Diaries of Signalman W H L Woodgate spanning November 1941 to October 1945 - Part 8

SAT 20/6/42
OF. WRiTiNG 1200.THE MONK. iS. MiSSiNG & HANG
ME. IF MICK .iSN'T. OVER. PLAYING. WiTH .THE
OTHER. ONE. WELL. WE. ARE. DUE. FOR. A .LAUGH. NOW
& AGAIN. & HAVE. SURE. hAD. OURS. TODAY. WE
HAVE. ALL. WRITTEN. OUR. CARDS. hOME. AND. CAN. NOW
ONLY. hOPE. FOR. THE. REST. I. TRIED. TO. GET. A .SERVICE
UNiFORM. YESTERDAY. AND. MADE. ENQUiRiES. AT. THE. CLOTHiNG
DEPOT. AS. TO. THE. POSSiBILiTiES. LEIUT. YOUNG .TOLD. ME. THAT
I. COULD. GET. ONE. WiTHOUT. ANY. TROUBLE. ALL. I. HAD. TO. DO
WAS.TO. GET. A. CHiP. FROM. THE. UNiT .Q.MSTR. & GET. A
TUNiC & PANTS. TO. MY. OWN. LiKiNG. I. TOLD. hIM. THERE & THEN
THAT. iIF. SUCH. WAS. THE. CASE. I. WOULDN'T. BE. iN. THE. RACE
WELL. I. CAME. BACK. &. WITH. OLD. POP JOHNSTONE. WENT. UP
TO. THE. Q.MSTR. "AND. WASN'T. iN. THE. RACE" THERE. ARE. hUNDREDS. OF
UNiFORMS. iN. THE. STORE & SOME ARE "BEiNG. CUT. UP. FOR. CAPS" —
THiS. AM. ON. MY. WAY. TO. THE. GARDEN. I. SAW. A. SiGHT. WHiCH
PULLED. ME. UP. SHORT. OVER. AT. THE. ANTI TANK. I .SAW —
A. LOOT. CUTTING. LOGS. iNTO. BiLLETS. A. GUNNER. SPLiTTiNG. THEM
&. A. CAPT. CARTiNG THE. PiECES .TO. THE. COOK. hOUSE. IF EVER. I. GO
iNTO. ACTION. AGAIN. I'LL. FiGHT. WITH. THAT. MOB. ALWAYS. DID
KNOW THAT. THEY. WERE. THE. ONLY. MOB. WHO. hAD. CONFiDENCE
IN. ONE ANOTHER. & NOW. I. KNOW. WHY. I. TOOK. A. CONSECCES. OF
CONFiDENCE. ON. THE 11.3.42. & NOTE. THE PM. I. WENT. TO. THE
BEACH. FOR. SALT. WATER. ONE. BLOKE. WENT. SCROUNGING
FOR. CiGARETTES. AND. RAN. iNTO. THE. GUARD. HE
RAN. & THE. GUARD. RAN. FASTER. THE. CHAP
-71- 

SAT 20/6/42
SLIPPED.. INTO. THE. CREEK. & AS. HE. DiD. THE
GUARD. CAUGHT. UP. ON. HiM & WHACKED. HIM A
COUPLE. OF. BEAUTS. WITH. A. WADDiE. HE. CARRiED
ONE. ACROSS. THE. CHEST. ONE. ON. THE. BACK & THEN
TO. CAP. iT. OFF. HE. PULLED. HiM. OUT. OF. THE. CREEK
BY. THE. HAiR. OF. THE hEAD. MiNE. WOULDN'T. hAVE 
STOOD. THAT. ALTOGETHER. iT. hAS. BEEN. AN. iNTERESTING
DAY &. CARRiED. QUiTE. A. FEW LAUGHS. I. FINiSHED THE
DAY. RE-PACKiNG & iTS. RIGHT. TO LIFT. NOW & NO. NEED
TO. UNDO. iT. UNTiL. I. REACH. AUSSiE. EVEN. IF. iTS .12.
MONTHS. TO. WAiT. & SO I'LL. CLOSE. P.OW 125. BY TORCHLiGHT
SUN 21/6/42 THE 18TH WEEK
WILL. FiRST. ENTER. MY. WORLDLY. POSSESSiONS. &. WHERE. THE. ARE
MAY. FACiILiTATE. GETTING. AT. THEM. 1ST. HAVERSACK.
1 PAiR. SHOES. 1. SHiRT. 1. GUERNSEY. 1. TOWEL. 2. PAiR. BLUE. SOCKS
OLD MONEY. BELT. ENVELOPES. & PAPER. 2ND PACK.. TYPWRiTER
2 PAiR. PYJAMAS. 1 PAiR. SHOES 3 PAiR. SOCKS. TEETH. (3) PENS (2) WATCHES
1 SHiRT. 1. LONG. PANTS. 1 PAiR. SHORTS. 2 SINGLETS. 3. HANKY
1 FiNE GUERNSEY. 1. HOLDALL. 1. HOUSEWiFE. 1 JACK.KNiFE
3. KiT. BAG. 1 ELEC DRiLL. 1 TiN. POWDER. 1 BAG. U/CLOTES
1 PAiR. SOCKS. 1. SHEET. ALiMINiUM. 1 PAiR PYJAMAS. 1. SEA. KiT
CONTG 2 PAiR. SOCK. 1 PYJ. PANTS. 1 TOWEL. 1 U/PANTS. 1. SiNGLET.
1. BAG. HANDKY'S. BLANKETS. GRND. ROLLED. & ATT. TO
PACK. R'S GROUND. SHEET. iN. KiT. BAG. MESS. GEAR.
CARRiED.
72 

