Wallet 3 of 5 - Diary of Francis Russell James Day, volume 1 of 2, 1941-1943, Part 10
APRIL.
27th Mon.
Tom sent over some Tinned stuff
& Cookie, sent over some Biscuits &
Rissoles, & they were the goods.
Bread from today is half Flour &
half Rice-flour. Colnel White brings over
any thing they care to send from the
Units, he goes to a lot of trouble for
the Patients, has to go around to every
Unit on a Push-bike to collect it.
15 Patients sent out of our Ward. CO.2.
today, it's good to see the chaps are
getting better.
Furphey's :- Japs will leave the Island
on the 30th.
Americans threaten to Bomb Singapore
if Japs don't stop using the Naval
Base to operate from.
Japanese Air Force been recalled to
Tokio.
APRIL
28th Tues
Very quiet day today. Had my first
Sun-bath since I got hit, sure was
good to get a bit of sun again, I have
to be carried out onto the Verandah.
Sailor bought a Type-Writer, spent
afternoon learning to Type (one finger)
Furphey's :- They say we will be Home
in 3 wks & that this time it's Dinkum.
29th Wed.
Extension taken off Stump today
good to be able to move around the
bed a bit without the weight to
drag, I only hope that this is the
finish of the weight.
Every one got a Tin of Pineapple Cubes
this morning it was the goods, soon
made short work of it.
There are a few cases of "Beri-Beri"
in the Hospital, they have to give us more
APRIL
29th Wed.
Vitamins to stop it, I'm glad that I can
get a little extra food, & that I don't eat
too much Rice; half issue is my limit.
30th Thurs.
Inspection by G.O.C. of. A.I.F. -
yesterday; told me how good a job
the Bakery was doing; & carrying on
as good has ever, & that they had
always done an excellent job, &
should be proud of it.
Had first taste of the new Bread
today, eats alright; something like Brown
Bread.
Furphey's :- Yank's & Aussies are up in
the North of Malaya. Jap Fleet
is Bottled up by the American Fleet
& can't get out of Singapore.
Japs have been told they can Loot, &
they are setting up Tank-traps everywhere
MAY
1st FRI.
Well so begins another Month in the
P.O.W. Camp, I wonder when it all will
end. the Rumours we hear, nobody takes
any notice of, all we can do is to hope
that, all is well at Home.
Things are not the best with the Men
here; I never see anyone wearing a Ring now
they all have them on the string around
their necks; Watch bands have been tightened,
they have got to their limit; Well it will
make one appreciate good food when we
do get back. Issued with soap.
Furphey's :- British have Java & Sumatra.
Japs are putting Blocks on the Dromes
& have moved their H.Q's to Johore.
Japs have landed at Darwin;
Britian is being Bombed & the
Russians are fighting back on their
own soil. France has Riots.
MAY
2nd SAT.
Tom & "KAS" over to see me.
15 Blades from "Champ"; "Cookie" sent
over some Rice Patties & Biscuits
Tom, two loaves of Bread & 3 tins
of Food. Food has improved the
last few days, hope it keeps up.
Rice Porridge for Breakfast; Stew -
slice bread, Rissole, & 2 slices Pine;
Rice & Milk for Tea.
Furphey's:- All A.I.F. to be shifted
to an Island in the Timor Sea &
to start moving by the 15th May.
Japanese Ships are supposed to be
getting pushed back to Singapore
& can't get out.
France is fighting with Britain now
Landings have been made in Norway
by British; Americans are landing in
India, 35,000.
MAY
3rd Sun.
Sunday always makes me think of "Home"
I don't know why; I was just thinking
how the Kids must be growing up, a
Bloke won't know what to expect when
he gets back, they'll be quite "Young
Ladies", & I will be a stranger to them.
France will have changed quite a bit
too, I expect; All I can hope is that
I see them all soon.
When one looks back at the times we
used to have & says "Well heres hoping
they come again very soon. It may not seem
very important to those at Home, or even
to us when we get back, but at the
present time it is very much in one's
thoughts. Time seems to have flown
when you look back, & think how long
it really is since we left "Aussie"
& all that we love.
MAY
4th Mon.
"Cookie" sent over Pastie & Rice Cakes
few Biscuits, sure are good to eat &
quite a change from what we get
in Hospital.
Tea was a Stew, made with a
Wild Spinach, Baked Beans, & Yams
quite Tasty & the greens are very
much appreciated.
One chap in Hospital was weighed
today & went 40 lbs. He is nothing
but Skin & Bone, but has a - [*VINCE JOHNSON*]
Marvellous Fighting Spirit & will pull thru.
Furphey's:- The Australian Government
against the will of the English has
negotiated with the Japanese Govt.
Re the exchange of 13,000 P's.O.Ws.
A.I.F. for 13,000 Japanese Ps.O.W
& we are to be put on an island
500 miles from Australia.
MAY
5th Tues
Nice quiet day today. Just lying
about; bed in new position, facing East
get the morning Sun for about an
Hour & half each morning. (Wish it was
the Melbourne "Sun" be near on has
good has Sunshine to be Home & read it).
"Cookie" came good with some Patties
& Rice Biscuits again, I seem to be
putting on a bit of weight & picking
up this last week or so.
I'm just waiting for the day I can have
a lash at the "Crutches", this lying in
bed is enough to get one down; I'm
glad I resigned myself to lying in and
waiting till I get better.
Furphey's :- 2,000 A.I.F. moved off Island
yesterday. Wounded to be moved to
Portugese-Timor by 15th; rest of A.I.F.
by the 26th.
MAY
6th Wed.
Had to be shaved today for Sweat
Rash, things are getting tough here,
they haven't got the stuff to treat
things; there's a shortage of all Medical
Supplies.
