Diaries and documents of John Dominic Palandri - Part 6

1942
April 
1
Oberarzt operated this morning, two jobs, so that I
was free. Spent morning and afternoon seeing my
patients and admitting new ones. Station 1A now
equals record by possessing 113 patients. Rumours of
about cancellation of walks and concert so much
boloney, as French M.Os went out this afternoon, and
we will probably go to-morrow.
Arranged this evening with Elbaz to carry on
with anaesthetics as before, and shall probably take
over Room 1 from Wiltshire making total for me of
Rooms 1, 6, 7, 8, and part of 30. Alleged that
Vialard and Vanderbecq are in the clink at
Biersdorf doing their three weeks, and that they
have spoken to French Sanitaters. Tried to see
French E.N.T. man who comes here, but failed.
April
2
Gave one or two dopes this morning, then started looking
around my new patients. Grand show, scarlets in with
measles, diphs. in two rooms, tbs. in two other rooms, one
for +ve sputa, one for -ves, and others in another small
room down corridor. No check on all these, and almost
all free to wander about as they please, and almost
impossible to make them stay in bed, or even in their
rooms. It’s grand. I believe they swap mouth organs! 
Working on a map of France to pass the time away 
and to have some means of checking up on news.
Told this morning that chlo. supply is almost
exhausted, equivalent of about 15 phials of 30ccs
each, i.e., about enough for six normal anaesthetics.
I’ve worked out that for major Sps, including induction,
my consumption of chlo is at the rate of about 100ccs
an hour. It’s obvious that now I'm becoming
accustomed to the stuff, I’m rather loth to change back
from it to ether.
Revealed to-day that furphies re walks and
Easter concert are so much bulsh___  French M.Os 
had walk this afternoon and concert is to go on.

Good Friday
April
3
Good Friday, and a holiday for the locals. Our
8 a.m. & 8 p.m. appels go on as usual. Spent a lot of
the day looking over new patients, most of rest
of it playing around with the map.
Easter Saturday
April
4
Half-day for German staff, as is usual with Saturdays.
Nothing to write about except that we heard that
our lads were taken in a forest near Hamburg, where
they had gone to sleep for the night. They and the
two Frenchmen are in the clink on Biersdorf and
occupy the same room where they spend most of
their time smoking - and they're almost out of
tobacco.
Had dinner to-night with Elbaz, Grosse,
Maincent and Macquerson - grand! Sardines,
risotto & roast-pork, cake and tinned apricots,
cheese & coffee, and they made it taste like
something from the Ritz.

Easter Sunday
April
5
Opn. this morning. Fosy & Elbaz opened up a
chap who turned out to have an appendical
abscess which they did not disturb. Finished in
time to get to Mass before the Offertory. Big number
present and a large number of communicants.
Finished the map this afternoon, then went to
the concert which was quite a good show, half by
the English and half by the French, and lasting
three hours. Two of the English lads turned up for
Appel still dressed as ballet-girls and got a grin
from the young officer who took it.
ApriI
6
Another full holiday for the Germans to-day,
therefore no operating.  Checked through my
patients, which did not take long.
Fosy, Wiltshire and I went for a walk
with a German Dolmetcher who speaks good
English and xx French. Beautiful day, bit of a
nip in the air, bright and sunny. Went into
the large park alongside Tempelhof aerodrome
and watched a couple of games of handball,
rules apparently like soccer but all done with
the hands and not the feet - the second of the
two games was played by lads of 18-22 or so,
very fast, and of pretty good standard. Crowds
of people about, anxious about us, but not
interfering in the least.
Finished "Lost Horizon" in the evening and
found it very good.

April
7
One job this morning - felt very tired and
dozed during the anaesthetic - reminded me
of my weakness that way at Perth Hospital.
Saw patients in morning, then tapped my
sick Russian's chest. I think he must be
loculating, as, despite considerable area of
dullness, I was able to withdraw only 310 ccs.
Russian captain returns a positive Tb sputum.
Had an insight or two into quality of Russian
organisation in this Lazarette, rather like our
own.
Elbaz and Bermann came to dinner with us
this evening and the conversation was most
amusing.  Their internal relations were one of
subjects, and we had quite a pleasant couple
of hours.
Am reading "Captain Horatio Hornblower" - very
good.
April
8
Only one job of anaesthetic this morning, then
saw my patients. Wrote up 8 of them to go out,
making fourteen in all to leave on Tuesday next,
14^th. May help a bit, as we're full up in 1A and
more coming in all the time - if only the English
& French Tbs. could be removed to a Sanatorium, as
has already been arranged, all would be well.
Fosy had news to-day that all combatant officers
are gone to an Offlag from VIII B, that only a few
M.Os. and dentists are left at the place, including
Selwyn de C. L., Stanley S., Joe Dodgshun and
Pat Noakes. Eric Cooper, 26^th Gen. Hos. dentist is
nearby at Capt. Neale's (N.Z) Commando.
Finished "Captain Horatio Hornblower" and started
on "England, Their England" - very humorous.