SUN 21/6/42
AND. THE. OVERSEAS. PARTY. iS. SUSPENDED. I. THOUGHT
IT. WOULD. BE & hAVE. hAD. A. FEELiNG. ALL. ALONG.
THAT. WE. WOULD. NOT. GO. INSTEAD. WE. ARE. WARNED
FROM. REVELiE. TOMORROW. TO. STAND. BY. FOR. A.
WORKiNG. PARTY. TO. SiNGAPORE & I. AM. ON. iT. WELL
IT. MAY. BE. A. GOOD. CHANGE. AND. iT. MAY. NOT? BUT
hAVE. THE. BAGS. PACKED. iN. ANY. CASE. SO NOW. FOR. iT.
DINNER. IS. OVER. AND. A. VERY. LiGHT. MEAL. iT. WAS. JUST. PLAiN. RICE
WiTH. MILK. NOT. MUCH. WHEN. BREAKFAST. WAS. ONLY. RiCE. PORRiDGE
THE. MEALS. ARE. SLiPPING. A. BiT. hERE. LATELY. ALTHOUGH. OUR
RESERVE. iSSUE. iS. SUPPOSED. TO. BE ^BEiNG USED. UP. & WE. CONTRiBUTED
A. DOLLAR. & SOME. TO. THE. BUYiNG. OF. EXTRAS. I. WENT. TO.
MASS. THiS. MORNiNG. THE. LiTTLE. CHURCH. ACROSS. THE
ROAD. LOOKS. VERY. NiCE. NOW□ALL. THE. GRASS. hAS
BEEN. CLOSELY. CUT; & A. LiTTLE. HEDGE. hAS. BEEN.
PLANTED. AROUND. iT□THE. PATHS. hAVE. BEEN LAiD. OUT,
GARDENS. PLANTED. hERE AND. THERE, & SEATS. hAVE
BEEN. PUT. iN□ ABOUT. 100. MEN. ATTEND. MASS. EVERY
SUNDAY., & THERE. ARE. DEVOTiONS. ON. SUNDAY. NiGHTS.□
HAVE. JUST. FiNiSHED. READING. A. BOOK. "THE FiGHT. OF. THE
FiRECREST". A YACHTING. BOOK. & iT. STiRS. UP. THAT .DESiRE. TO
DO. A. BiT. OF. SAiLiNG. MYSELF.THE. CHANCE. MAY BE. ABOUT.
AND. iF iT PRESENTS. iTSELF. I. SAiL. TRiED. TO. GET. OFF. THiS. DAMN
PARTY. BUT .WASN'T. iN. THE. RACE. AGAIN. THE. OLD. MONEY
SCANDAL. TURNS. UP. THERE. WAS. A CREDiT. OF $32 iN. OUR

73 

SUN 21/6/42
COOK. HOUSE. FUND. & THiS. WAS. USED. TO. PAY. MEN
WHO. JUST. CAME. BACK. FROM. HOSPiTAL. AND. NOW. WE
ARE. GOiNG. AWAY. AND. WiLL. NOT. SEE. ANY. MORE. OF
THE. BENEFiTS. WE. hAVE. PAID. FOR. TRUE. SiG. MANAGEMENT

