Diary Major John Kevin Lloyd - 1942-1945 - Part 11

£5 bet with Bryde that the German

will be finished before 19 Feb 44.

FEBRUARY 1942

19 THURSDAY  Friday

I bet that they will be.

Put Hesse in his place last night

concerning his poor opinion of the Br.

and Aust. Burmans have very little

clothing or property. Their clothing

usually consist of 2 sarongs - the 2nd

one being used as the upper body cover,

a blanket and for head wear. There are

some women among their workers.

Had an attack of diarrhoea with

some pains. Disturbed a flock of

wild fowl yesterday near my creek.

Dutch from 30 kilo camp and Aust

from 35 kilo camp called yesterday

to collect their share of the cattle.

They were thirsty for any news we

may have.  Rats are very active

around these quarters.

1942 FEBRUARY

20 FRIDAY  Saturday   

Last night was very cold and our

W.P. figures are lower than normal.

The call of a monkey in the jungle

on the hillside is very pleasing to

hear and takes one back to Kahang.

Word from Base has been received

that we are to get back pay & that we

move in about 10 days to 65 - 85 kilo

camps.  The full moon rising through

the trees on top of the hill at the

back of the camp was a beautiful

sight.  I yarned to NCOs of 2/29 Bn

over a cup of coffee.  I heard that

Tranter is in this area.  Sgt Hutton

and Osborn remember seeing Nancy on

the Graham platform and saw her

pick up the [[Sun?]] I threw at her

to attract her attention

FEBRUARY 1942

21 SATURDAY  Sunday

Filled in some of the blank spaces

on the walls of my summer pergola

Finished "These days of trevail"

a powerful indictment against the

Nazis, Facists and the Catholic

Church in Germany with special

reference to the anti Jewish

progrom.  The Germans are extremely

brutal, dishonest, treacherous and

crafty. Workman described how he

with all the Dutch Officers

were called upon to witness the

execution of 7 Dutch who tried to

escape, 3 were beheaded with a sword,

1 bayoneted by 4 Japs & shot 17 times

and 3 others shot. 2 other escapees were

beheaded. 1 other had his jaw 

smashed and died.
 

1942 FEBRUARY
22 SUNDAY Monday  

Out with WP to job No 11. From

here one can see the work for

about 1 mile. It is a busy scene

with the POWs, natives, elephants

and Japs and the whole length is

cutting, embankment or bridge.

Rock from the blasting in the

next cutting fell dangerously

close to some of us. I attended

the conference, tenko & rosary before

bathing and eating dinner. Had

a lot of trouble with meterage,

foolish men and an officer,

and light rations. The natives 

make an awful mess in their

cutting. This exile is heart-rending

How I long for my family again

especially when I see native babies

FEBRUARY 1942

23 MONDAY Tuesday

A Soviet Anniversary Day. I hope 

they smash thru the German

lines just to celebrate. Williams

who was convicted of thieving at Tavoy

has disappeared. It is thought that he

went out to rob a Burman and was

killed or injured. Had supper with

"Bendix" and Chris. Weighed myself

at 68 kilograms = 150 lbs (1 pd =

453 grams). Started to read "England's

Hour" by Vere Brittain being 

experiences in England after declaration

of war and including the blitzkrieg

on London. Obtained a branch of wild

fruit the colour of orange-red from

some "flame" trees. They are very bright
 

1942 FEBRUARY

24 TUESDAY  Wednesday 

Williams returned to camp stating

that he had been set upon by 4

Burmese whilst collecting wood and

had been robbed of Rs 900 and

taken off to their village. His

story is being investigated and 5

Burmans are here now. Jap Lt Col

Nagatomo visited us with Brig

Varley and 5 other P.O.W. officers. The

Jap sentries are blitzing us again

for all sorts of reasons. Men late 

on pde who were working late

were slapped, men cannot pass the 

sentry incorrectly dressed or smoking,

men must stand up to every Jap

soldier, etc. I have now only Rs 1.40

and find it hard to watch some

of the others frying eggs, onions & tomatoes.

FEBRUARY 1942

25 WEDNESDAY  Thursday 

A holiday today and the Padre is

conducting his usual ch service.

I am trying not to despair

altogether by praying and thinking

of the great joy which will be

mine when I have my wife and 

family once again. How the young

ones must be changing daily and

will I know them and they me.