April
9
One anaesthetic again. Two Russian generals
came in for O.P. treatment and went out again.
They were peckish. Rest of the day uneventful
and, contrary to usual practice, I slept for a
while in the afternoon.
April
10
Nothing much to-day.  One anaesthetic, then a
frenzied morning with Wiltshire rearranging 1A to
make full use of accommodation, combined the two
diph. wards and reshuffled the rest, giving Tbs
with +ve sputa two wards, and generally
reducing overcrowding.
Had a longish walk this afternoon.
Bridge-four in lab. this evening - Padre, Robert,
Fernhead and I, good fun.

April
11
One anaesthetic, then a round, and in
afternoon gave a 200cc. transfusion to a French Tb..
Can't give decent amount of a pint or so, as no-one
is willing to make such a sacrifice unless actually
to save a life, as on present rations the possibility
of making up the loss in a reasonable time is
problematical.
Had game of volley-ball in afternoon, very
interesting, sides keep a ball going over the
net, any number of the same side may touch
it before it passes back again, and the side
which allows the ball to touch the ground, go
into the net or out of play loses the point or the
service.
Played bridge in evening, same four as last
night.
Confession.
Sunday
April
12
Mass & Communion, Appel, and back to bed till
lunch. Loafed and played volley-ball afterwards,
and found that the transfusion had done
Blondē practically no good.
One of my patients, a Sub name Lukick,
with abdominal and other centres of Tb, who is
practically on his last legs, summoned up
enough strength to try self-strangulation with
a blind-cord.  Poor devil, his life must be
an utter burden to him.
Picnic-bridge this evening with Wiltshire,
Fernhead, and S/Sgt Erzelius, my S/Sgt from
Station 1A - fine bloke, always cheerful, and
as funny as a play, but no bridge-player.
Sgt. Whealan is translating my Bridge-Notes
into French.

April
13
Appel, one anaesthetic, then started a full round,
finding six Russians for discharge next week.
Wiltshire found another eight, and the 28 in a
space of one week will make a big difference to the
non-Tb accommodation. But the Tbs are the big
snag - they just accumulate and accumulate. I
spoke to the Assistant-Arzt about them this morning,
and all he could say was that the authorities had
been informed of their presence, and that nothing more
could be done about them until transport could be
made available for their removal, the French to France,
and the English to Sanatoria - though they should
be repatriated.
One hour spent in making the acquaintance of the
new Tb patients I've acquired in the last few days
was enough for me. It's the most depressing experience
spending time amongst them, who, most of them were
once fine looking chaps. Most helpless feeling knowing
but we can do nothing for them here, not even feed them
as they should be fed.
Grosse and Maincent ate with us this evening and
left us at about 11 p.m. - jolly decent chaps.
Volleyball for an hour or so.
Anniversary of our landing in Greece - last Easter Sunday
April
14
Usual quiet day, one anaesthetic, then a look at some
of the patients.  Went with Wiltshire and a guard
for to-day's walk to the Kreuzberg, a small hill
which gives something of a view of some of the city and
had a pleasant couple of hours. Lots of kiddies
about, most of them chubby enough, but all rather
pale. Passed a piece of chocolate through the guard
to a lady sitting near us for her little daughter
aged about two, and she made very short work
of it, fine little nip. Lots of little boys about,
plenty of the ages of John, Mark, and David, and
they make me think of them more than ever.
Homesickness always gets troublesome at such times.
Glad could leave anything I've seen here well in
the background as she could most people, bless
her. Oh well, I guess I'll have to bottle up for a
year or two yet.
Volley-ball when I got back - I look forward
to the day's session more and more each time.
Fernhead brought Ballata, the Polish aspirant,
along this evening against Wiltshire and me,
and he turned out to be a jolly good player.
Amusing, too, despite language difficulties.