AGAiN. ON. TOP. OF. THAT. THERE. iS. STiLL A. hALF. TiN. OF
FiSH. TO. COME. OUR. WAY. OUT. OF. THE. PREViOUS. MONEY
THEY. TOOK. FROM. US. WE MAY NOT hAVE. MUCH. SAY. hERE. BUT
I'LL CERTAiNLY. START. A. BALL. WHEN. WE. GET. BACK. WE .THOUGHT
WE'D. GET. A. GROUSE. DiNNER. TONiGHT. BUT. iNSTEAD OF
GROUSE. iT. WAS. ONLY. GRASS, RiCE, &. A PiECE. OF. RATHER
NiCE. PASTRY. HOPE. THERES. SOMETHiNG. ON. FOR. SUPPER.
THiS. iS. PROBABLY. THE. LAST. ENTRY. I. WILL. MAKE iN
THE. OLD. "CHANGi" BARRACKS' iN. THE. WAR. SCARRED
AND. BATTERED. HOMES. OF. THE. MARRiED. MEN. OF
THE. GORDON. HiGHLANDERS. THEY. MUST. hAVE
LEAD. A. WONDERFUL. LiFE. hEAR. I. WONDER. WiLL. THEY
EVER. COME. AGAIN.? LETS hOPE. & THAT. THEiR. HAPPINESS
WILL. NEVER. BE. BROKEN. BY. BOMBS. AGAIN. I. hAVE. A. RATHER
SOFT. SPOT. FOR. THE. PLACE. AND hAVE. hAD. SOME. FUN. & EXCITEM
hERE. & WILL. BE GLAD. TO. COME. BACK. IF. EVER. THE. OPPTY
PRESENTS. iTSELF. YOUNG VOGELE. BACK. FROM. hOSPiTAL. TODAY
hE. hAD MALARIA & LOOKS. DONE. UP. iTS. A hELL. OF. A. PLACE
FOR. DESEASE. ETC. WELL. THE DAY. IS. DRAWING TO
A. CLOSE. &. I. MUST. TEE. UP. ON. THE. PACKS. FOR. A QUiCK
GETAWAY. TOMORROW. SO. GOODBYE CH^ANGi. & SO ENDS P.O.W 126
OF. THE. 19TH WEEK.
74 

MON 22/6/42
(127)
And So in the fullness of time. the
revellie. goes @ 0730 & I am up & down for
a shower back shave & down to Breakfast
@ 8 30. this as usual consists only of
ground rice & not too good at that
The dishes. washed. Put in the Kit bag
& then a wrestling bout between me & the
"D" in the eyelets. Eventually. I got it home
only to find I have left a towel out.
Into Syme Harris's Kit bag it went
he doesn't know it yet. At 9.20 we are
all set to go & out on to the road for
roll call & march off. Its raining
like blazes and with the slickers
over the bundles & packs the party
looks like an evacuation from
flanders. We get as far as the
clink & dump ourselves under
the verandah of same to wait
the arrival of the trucks. which
are to take us to our new home
& job. I am. quite comfortable here
& only have to stir about every
half hour for "Rice Water" I just
75 

Butted a smoke when Syme came
back from "A Rice Water" went to sit
down & dabbed his hand on the still
hot ash. We eventually unyoked him
from the rafters above & after cooling the
air off mostly with laughter, we settle
down again to wait the pleasure of the
AW @ 11.00 we are still waiting. I have
not felt anything but exhaltated at
leaving today. feel that this is the
first step on the road home.
We depart at. 11.30 30 men to a truck
Packed like sardines. Singapore
is back to work all along the
route the road is dotted here
& there with stalls. seeing all
kinds of things dear to the heart
of the boong & the digger (but we
cant get a go at it now.) &
some of ^the sights sure make our
mouths water. We arrive at 12-30 &
are quickly into our quarters which
were once the billets of Indian
troops. There are quite a lot of
Diggers here & we are right in
(76) 

The busy part of a village
or suburb of Singapore. Trolley
buses run on one side of us
and on the road at an angle
to the bus line. is a very busy shop
center. The absence of the white
man is very noticeable & the
nearest to white are the Eurasians
They are a great class of people
Quite an argument going on
Some say we will not be on
the overseas party some say we
will. I believe the latter. One thing
we will be able to buy a bit
again cigs 20c Bananas 1c Pines 10c
and we get paid tomorrow which
is handy as I only have 51 cents left
They say the job is rather heavy. &
I intend to work this lazy feeling off.
And have just made a good start. We
have just finished Pulling down a
"Shitoose" it was a beauty 40 "SQUATS"
And am now again on the flat
of my back writing this.
77 

