Diaries of Signalman W H L Woodgate spanning November 1941 to October 1945 - Part 5

TUE  31/3/42

WE ARE ENDEAVORING TO MAKE A FEW MORE HIVES BUT ARE A BIT SHORT ON TOOLS BOXES I HAVE MADE AT HOME 3 A DAY ON MY OWN. WE CANNOT MAKE HERE 3 MEN A BOX A DAY ITS NO GO WITH BOONG TOOLS. HAVE AN IDEA THAT THAT PLACE IN MURPHY ST. WILL COME MY WAY AS A STARTER WHEN I GET BACK & THEN OR AT LATER KATE. KURRLS WENT OVER TO THE 2UP TONIGHT WITH 1 DOLLAR & WON A FEW MORE. ALSO HAVING FAIR MEALS NOW 4 STILL HAVE A TIN OF FISH UP MY SLEEVE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT OUR TWO CHAPS WHO GOT OUT WERE BEING SHOT TODAY, BUT TONIGHT THEY CAME BACK. WILL APPEND. THEIR TALE AS A SEPERATE ISSUE TOMORROW. SAW BAZIL & NOEL TODAY & DONE SOME WASHING. IF FAIR GETS ME UNDER THAT GAME

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WED 1/4/42

APRIL FOOLS DAY & THE LADS HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE FACT. AT REVALLY THEY ARE PUTTING THEM OVER. JAVA IS DEFINATELY DUTCH NO. RXEN'S TO JAVA OR YANKS IN SUMATRA. THAILAND HAS CAPITULATED & GOODNESS KNOWS WHAT NOT. SOME OF THESE BLOKES REALLY BELIEVE THEM. IT'S BEYOND ME HOW IN HELL THEY THINK EM UP. BY THE LOOK OF THE MOVEMENTS HERE THE STORIES FALL SORT OF FLAT & SO THE DAY GOES ON. ONE FURF. AFTER ANOTHER. SPENT THE AFTERNOON QUIETLY PREPARING LECTURE NOTES. WE HAD A RATHER GOOD TEA TONIGHT BUT THE MORE WE HAVE THE MORE WE LEAK. THIS IS THE FIRST AFTERNOON SMOKELESS. 

["BEER. PRAWNS. ETC".]

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THUR 2/4/42

AND TODAY I HAVE HAD A FILL OF MAKING BOONG BEE BOXES. WHAT WITH CHASING THE TOOLS ETC. WHICH ARE ALWAYS TAKEN BY SOME OFFICER (TRADITIONAL SIGNALS) (WHOSE MANNERS ARE USUALLY SLAVE TO HIS "EGO".) WHO NEVER SEEM TO REALIZE THAT IT SHOULD BE RETURNED AND W. CONSEQUENCE. IM FED UP TODAY WAS MY FIRST SMOKELESS DAY AND IT IS NOT TOO HOT. I WILL MAKE AN ENDEAVOR TO GET THE SMOKE POSITION RIGHT OUT OF ME. DURING EASTER & SHOULD FINISH UP WITH SOME GOOD OUT OF BEING A P.O.W. THESE CIGS ARE COSTING A DOLLAR A PACKET HERE & ALTHOUGH I HAVE A FEW DOLLARS I WILL NOT SPEND ANY ON SMOKES. IT LOOKS AS THO THE BUYING IS DONE ON THE ROAD. THERE IS AN "INDIAN"SENTRY ON DUTY OUTSIDE & OUR OWN PROVOS INSIDE THE WIRE. SOME OF THE LADS LOST BIG AT IT.

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FRI  3/4/42

GOOD FRIDAY BUT NO HOT CROSS BUNS. MARVLS HOW ONE MISSES THE OLD TRADIITIONS & HOW YOU FEEL. FAMILY TIES GREATER ON THESE DAYS AND WONDER AGAIN. HOW LONG IT WILL BE BEFORE WE GET BACK TO THEM. ID LIKE TO KNOW JUST HOW THE YANKS ARE GETTING ON WITH THESE BLOKES. WE EXPECTED THIS CLASH FOR MANY YEARS BUT DID NOT EXPECT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN ITS VORTEX. I SPEND THE A.M. ON BEE BOXES & AFTER DINNER WE GET READY FOR

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS & AT 4 PM WE ALL GO OVER TO OUR CHAPPLE SITUATED AT THE MACHINE GUNNERS.  (11)

IN A COCONUT GROVE THERE IS SITUATED A LITTLE SHELTER MADE OF BAMBOO POLES & ROOFED WITH FRONDS. THIS LITTLE PLACE SHELTERS OUR ALTER AROUND IT. STAND ABOUT [1000?] TO ATTEND THE CELEBRATION OF THE SERVICE IT IS A FITTING PLACE. A FITTING DAY FOR SUCH A SERVICE. THE SERVICE STARTED & THE

SKY CAME OVER CAST HEAVY BLACK & WITH LIGHTNING FLASHING IN THE NEAR DISTANCE. A STORM IS COMING UP. PUTS ONE IN MIND OF THAT DAY ON CALVARY & AS THE SERVICE FINISHES THE STORM BRAKES. RAIN POURS DOWN NOT A MAN MOVES & ALL ARE DRENCHED TO THE SKIN IN A FEW MINUTES. THERE IS NO SERMON. NONE IS NEEDED TO CREATE A GREATER PICTURE IN ONES MIND OF WHAT IS THE BASE OF OUR FAITH. WE COME BACK TO BILLETS & CHANGE INTO DRY CLOTHES. IT RAINED UNTIL LATE INTO THE NIGHT. THE NEWS WE HEAR TONIGHT DEALS WITH MANY PLACES . WAVELL IS GETTING A BAD SPIN IN THE NORTH. WE ARE OK IN THE SOUTH & THE YANKS CLAIM A MAJOR NAVAL VICTORY. ROOSE IS TO [?] HAS MADE A SPEECH & IT LOOKS ACCORDING TO ALL THESE FURFIES THAT WE MAY NOT BE HERE VERY LONG. I HAVE MADE BETS WITH RAY GILMOUR £1 JIM SMILEY £1 PAT LAKEY 1 BOTTLE WHISKY THAT WE ARE STILL P.O.W. BY THE END OF JULY. I HOPE I LOSE BUT DONT THINK THAT I WILL. TONIGHT I BOUGHT A TIN OF FISH $2 AND WE 

