Barbara Anslow's diary: View pages

Dr says Mabel has filled out nicely since she has been in hospital. She is being allowed to come to Elizabeth's playing tomorrow evening.  

This evening Olive and I went to see Billie Gill and Brian.

Norah Witchell's 20th birthday, we made her a card - lettering by Olive, verse by me, drawing by Dorothy. ((Norah had recently joined us 3 in the hospital office as a stenographer.   Tragically  In 1950, as Norah Stutchbury, she was murdered in Malaya by terrorists.))

Just finished writing Chapter 12.

Prof. Digby had an operation today - suddenly.

Mabel fed up, because she hasnt been put in the ward with babies.

Great news - we are to get parcels from Red Cross. Notice says they are 'beautifully packed', each contains 12 tins of assorted food.   Also clothes have come - 500 trilby hats; cocoa, tea etc., dried fruits - absolutely wonderful.. will help so much with this winter and relieves my mind about Mum and Mabel.

Roast meat and lovely baked potato.  We drew 2 canteen tickets.

Notice also says that the prisoners of war ((i.e. men in other camps)) will have twice as much as we are to have - that is making every one happy.  Olive & I received $15 each.

Great excitement, many planes about, very high.  Some people saw ack-ack puffs later (Olive did). I thought I heard bangs too - grand if so, though it's probably goodbye to our Red Cross parcels.

Mr G. Buchanan died suddenly.  On Bowling Green.  I went to Mr Carrie (W.J.) about funeral arrangements.  Mr Puckle ((Director of Air Raid Precautions, my boss)) lives there too.

Dr Hargreaves tugged out some more of my ((infected)) eyelashes ((he'd had to do that a couple of months earlier)). Eyes ache and are sore.

Jap. papers admit air raid, they say they shot down 2 planes.  No word of our parcels, all fear we may not get them now due to lack of transport etc.

Selwyn-Clarke didn't come in, upsetting all x-ray arrangements.

Mabel getting really fat in the face.

Blackout last night. Still haven't finished next to last chapter of Louie.

Great losses on Solomon Islands, both for U.S. and Japs.

Nan in hospital.

Mabel still has to stay in ((hospital)) quite a time. She is to get about 2 or 3 Yen from VADs.

Mr Thomas Nicolas died this morning ((Ship's Officer)).

Mrs Mitchell had a baby daughter this afternoon - Rosemary. ((The first true Stanley baby, her parents were married at the very start of the camp. Rosemary came to see me in 2010 - we had a wonderful chat. Her father Alec Mitchell was Prison Staff pre-war; after the war the family had a flat in the Married Quarters in Stanley!))

I typed story all afternoon ((on backs of old Hospital returns)).

((NB. After the war was over, we learned that Sid and Arthur indeed had been on the 'Lisbon Maru' when it was torpedoed and sunk.   Both were rescued and ended up as pows in Japan and survived the war.  Topper was not on the L. Maru, but was taken on a later ship to Japan, where he died.))

Finished writing story - 'Limelight on the Lower Fifth', not very satisfied with the ending. Very flattered today – Mrs Pryde stopped me and talked about my poems. She likes 'School Magazine' best.

The Red Cross parcels are actually in the camp, brought by boat.

Betty Drown isn't well, she has flu and tonight Ian Heath played alone ((they often played duets)).

Mrs. F lent me her story the other day.  I do hope mine doesn't read as disjointedly as hers does to my critical mind.