[*5*]
April
15
One anaesthetic.  Discovered to-day that my
poor devil of a patient, Lukic, died at midday
yesterday. It was merciful for him.
Assistant Arzt came round Room 1 with me
and put most of the inmates on extra food. Is
talking of getting his artificial pneumothorax gear
in and getting to work on suitable cases when an
X-Ray apparatus is installed.
Fitzsimmons, the Irishman of Sydney G.M.C.-Holden
who was taken off the N.Z. coast has received his
passport, and Alan B. and I were with him
for an hour or so this afternoon fixing up his
financial arrangements. He's to remit to
Aunty Lucy eventually, or Troy, or Bruce, in
that order of availability. Should make a
difference to me when I get there, and puts
local assets to good use.
Volley-ball in afternoon - in evening wrote
letter & card to Glad (birthday soon), letters to
Mum & Dad and Boxshalls, and card to Ines.
Would be grand to get some from them.
April
16
Two anaesthetics, quick look around most of
my wards, saw three new Russians in afternoon,
had game of volley-ball later, played bridge
in evening with same four as on Tuesday
evening, and there you are, another day gone
by at III D/308.
Rumours that Laval is head of French
government with Admiral Darlan, and that
Marshall Petain is Chef d'Etat. Discussion as
to what it may mean.
Note from lads at Biersdorf - a bit hungry so
we sent them some stuff, a couple of blankets to go,
Vanderbecq's English-French dictionaries - his
stethoscope went yesterday.

April
17
One anaesthetic, a look around my wards,
and then aspiration of my Russian's chest, yielding
1000 ccs of pus. Seems a lot but I know how much
he can stand now.
The lads went out in the afternoon, but I stayed
in, one walk a week is enough, they're pretty
monotonous at present, just strolling through the streets
with nothing to see and nowhere to go. Should
be better later when we can get to the zoo, to the
1936 Olympic Sports Ground, and a few other places.
Got a deck-chair down in the sun instead and
read fractures & slept. Volley-ball as usual.
Played bridge in the evening.
April
18
Practically nothing to do this morning, as the
Oberarzt was operating. Parcels to-day consisted
of invalid comforts, not the usual Red + ones,
therefore grub this week will be a bit short.
Never mind. We invited Robert & Magnani up
this evening just the same, but the latter could
not accept. His reason was that when he first arrived
he ate on his own down below, got nothing from
his confreres, and no parcels of his own, and,
until he can return hospitality independently, he
prefers not to come to us.
Sun & a game later, and, in evening, we
entertained Padre Toulzi and Robert. Very
successful show. Allan telling his yarns in
his own particular brand of French is a knock.out.
He's a grand lad.
Oberarzt this morning had Sister in tears.

Sunday
April
19
Early Mass & Communion, Appel, & bed till
midday. Then in sun for a while - all the
available deck-chairs were out, and a two-hour
game in shorts & sand-shoes. Bridge at night
with Padre, Robert, & Staff Fernhead.
We were to have had a moderate dinner
this evening - midday's soup, a sweet, and toast
& cheese - but Elbaz's gift of enough roast-pork
to give each of us and the batmen a generous
helping turned it into a feast.
Considering the attitude of the French M.Os
to us, I can't understand their differences
amongst themselves.
This evening in the lab the assistant had
a short French story "How I lost my virginity"
some bright girl's confession - Gosh! Certainly
no repressions, and did her mother have Victorian
ideas as to how daughters should be brought up??
April
20
Quiet day to-day - one anaesthetic, a round, and
nothing much else in the morning. Having seen and heard
the arguments at the bowls-games in the courtyard as
to who was nearest kitty I made the gang a measurer
as used on the greens at home, and got a game on the
strength of it. Quite enjoyable too, though we were well
licked.
An hour or so's bridge in the evening with Ballata and
Fernhead against Wiltshire and me. Then, before bed,
I finished Edgar Wallace's "The Man Who Bought London",
awful bilge.
Hitler's birthday to-day. Hell of a lot of flag's flying
but nothing much else.
This morning Chefarzt blew into theatre just before
start and Sister complained re Oberarzt & suggested
transfer for herself - he pacified her by saying
that all surgeons were a bit temperamental when
worried by an opn.
News to-day from the three at Biersdorf that
they expect to go off to-morrow and fear their destination
is a labour-camp somewhere in Russia or Poland where
they would be out of touch with Red +. Warned us of
the likelihood, and asked us to watch their
interests. I think they're unduly pessimistic, but they
may be right.