HAVE AN EXTRA FEED. I THINK ALOT THESE LAST FEW DAYS OF PAW.PAW & HOME & THE GOOD FEEDS & DESERT ON PAW.PAW.

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SAT 4/4/42

EASTER SAT. NOT MUCH TO CHRONICLE. TODAY SOME OF OUR LADS LEFT FOR SINGAPORE TODAY TO MAKE UP A WORKING PARTY OF 3000 MEN FOR SHIFTING IRON, ETC & CLEANING UP. SOME 

STORY OF A GENERAL SHIFT BUT DOUBT THAT VERY MUCH. SAW THE INSIDE OF OUR SARGE. TODAY & WAS RATHER SURPRISED, BUT NOT DISAPPOINTED. WE HAD ANOTHER GOOD FEED TONIGHT & HAD SOME PEPPER IN THE RICE, ALSO SALT & PAW.PAW. IT WAS ABOUT 10 UP ON THE COOK HOUSE MEALS AND ANOTHER TOMORROW. I BET WE GET PACK DRILL FOR IT BEFORE IT ENDS. I HOPSE SO ANYHOW.

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SUN 5/4/42

MASS THIS AM & NOT MUCH DOING TILL DINNER. WHICH IS NOT TOO BAD. 1 PIECE FRIED RICE & A GOOD ISSUE OF SWEET RICE & MILK. FANCY BEING ABLE TO EAT RICE 4 TIMES A DAY & STILL LIVE & STRANGE TO SAY WE ALL LIKE IT & LOOK FOR IT.

I STILL FEEL TERRIBLY TIRED & WEAK IN THE LEGS THINK I'LL HAVE A DONGA TODAY & GET MY NOTES READY FOR TOMORROW. AM OUT OF SMOKES

AGAIN. NOW I AM GOING TO STOP OUT BY ISSUE ON FRIDAY. I WILL HAVE GOT THE JOB WELL IN HAND. TODAY FURPHY. RUSSIA HAS DECLARED WAR ON JAPAN. TONIGHT WE HAD ANOTHER GOOD FEED. THE SMOKE SITUATION IS A BIT HEAVY NOW, BUT BY NEXT SUNDAY WILL BE RIGHT PAST IT & WILL BE OK. PLENTY OF SHIP MOVEMENT HERE SO IT LOOKS AS THO' WE ARE NOT TOO HAPPY. GOT SOME CHEESE TONIGHT & ADDED SOME TO THE BAKED RICE & SUPPER WAS OUTSIDE WIRE WITH AGRIC. GROUP TODAY & ALSO ON MY LAST DOLLAR AGAIN.

(12)

MON  6/4/42

[?] FOR IT AM TO GIVE A TALK ON AGRICULTURE. THIS PM. I ATTENDED A LECTURE ON SOILS THIS AM, BUT DO NOT GET OVER MUCH VALUE FOR [?] THE LECTURE AREA HERE ARE DIVIDED TO 4 GROUPS A.B.C.D. HAVE TO DO A.1445 & B.1600 HRS TODAY & INTEND TO DIVIDE THE LECTURE INTO SUFFICIENT SERIES TO PROPERLY COVER THE WHOLE . SUBJECT;"A" AREA NORTH OF 2/30 BN BARACKS. "B" LAWN EAST n 22ND BGDEHQ

"C" VERANDAH A.I.F.MEDICAL STORE-ORDNANCE

"D" LAWN AT SIDE OF EDUCATION CENTRE BUILDING-SHARP A 1445. I WAS ON THE JOB FOR THE FIRST GENERAL LECTURE ON BEES. THE FIRST PLACE WAS A & THERE WERE ABOUT A THOUSAND CHAPS THERE, BUT I GOT A GOOD HEARING FROM THE MOB AFTER I WAS FINISHED WAS BESEIGED BY A COUPLE OF DOZN WAS NEARLY LATE FOR MY SECOND SPASM AT B. THERE WERE NOT SO MANY AT B. BUT IN COMPARISON THERE WERE MORE ENTHUSIASTS & ONE CHAP KELY FROM THE 18TH IS VERY KEEN. HE HAS TWO HIVES & THEY ARE DOING RATHER WELL. I CONGRATULATED HIM ON HIS LUCK. THE GROUP NOW HAS 7 HIVES & OUR COBBERS IN HOSPITAL MAY GET A FEED OF HONEY YET. I ALSO HAD AN EXPERIENCE LAST TONIGHT. WAS COMING DOWN THE BANK IN FRONT OF OUR BARRACKS & CAME SUCH A SPILL. I FELL ABOUT 12 FEET & SKINNED MY ELBOW & BRUISED ABOUT ALL THE REST. 

WE HAD A FEED. CAME BACK & YARNED FOR A WHILE & SO TO BED & SO ENDS EASTER. MONDAY OF 1942 FOR A P.O.W. IN MALAYA & I AM STILL FEELING WE HAVE NOT LONG TO WAIT OR AM I GETTING USED TO IT.

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