9am all Internees to open ground NW of Prison & searched, rain & cold made things more miserable especially for women & children. Quarters searched too. Food late, 2.30 & 7.30PM & not so good either. Hurry up relief & food say we. (Vth column, Sallis, Blumenthal, Hodge?)
R. E. Jones Wartime diary: View pages
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Cold. Layed in till 9.30AM & talked of food & what we would do if we had plenty. Wrote to Tommy Edgar.
Asst. Electrician today & taking lamps from Ind. Qtrs for use in flats with none were reported to the Japs. Were taken inside and led to believe we were to be beheaded. Sure a frightening twenty minutes.
Released after Marvin repaired a radio in the Prison. I don’t want an experienced ((sic)) like that again.
Back on Trench. Cold & drizzly. Porridge $4.50 Toffee $4.50 Canteen started to run.
HK celebrated fall of Singapore now known as Bhosan Port.
Prof. Gordon King supposed to have escaped & told the world of our ill-treatment. If true I hope it does some good.
Now that Jap has Singapore & everything seems favourable for an AXIS victory I don’t suppose anything anyone does will help us any. Food not so good today. Our only hope now is that Germany gets a beating, & very soon.
Food? came up, method of paying for extras supplied etc. Internees with frozen credits have volunteered to pay.
Quiet day., no news no rumours. Food not so good again. Sugar $1 per lb. pre-war 65cts for 5lb. Chinese tobacco $2 per pkt. was 20cts.
Colder.
Rice ration increased from 8 to 11ozs per day. Very good p.m. meal. Ample rice, cabbage & a tall tin of salmon between four.
Heard that we had captured Drusseldorf (sic) & that the Nazi leaders had fled to Sweden. (I pray it is true Marj dearest)
Rice ration reduced again. The Dutch are back in Holland? Finer but damp.
Should have been on Storehouse Party but mob rule took charge so we were unlucky.
Started work in kitchen. (This is in the Garage where we first dumped our belongings on our arrival here pal)
Cookhouse all day. Russians interned? (Fridge, cooker & boiler taken out of our flat & used elsewhere pal)
Syrup issue.
USA bombs Tokyo & Nakasaki & we have the upper hand in Java? All stores being taken from the Colony? Such are the rumours of the day.
Jap. Gov. came out to the Prison & no-one was allowed around.
News for us apparently very good all round.
Quiet day. No rumours.
Jap admiral came out to the Prison. No-one allowed to see.
Got 60 cigs today, original price 48cts, now $10.
Blumenthal had box of cigs brought by Jap officer. He, Whitley & Woodward working on cars in Prison for Japs. ((Probably G Whitley, a policeman, though there was also a Norman Whitley in camp. Similarly, G Woodward was another policeman, though there was also a W Woodward in camp.))
Fine day. Poor rations. Blum. & MacCutch went to town with Japs & brought back some purchases.