Went down the creek with 9 other

officers and had a swim. Attended

the usual concert in the evening.

It is impossible to wash clothes

clean without soap. This is most

marked in the rags which men

use to cover sores from the flys.

I am extremely lucky to be free from

infected cuts. A razor like leaf cut
 

1942 FEBRUARY

26 THURSDAY Friday 

my hand the other day without any ill

effect. The CO has gone 

to Thanbuzayat with Williams who

has turned out to be a Catholic.

I should have £700 owing to me by

the army by 31 July next. I wonder

will I get it all. Japs have definitely

tightened up disciplinary measures

because we made such a poor

showing before Nagatomo "Japan

Times & Advertiser", "Home Life"

Vol 4, No 3, and "Tokyo Nichi Nichi"

have been supplied - 8 months old -

and I should get some back copies 

after the war. They are printed in

English. Had a delightful swim

with Atyes, Called over to Jap

quarter for interview by M.P. Cpl

concerning Williams, Yarned to

Fitzsimmons, Hilsbey, Workman & Hesse

FEBRUARY 1942

27 FRIDAY  Saturday 

Now studying Ely Culbertsons "Gold

Book" on contract bridge. I must get

a copy back in Australia. Some

PO.Ws accidentally set the jungle

at the back of our camp on fire.

It burns slowly most of the time

and at night was a pretty picture.

It has burnt right to the top of 

the hill. Yarned to 29th men about

the war. The Jap thinks that by

making a lot of noise that he

impresses most. Sentries posting

each other absolutely bellow out

their commands. An animal stole

the gut out of my can over the 

fire during the night. How time

drags on wearily - only we can

realise the monotony.
 

1942 FEBRUARY
28 SATURDAY  Sunday 

W.P. figures are well down. A 

few clouds about may bring rain.

Yesterday some strange planes

appeared overhead. They could be our

own, quiet easily. Had two swims

and no P.T. This pool is proving to

be a pleasant diversion. The fires

on the hills are almost burnt

out now. Arranged with Cpl

Clark to receive some lessons in

electricity and wireless daily.

The natives are now working

alongside the camp on an embankment.

Had a sleep and felt awful

afterwards. I prefer to do P.T. after

lunch because at that time of the

day one does certainly feel sleepy

MARCH 1942

1 SUNDAY  Monday 

Still extremely dry. A dry season

here means a really dry time.

There has been no decent shower

since we came here. Rumours of

trouble with the Siamese at the

other end of this railway are rife.

Last night several of our planes were over

Thanbuzayat. One plane circled the depot

for an hour, dropped flares near the

hospital but dropped its bombs up 

north between 1 - 3 kilos. The remainder

dropped there bomb loads in 3 lots

on the coast somewhere, and shook 

the huts. The Japs give no opposition.

The previous day our planes conducted

a daylight raid coming over us first

and then dropping their bombs on the

coast again. Many Jap sailors &
 

1942 MARCH

2 MONDAY  Tuesday

(cont)

soldiers still wearing life belts passed 

the hospital. Williams, the Sgt who

escaped with Mull and the Sgt who

was caught trading have been sentenced

to terms of imprisonment and hard 

labour by the Japs. This is an amazing 

change of policy. Apparently international 

conventions are being observed.

I am now learning the names of a

few stars from Capt D.H. Bernards's 

Chart. I want to be able to point 

them out to Nancy and the young

ones. CO returned from base

and brought 45 Rs each of our

back pay. Gave 5 Rs to Knight

There is very little to buy at

present, oil and beans,

MARCH 1942

3 TUESDAY     

Out with W.P. One man buried 

under fall of earth and had 

two ribs broken. Sgt Dickinson

who attempted to escape with

Mull was shot yesterday. This 

means that there is no change

of policy as we had thought.

C.O. has introduced a little

more discipline into parades -

my initial scheme which he dropped

when he came. I did not reach

camp until after 8. Men who

came in with last party of 50

were pulled out of bed for a 

tenko at 11 o'clock because 

they were 3 light at the tenko

All bags collected.
 

1942 MARCH

4 WEDNESDAY Thursday 

Out again with WP and a Christian

Jap Guard. Very difficult work for

the men as they are crowded on to a

small job. Went for a stroll up the

gully. Railway all along here is very

costly in labour and timber for bridges.

