Diaries and documents of John Dominic Palandri - Part 18

November
27
November
28
Reports of typhus attach. Attempt to
hush it up met with cold response.
A talk on the matter given in
evening by L. Col. Buff. Quite good.
Everyone on look out for lice more
than ever. Poor outlook for Russian
prisoners under their conditions of
living - lice & poor nutrition.
Probably many will die.
Pay to-day. Our men still not
being paid. 36 MK
Jock Webster had letter from home
to-day.

November
29
Further news that typhus broke
out amongst staff of disinfection
plant and that four or five are
infected. Germans apparently not
yet convinced.
Later to-day all public meetings
Church & theatre staff and
communication between compounds
cut down to minimum
Photo taken by German of several
groups from barracks. We are to
have more during week - Aussie
Officers etc..
Internatl. Repat Commission
ran through cases - Hughes- Stanton
Phelon, & Hewlett passed.
November
30
Mass in batmen's end of barrack
this morning. Served for Fr. Berry,
G. Maj. Greet Cpl. Sullivan came
across in a [[pontoon?]] as soon as
medical inspection of men in their
hut allowed them, and took
about 300 ph. of me and
Perry O'Donald. Glorious crimson
sunset to.day after see a queer
"march-wave" [[effect?]] of fleecy cloud
completely, covering sky in morning
changing to a perfect straight edge
from N.W. to S.E. all cloud confined
to South.
A typhus case died to.day.
 

December
1
Orders came through from Germans,that
because of typhus, all hair was to be
removed from body, and all compounds
isolated. Scenes in our barrack were
funny in extreme, people in various
attitudes and stages of nudity scraping
away at themselves and one another -
wonderful language floating about. Found
that best method of attacking most inaccessible
parts was to squat over mirror. Very cold
to.day again, but good weather.
S/Sgt. gave me list of our lads in
camp.
Fist time to.day. I've been
without my moustache for 12yrs.
Feels queer I don't know myself. Can't
go home to Glad & the Kids like this
Wrote to Glad to.days post
December
2
Finish of dehairing to.day. We
certainly do look comical. All
have our hair off and two or
three have even removed eyebrows.
Father Berry to hospital with 'flu'.
Bridge still the order of the day.
Variety of headdress to cover bald
pates infinite.
Selwyn Spoke to Swiss M.O on
Commission SW reported first batch
of repatriates still in France though
balls up in no. to be exchanged and
no steps yet in hand to repatriate
protected personnel. Things in
Switzerland poor, especially food &
petrol.
 

December
3
Up early this morning and, with
Padre Cornish took tea to the lads of the
table in bed. Rest of the day passed quite
uneventfully as ever, alot of the time as
usual being taken up by Bridge. Should
have been Fr. Berry's cooking-day, so
took it over for him. Rather stuck for
dishes to make, as we were short of meat,
but swapped a tin of mustard for one
of meat roll and turned on the usual
meat - potato pies one per man in fish-
tins, together will a biscuit-bread -fig - milk
treacle - butter- sugar pudding, with a
milk and treacle sauce - went very well.
Amateur theatricals - first class - Pollock
& Selwyn de C.Lowe and Selwyn won.
Snowed steadily all day, ground
completely covered. Typhus under
control no new ones, no more deaths
four or five cases apparently recovering.
Seems that both in and out mail
are held up.
4 December
4
Quiet day to.day, nothing much
doing - stayed in bed most of morning
and during evening wrote letter- cards
to Glad and Jenn & Dad, & cards to
Ines and Pell. Did not feel particularly
well this evening. 

December
5
Stand in until almost mid-day,
loafed about during afternoon, played
cards for an hour or so, but not for
long, as head felt heavy. No appetite.
Alan King came across from hospital
with news that "Pash" Prestedge is.a
firmed case of typhus, while Jones and
Adams are in as suspects. The
Camp- Commandant came through the
barrack during tea, looked us over
and told us that two of his N.C.Os
had died of typhus "brought in by
your Russian friends". The C.C. officers
by all accounts, to be a fine type of
men.
December
 6

December
7
One more sleep in.
Evened-up at other end by staying
up and reading Wodehouse till 1.05
in a.m. Several days since last
fall of snow, and in commentary on
the temperature is the fact that 
masses of it are still lying about.
 December
8
Quiet enough. Slept in all morning
again - this will look terrible on
reading it in time to come, but
honestly there is so little to do that
it is a remarkably good way of
filling in time.
Casual type of day, played bridge
until about 2230.
 

December
9
Stayed in again all morning, up at
about midday and started in on
preparing the evening's meal. No parcel
to.day which makes ration a bit thin.
Apparently authorities are stopping our 
mail a bit in cutting down intra-camp.
communications. If a parcel
does not come to.morrow we'll be
shot.
A few snow flakes this morning.
Anniversary of attack on Lidi Baraine
and my just day in the desert.
Had a constitutional with our table mates
Padre Kestill.Cornish - a jolly fine chap. Fr. Berry
likes him a lot.
 December
10
Nothing much to.day Padres Hust
Robinson, Hiddleston & Berry (he's still
in hospital) transferred to quarters in
chapel which is being furnished - 
altar rails, pulpit, two [[?]] organ
and all. No further developments
in typhus.
Alleged that s HMAS "Sydney"
sank and was sunk by [["Comonn?]]
off east coast of Australia.
 

December
11
First contributions towards Xmas dinner
from our parcels - midday dinner is to
be prepared and served to batmen and
F.A.V personnel by officers & vice versa at
night, and if we can get the doings, the
Camp. Commandant & officers are to be
invited across for a drink.
Rumors to.night that after typhus
has ended, 28 officers mainly combatants
are to go [[?Offlag]] medics to go
to working parties.
Rumors that Japan is in against
U.S.A. Costa Rica and British Empire
and that she has sunk "Prince of Wales"
& "Repulse", & "King George"
 December
12
Further attempts at organisation
of medical personnel for work in
various compounds, more or less
fixed up now
 

December
13
Cook again to.day. All officers
who have not received mail from
home since captured gave in names
& particulars - hopes of getting news
soon.
S/Sgt. Ogden gave his weekly
talk -  jolly good.
Announcement of details M.Os
to go to various compounds daily
I'm for 35 -38 (theatre) with
Capt. Hutt.
December
14
Went with Capt. Hutt RAMC  to do
inspection in compound 35,38 only
to find that most of the men had
been deloused and shifted to
another compound. Saw those who
were left and then checked those
already shifted - found a few
eggs & lice in spite of delousing
I must be packing their gear
in disinfection too tightly. 
Nothing much doing for rest of
day.
 

December
15
Went across to Comp. 35-38 again,
mainly a gesture as there was very
little to do. During evening Col. Hull
showed me several lists prepared
by Maj. Weston RAMC. Gen. Camp. M.O.
at instigation of authorities & remote
possibility of repatriation of unemployed.
M.Os [[?]] taken in France and other
junior officers are to be given preference
and their places in Lazareth Riviera 
and working parties filled by 'juniors'
among us. Prisoners there for possible
repatriation are listed older men with
families & senor rank. I'm one, but
I think chances are remote.
December
16
Davids first birthday To-day. God
bless his little heart and soul. What
would I not give to be with Glad
and him and the Kids! He must
be a fine little chap by now.
Lieut. Longmore celebrates first
anniversary of his marriage too.
Read [["Bri?"]] to.day.