Overcast, drizzly.
1Pkt.Cigs issued.
No lorry.
Holiday for Emp. of Jap. birthday.
With Steve pm.
M to concert.
(Food 10mins)
Allied forces landed in Sumatra & Malaya?
R. E. Jones Wartime diary: View pages
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Mostly fine & humid, some showers.
Ground rice for bread.
Machine conked out again.
With Steve pm.
No news.
Newman & Ah Lo arrested by drunken Ind. guard & taken to village. Arrested released, guard detained. ((Possibly C M Newman. Not sure who "Ah Lo" refers to.))
Not such a brilliant month.
Hungry mostly, no mental & little physical energy.
Overcast, humid, showery. Heavy thunder squall 7.45pm.
40 days rations issued from go-downs.
No news.
New Guinea news good. US troops been landing since 22nd Apr. Hollandia & Ritape. [?]
With Steve pm.
Beach opened this afternoon.
Peanut oil seems to be doing me good.
Heavy rain nearly all day. Bed dripped on last night.
Ground rice for bread after much useless messing about with the Spong grinder.
German lesson.
With Steve pm.
Parcels arrived?
Finer day. Dried out bedding.
Tea, sugar & oil issued.
With Steve pm.
2nd Front?
Norwegian money & parcels stopped.
Allies landed on Sylt? ((Sylt is the northernmost of the German islands in the North Sea. I don't see any mention of any allied landing there before the Germans surrendered in 1945.))
Fine, hot, humid.
Ground rice for bread.
Roll-call.
Some Canteen gear arrived at last.
More rumours re 2nd Front.
Poor rations, hungry as hell.
Walk with Steve pm.
Black-out.
Fine day.
Many rumours re repat., parcels, 2nd Front going around, all untrue it seems.
Sold flask for Y40. 4 cigs & 2 matches issued Y1.98.
With Steve pm.
Sat on roof pm. much thought of Frau, food & future as usual.
Black-out.
Fine, overcast aft., rain 10pm.
Double Y10 Canteen.
Steve to concert pm. Talked with M till he returned.
Re-organised labour in Block.
Franks about the poorest specimen of ex R.N. I’ve ever met. ((R E Jones was also ex Royal Navy))
Entertainment Comm. asked to be prepared to give farewell concert.
Black-out.
Another Jap.CinC shot down. They specialize in flying CinCs. ((Jones is probably referring to the death of Mineichi Koga, Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet.))
Fine, humid.
Took on more work, wood chopping etc.
No news, all seems hopeless sometimes.
Steve to practice but he doesn’t like it due to inability of other players to play.
Full moon.
3 ½ hrs work.
Fine, humid.
Rice grinding etc. took 5hrs of my time today. Not feeling so energetic of late. Pulse rate low.
With Steve pm.
No news, a depressing day.
Reading book “South of the Sun” by Russell Owen. He talks of boredom, lassitude etc. after only eight months on the Southern Ice Barrier with 41 other men, plenty of food, cigs & drink. He’d have died long ago under these circumstances.
Spring cleaning everywhere as per Jap? order. 4hrs work.
Overcast, humid.
General cleaning.
Young boy aged 4 Brian Gill drowned in rock pool on beach.
With Steve pm.
Hatori returned last Saturday.
Meeting called for tomorrow. Hope we hear something worth while.
Beans & bran arrived at pier.
Jap paper lousy as usual.
4hrs.
Overcast, squally.
Ground rice etc etc. 5hrs work.
No news, rations lousy, no smokes. No meeting as rumoured.
F & F finished Jap working party. ((What was "F&F"))
Little fellow Gill buried 6pm.
5 days wood. 100 catties.
With Steve pm gave me some tob. & curry pwd.
Sky cleared at 9pm & temp. dropped.
Cloudy with few showers.
Final clear-up ready for inspection. Roll-call & inspection 2pm.
Saw Steve pm.
No news. Jap papers prints nothing but bull, seems they dare not tell the truth.
4hrs work.
Overcast, showery, cool.
Ground rice (alone) Chopped fire-wood. 4hrs.
Much awaited meeting took place. Hatori “understood” that repat. negotiations were proceeding, and that the hitch was due to one of our dominions (Aust?) refusing to agree with Japans requirements, that the parcels had left Japan & were expected in the near future, that this month’s I.R.C. money had arrived (where is last months) that some alterations were likely in our original Rep. list. He said we would be allowed to notify the Swiss minister in Tokyo re our present rations. Altogether disappointing. More waiting, tighter belts and more patience required.
Choir practice 6.30pm.
Saw Steve first to tell him the results of the meeting.
3Pkts cigs arrived.
Black-out cancelled.
Rec. letter 3-5-43 from home.
Fine, cloudy.
Chopped fire-wood.
Saw Steve pm. Spoke on matters of the future which are rather rosy if all we hear about staff alterations come true.
District chairmen held meeting & Hattori’s statements were discussed.
Convoy of several ships arrived am. Parcels? Canteen gear arrived & small amount of toothpwdr & toilet paper from the Japs.
Much guessing as to which Dom. it is refusing to comply with Jap requirements & to what the req’s may be.
3hrs work today. Calories expended 5,100, received 1,700 (10 biscuits & 1 double ration) Is it worth it?
Posted card to Marj.
Showery.
Ground rice for bread.
Raffle (24)
Talk with Himsworth pm. Saw Steve after. Plenty rumours re parcels & allowance.
No news.
Americans to be repatriated.
Fine, showery.
Chopped firewood.
No luck in raffle.
No news. Italian offensive began 11th.
Formosan guards (4) arrested for “trading”.
Hattori in Camp.
With Steve pm.
Bowling season opened.
Marked money under question?
Unattached women to be medically examined again re repat. list.
Close, showery.
Ground rice for bread.
Aft. Canteen 31.
Germans evacuated Crimea 13th & advance made by us in Italy, per Jap paper.
With Steve pm.
no news.
Choir practice.
Oh! for a good square meal, plain & plenty. I wonder if next May 16th I’ll be wishing for the same thing.
Showery.
Hattori asked Gimson to assist him in finding the internees involved in trading with the Formosans. Gimson declined to do so & called a meeting of District Chairmen this am. D.Cs endorsed Gimson’s decision. The next move is with Hattori.
No war news in Jap paper today which indicates what they want to hide, good news for us.
Japs carried out gun practice aft.
Chopped fire-wood.
With Steve pm.
Estimated number of Anglo-US air-bases in China, 70.
I.R.C. parcel committee being formed.
Rained nearly all day.
Ground rice for bread.
Rec. letter from Dad Mar.43, Hilda Mar.43, & Marj Jun.43.
Details of malnutrition, rations & a covering letter sent to Swiss Minister in Tokyo.
Order from Hattori arising from “trading” demands that all Internees involved shall write a letter of apology & promise not to infringe again, letters to be in by noon 20th.
Made mosquito cover for Christine.
No news, hungry. Our much worn phrase of advice, “Never mind, it won’t be long now”, is wearing even thinner.
