22 Feb 1945, John Charter's wartime journal

Today started extremely well, for, what should we see sailing in from the North but a very nice looking ship (about 20,000 tons) with a couple of very large white crosses on her side – the Awa Maru we presume with our I.R.C. food! There was great excitement and a good deal of surprise that it should have arrived so soon – at least four days earlier than the most optimistic guess. In fact people in the shipping business seem to think this is a new ‘Awa’ which is considerably faster than its predecessor. I suppose too, that it may have started even earlier than its scheduled date of 17th Feb. Some optimists think that it was unable to make its call at Formosa because that island has been, or is about to be, invaded by the Americans! That is I fear, wishful thinking. Well, thank God it has come. We are sadly in need of something cheerful just now – at least, I am. The more incredulous think it might be a hospital ship, but I think if it were it would bear red crosses on a white background.

The weather is still bitterly cold and rain has set in and as I have only one pair of shoes, which are not waterproof, it means that when I go out working I have to go in bare feet – a somewhat uncomfortable condition, especially as they seem to be frozen for the rest of the day. However, “cheer up,” I tell myself, this state of affairs must end one day – though it seems to be taking a hell of a long time about it. To sit cooped up in this room, day after day, just depresses me beyond endurance and I think fondly of a bright fire and crumpets in the grate! Ah well, it can’t be more than a few years now!