O. & Adjt were
shopping for hospital [[?]]
Shopkeeper [[?]] to undercharge
& offered loan.
 

JUNE
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. Iwari butted
into game & played the
whole field. Bell & 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 & [[?]] for Japs
all without pay.
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 removed. Natives cutting
stone & breaking into small [[?]].
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 W P^s & essential
duties only. Our men loot shops on
return from drome. Fruit, rambutan,
[[?]], bananas, mango [[?]], cocoanuts
[[?]] in [[?]]. Women graceful
in carrying things on their heads.
Extraordinary weights. Ponies too small
for coaches. Carey lives at [[Tamworth?]]
 

JUNE
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.
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. [[?]]
an immense improvement [[?]]
school. Larger grounds, covered
with lawn, double-deck
quarters, airy, [[?]] tables inside,
adequate & private latrines,
spacious RAP, MIR, court HQ,
Guest room, kitchen, 2 deep
and clean wells, [[?]] one
side only, officers quarters
in 2 storied brick houses.
Plane about.
 

JUNE
21 SUNDAY
[[?]] SENDY a KAREN priest of
French Missions said
Mass. I went to Confessio &
Holy Commn. Marched outto
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'Brian,
Ewart, [[?]] & Bostock.
Tooth aching. Plane about
again. Paid 1.80 for 2-10 June.
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 [[?]].
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.