Hope its readable to anyone else.
And as I write, being pulled in on
one side of me are cars & trucks
four at a time some have wheels on
some tyres others on the hubs & some
1 hub 3 wheels & so on. Some of the
cars here not done 10 mile & we

are to pull them to pieces. Its a
shame & a wanton waste Ive
here, being brought in on the other
side, motorcycles & sidecars dozens
of them. We hear that the place
is blockaded. Who these lads
heard it from I do not know but
they all tell the same story.
We also have wire round us & in
some places two rows "NO MANS-LAND. Anyone
who throws a parcel thru the wire
will ^be & are dealt with. We were warned
about quite a lot of things today
& what to expect tis now1700 and
if I keep this up I'll run out of paper
so will close down. Till lights out.
We had a good tea & a good yarn
And so to Bed for the end of POW 127
78 

TUE 23/6/42
And so the first night in the
attab hut is over and while
yet it is dark revellie goes
and we slowly come to animation
again. This caper is "upta" getting
up in the dark. Breakfast is
at 8 am. & we are ready to move 
out @ 8.40 am. My luck is in today
and I do not have to go out so 
I shift all my gear & bunk. up
on the deck. I was on the
bottom floor last night. I met
a chap last night who comes
from Murray Bridge & knows
Drew Allen very well went to
school with him. Wonder
how Drew is going. Also all
the other lads. Tis a very
wet day & the bed (on the boards)
is very comfortable &(Listen a
call for 4 more men) I am
going to stay on it all day
if possible. More trucks
& cars a getting pulled in today
(79) 

TUE 23/6/42
Last night a chinese
funeral passed here. Talk
about a row. The bugles &
trumpets the blow make one
hell of a row. The cemetry is
up about ¼ mile further
along the road & there
are many fine statues etc
in it. A great wave of
home sickness seems to have
engulfed the lads here on
every side one hears talk of
home I do not know whether
it is the rebound of the overseas
furfy re home. or what
But I am not unaffected
myself. very much the other
way & have not thought of home
so much since I. have been here
and the day goes slowly
thro to a close. Nothing
doing. But have a very
comfortably? filled belly
and now must close POW 128
80 

WED 24/6/42
And today is our first
day out on the Job. Some Job
to chinese High School Wharf
Ford works Bucket Tima Area
lifting busted & Broken Motor
bodies. Many graves surround
the place. Do not finish till
7 pm tea @ 8. generally good
day & see plenty. will elaborate
more when oppty presents. POW 129
THUR 25/6/42
And same today. The
wind seems to be blown
out of the job & things are very
quiet. The corp got his head 

busted today. We get home a
bit earlier & I buy some tobacco.
I am now stoney broke for the
first time & its not a nice feeling.
I still have 2/4 in Aus money but
no other cash anyway pay
day on the 6^th. See quite a bit of
the island etc on these
trips, and enjoy them very much
And so tiredly to bed on P.O.W 130
81 

FRI 26/6/42
Must get the old pen filled
today. When we come in we
have just finished break & are
waiting for the busses to
take us to the Job. May click
a fresh Job today. I have shifted
my sleeping Qrs from downstairs
to up stairs. And its not to
good a change the place rocks
like hell up here & every bump
& movement by anyone wakes me
up. The last two days we have
been home too late at night
to be able to write much
And now at 7.45 pm have finished
Dinner & am ready for parade
& tong have no money to buy
anything so do not go to the
market. So will write a while
We were out at Bukit Tema
today and what a Job. We work
in mud up to our boot tops
all day long carrying engines
chassis & other parts & stacking
82 

SAT 27/6/42
FRI 26/6/42
them in various heaps
ready for despatch. I gave
myself a crack in the right
shin today and strange
to say didn't get time to
swear. There is an old
chinese lady who comes
round there & sells pineapple
2 for 1c. I had 6c worth thro
the day. The trains are running
again out there & are well loaded
to & from. Saw a beaut little
Riley today only done 9 miles
& its a write off. I hope we
come good there are heaps of
beautiful cars & trucks around
Thousands of them in some
of places. The lads are
having quite a heated
argument regarding the
authenticity of the news. We
see quite a lot of the
Synonan times Well so
much for POW 131 So hoping
all are well & for the best I close
83 

SAT 27/6/42
And today I saw what I
have expected to see for
days. Digby got a smack
across the chops. A Beaut
I am getting myself into as
good a nick as I can
and soon? We had a very
mixed sort of day. Sometimes
we worked hard & sometimes
rather easy. We finished early
& were home first. Much to
our high content. The back up
no system I suggested to our
orderly officer the other day is in use
for the first time tonight & quite
a bit of squealing among the
back up hawks. Wonder what
they had for tea at home tonight
We had rice & stew. got a few
pieces of pineapple today & one
banana fritter. They'll be on the menu
at home I bet Went out past Cathay
this am. Its in use-again. A few
clods thrown today & so ends POW 132
84 