Another 150 men sent off to hospital

the same as yesterday. Father Smith

is visiting us for 2 days. Rumours 

of a terrific loss of 22 ships by the

Japs near New Britain and of further 

offensives along the whole Russian

front. Berlin was heavily bombed. 

Everybody is elated. The ships which

were sunk near Amehurst were sunk

by naval action. Even Tunisia is

going our way again. Am I clutching

at straws

MARCH 1942

5 THURSDAY Friday 

Holiday today

Confession, Mass and Holy Comm

at last. I offered them up for Nancy

and our dear ones. I wish Nancy

could see the setting. Mass is celebrated

on some old timber for an altar, in

the middle of a dusty parade ground.

The jungle just at the back is discoloured

with the dust from the road. All

nationalities attend and some

Burmans squat and watch from

the road 20 yds away. A Maltese

serves Mass and a Dutch officer

translated an announcement. The wine

is served in a medicin bottle and the

bell is part of a bicycle bell. I had

some excellent PT and a glorious swim,

It looks as if Field Officers will go off

to Japan soon.
 

1942 MARCH

6 FRIDAY  Saturday 

Mass & H.C. again in the pitch 

dark. The attendance was good.

Labier, Lovett, Bonney and I sent 7

Rs to Base for tobacco for 2/29 Bn

men and gave a rupee each to 5 

men here in camp. Several Kureans

were turned out last night because

the sentries attempted to arrest a

man who was drunk but who

slipped through their fingers. He

was identified later but has not been

punished. The Basher (a Jap Lackey) is

responsible for most of our troubles.

Rosary again taken by Father

Smith. I have another attack 

of diarrhoea and have scrapped

all work for the day.

MARCH  1942

7 SATURDAY Sunday 

Mass and H.C. again at 0730 hrs.

I am reading Warwick Deeping's 

"The Woman at the door", the story

of John Luce 45 year old who rents

a lonely tower and shelters a

neighbour's wife who has killed her

husband. I feel quite well again.

Many small bus loads of natives

went out along the road, I heard

they are conscripted labour from

Moulmein. Word has come from

Base of a further bombing within

hearing distance yesterday. It never

rains but it pours; for a fortnight

now I have lived on rations. Today

we acquired eggs, tomatoes, onions,

a tin of milk and a rice cake. I had 

supper to celebrate and dreamt heavily
 

1942 MARCH
8 SUNDAY Monday 

The natives are blasting just near the

camp. Many women and children

work among the men. I obtained

some yeast and will keep it going.

Did sixty laps of the pool today

without effort. My daily PT

must be doing me a lot of good

Won 1.25 at bridge yesterday and 

.50 today. We obtained a tripe 

yesterday and ate what was left

over today. The Burmese working

women bring all their children

on to the job with them and

they play about all day long.

They are lovely to watch - just the 

same the world over. Our men

are finishing their daily tasks

rather early now.

MARCH 1942

9 MONDAY  Tuesday 

Only 219 men shipped out for work

today. Japs demanded another 150

and got 56. Capt Trevellyan

returned from his tour of the

camps. It would appear that POWs

are being grouped with their

own countrymen. Swam another 60

laps of the pool. Major O'Brien

gave me for 5 cents a new pair

of tropical shorts and I was able

therefore to give away 2 pairs of

my most patched shorts. Had 

my shoes patched up again. I 

heard the nightingale again unexpectedly.

Read the Jap account of the 

capture of Java in the Tokio Nichi

Nichi. May 2^nd & 3^rd 1942. Yarned 

with
 

1942 MARCH

10 TUESDAY  Wednesday 

Americans and British, about 200

all told, marched out to their

new camp at 35 kilos. Their baggage

was transported by truck. I am

forced to work under my net as

otherwise the flys pester me very

much. Received some peanuts 

and 7 bananas which are very 

welcome. Started to read

Warwick Deepings " Bossess of the 

Woods". The setting and plot remind

me forceably of Jeffrey Farnol's

works. Dutch Priest arrived

today. A Capusian. He wears

a brown habit, is young and

cheerful. Father VRAN VERGEEST is

his name. Yarned with him and

his Dutch Confrers until bedtime