Furphey's :- We are to be moved to
Sha Tanglin Barracks, so has the
English can use these Buildings for
Beri-Beri cases: (Which they have an
increasing number of.).
List taken of Wounded to go Home
first. Japs are supposed to be getting
ready to leave the Island.
Meals were good for a few days, but
have gone off a bit again. Last night
Tea was Dry-Rice & Bread. Dinner today
Dry-Rice, Bread, & Yeast., Tea Dry Rice
& 4 cubes Pineapple.
(Wait till we get Home ???????
MAY
7th Thurs
Sailor goes back to his Unit today
Ted Faunt, Sailor, & Yours Truly have been
the best of Mates in Hospital & we
will miss Him a fair bit; I owe a lot to
Sailor, he bought a lot of stuff to
eat & insisted on us being in with Him
I was broke & didn't like to be eating
off Him, but he's a White Man & says
that I would do the same if I was in
his place. I reckon he spent the best
part of $100s since we Palled up.
Last night he went near on Broke at Swy.
Furphey's :- They say there are 6 ships
(Portugese) out, waiting to come in, to
take us away; & that Portugese Sailors
are in Singapore:
Dental & Medical Units have been
ordered to Pack. to move to Tanglin
in preparation for embarking.?
MAY
8th Fri.
Tom, Hookey, Splint, Jim Bowe, Henry
Wally, Vern, came over today & brought
the Bakery darn near; Bananas,
20 Pasties, Patties, I was glad to see
them, it's good to see the Boy's again
like old-times again all talking together.
The boys have a better chance to
get over now, there is a chap walks
with a Flag every Hour between the
gates.
Stew for Dinner was another one out
of the Box, more Meat that we have
had in the last 5 stews; Sailor left
us a bottle of sauce.....Well.
Furphey's :- 3 White Ships in the Bay.
C.C.S. to move out according to
reports, to Saigon, Borneo, or some
place, with 2,000 A.I.F.
MAY
9th SAT.
Tom over Today. He sure gets over
when he can. Just the faintest chance
& he's over to see me.
"Staffy" came up from the P.I. Ward
to see me. Comforts sent from Unit
to me today; Palmolive Soap, Razor Blades
Shaving Brush, & Soap, Toothpaste (5 in 1).
Comb. Toothbrush.
Boys are all ordered to be clean-shaven by
Tea-time tonight, (How'll Jim like losing
his Beard?). Dinner:- Dry. Rice. (Uhh!)
Furphey's :- Japanese say we are being
taken to Tokio, this is definite?
Madagasgar has Capitulated, the
Phillipines are back in Japanese hands
The Ships in the Harbour, are now 5 in
number, Portugese, & Swedish.
C.C.S. To move between 12th & 16th to
unknown destination.
Page 7 is the same as page 8 except for a piece of paper stuck on the page saying
one furfey
that was
true.
↓
MAY
10th Sun.
Mother's Day. most of the Orderlies &
the Patients who can get out are
wearing White Magnolias.
I spent a bit of time thinking of My
Mother & the Mother of the Kids.
sort of hope these Rumours about us
going Home are true, I dearly want to be
back with France & all, now that I am
finished for action, & work over here.
It's a beautiful quiet sunny day, & a chap
is just crook on not being able to get out
& about in the Sun, still that time will
come.
Furphey's :- Big Battle in Coral Sea
Japs lost 16 Ships, 2 Aircraft Carriers
They were driven back to Solomons.
We lost 7 planes. Australia has
Supremacy of Seas, & now is 3 times
has safe has before.
MAY
11th Mon
I am picking up extra well lately & starting
to put a bit of flesh back on, they Boy's
from the Unit said they would soon put
it back if I was over with them, it's
only another 3 wks, so the M.O. says &
I may be allowed to get about.
Cookie, Hookey, Bill.S.KAS' Tom, B. Taylor
over yesterday: 10 more of Boy's going to
unknown destination, they have been issued
with Great-coats, must be cold where
they are going anyway.
Nice dish of Curried Rice & Herrings from
Tom & Hookey.
Furphey's :- Japanese have now lost 31
ships in big Battle; we lost the H.M.AS
Canberra. Hitler threatens use of Gas
on Russians; Churchill sort of dares him
to do it & see what the consequences
will be. Norwich bombed.
Cutting of Newspaper Article - see original document
E AGE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1960
Limbless, But They
Walk With
a New Pride
MAY.
12th Tues
Major Hobbs is leaving us today
& Capt Hogg takes over, I am sorry
to see Major Hobbs go, he's done so
much for me in the time I've been
under his care. The C.C.S. are having
Route marches about the Camp Arear
to get them hardened for the march to
Singapore in a few days (14 miles).
Tom over, brought me a Kitbag, told me
Boys are moving out on Saturday.
Furphey's :- 3,000 A.I.F. are to leave on
Saturday for some Island, & from there
they are to be trans-shipped to Australia
They are told that it will be a Hard
life for a start & to put up with it
Sanitary Conditions are going to be bad.
The rest to go before the 29th
The Wounded & A.G.Hs to leave last &
will go direct to Australia.
MAY
13th Wed.
Tom came over with 5 Dozen
Pasties for Staff, Harry & Yours Truly,
some sweet Duff & some Rissoles.
The Boys were coming but had to
pack to move out in the morning to
places unknown.
Capt. Huxtable has taken me over now
be a change of Treatment more than
likely.
Meals are to improve from today on so
they say. Tea was one up anyway.
Furphey's :- Japanese are getting Hell, all
around the Islands. Medditranean Fleet is
in Pacific.
The Troops are being moved to either
Timor, Macao, Borneo, Saigon, Formoso.
Most of the R.A.N. as been sunk, so
the news in the "Syonon" Times goes.
"A" Force ("Syonan" - "Singapore".)
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