SUN 28/6/42
And so to the Sunday of the 12th
week of P.O.W.ism. And of All
the Surprises that may have
occurred the one that arrived
today knocked the stilts
clear from under me. We had
to answer a questionnaire
of which I will attach a
copy. And of course we answered
it in our best diplomatic
fashion. Was out at Pona Vista
today & had a wrestle & a
lose & a win. Generally a
very heavy day. Fancy
lumping tons of scrap on
Sunday. But thats that. We
are home rather early but
by time we had tea answered
that ? showered etc it is rather
late and Am very tired.
Dreamt of home again last
night since about mid of this
month have dreamed often
of Mother & Wife? & so will close POW
133
85 

MON 29/6/42
Today I cop quite a neat
job out at the Ford Works
helping Boongs to build a
Bath room & Kitchen for Jap
officers. What a come down
for the "Great White Race" as
we have been foolishly & egotistically
lead to believe.
By our Rotten degenerative
British Jew slave drivers
& usurers. Im not ashamed to
work with the chows matter of
fact I enjoy it. Am able to get
a little of their slant on things.
We hear today that Java had
been retaken.? And back to
the little pen again the lead is
just about done in the pencil &
have plenty of ink left. tis not a
very good possy to write here
and the day is getting late
had a very easy day & two
good feeds a cigar from Les.
Chandler 3c worth cookies POW 134 IS OVER
86 

TUE 30/6/42
And today is our holiday again
We talked lying on our backs
most of the morning. had
49 MINS sleep at dinner time &
a good dinner done some washing
& back on the bunk again. had a
drink of Bonox and feel fine.
Should be fit for work tomorrow
Am getting fitter & harder every
day. We talked racing systems
all the morning. & most of this
pm have just got me a cup of
tea not too bad? And hope
to sell my watch that I bought
from Frank Jesse. it has started
playing a bit lately. We have
had our cigarette issue. HONEY. DUE
Wish it was a honey tin at home
I had just picked up. We have been
thinking up. schemes for immediate
cash & we have decided to sell to
the guards some warm photos and
are asking a pretty warm price
and we may get it & Buy some cigs
& are happy again & 135 POW is
over.
87 

WED 1/7/42
And back to the grind again. We
today we go out to the Ford
works and work there & its
a grouse job. Various ones
are working Mine & we meet
up some good friends. Its
the easiest job on the list
hope I click it tomorrow
Back home & I sell my watch
$3 To a chap I know. too late to
buy anything cept tobacco. I am
writing this by the torch light
and its not so clever so will
close PoW 136. On the Sounds of the day
THUR 2/7/42
A noisy night last night &
slept very lightly back
to the Ford today & I was
bored stiff. We work on
the top of a hill & the view
is beautiful looking out
and seeing beautiful green
hills & smoke rising here
and there. Someone had a good
furfy today "Java" is ours.P. Pine BiG
& Bananas tonight & P.O.W 137 off.
88 

FRI 3/67/42
And out again to the fords
where we make a road I was
on the skit all day & had a
very easy job again. A bit of
excitement today. We have a market
here & as usual there is always the
half shrewd mug who will make
a mess of things, only in this
case they made a mess of themselves.
Two of them were dealt
with a couple of quid & returned
to Changi and the best thing
that ever happened. Both champ
bludgers and only lower our
prestige in the face of all
Another bloke tried to put over
a package of cigs swapped to
boongs for 30 boongs & he got
caught. No good news much
the Egyptian episode looks
bad & so do a few others
Wonder when we are
going to take a trick
I go to Bona Vista tomorrow
The jobs are getting done 138
89 

SAT 4/67/41
Today I was out at Bona
& twas a heavy day.
Hurry Harry was on the
job all the time we were
home late as usual
The chopping of the boongs heads
most of time occupied
cleaning up. otherwise she's
just about done lot of explos
flying about there & POW 139 over
SUN 5/6/42
Again to the Bona Vista job
What I like about this job is
that we have a knack of
being taken out by a different
road each day and today we
go out past the Cathay right
thro Singapores Busiest centre
We finished the job today & the
5 boongs finished also. May
get a spell tomorrow or
the ford works again News
tonight "we are forcing Fritz
back in Libia Timor has been
retaken. Japan Bombed"? Bill
is in hospital with the BRITS
And I'm tired So POW 140 of 20th
week closes
- 90 -