Diary pages from this date

Issue of 1 South African R.C. parcel per person

The parcels were distributed today. The chocolate in about half of them too mouldy to eat and in quite a number of them some of the tins were blown or damaged. It really does seem a shame. Y and I were fairly lucky: we had one good packet of sugar sweets (each in cellophane wrappers), all but a crumb of the original sweets had melted and run out of the wrapping all over the rest of the parcel! Still, none of our tins was blown. A few parcels were left over after everyone had received theirs and with these it was possible to replace the damaged tins. In some cases several items were entirely missing from the parcels: Joan Armstrong had eight items out of sixteen missing and Mrs Glanville had three missing. This, I’m afraid, looks like dishonesty amongst the packers at home – or perhaps it was an error.

I had thought our ever present food worries would be settled for some time, but now we have to try and arrange a new system of rationing. One is tempted just now to eat the stuff up and trust to luck that something else will arrive. With just rice, a few vegetables, oil and a little sugar coming in from the Japs it seems imperative to eat this I.R.C. food fairly quickly in order to maintain even a fair standard of health.

Foggy, drizzly.

Hosp. roof but didn’t get much done.

Nichol asked me re diving experience, must follow it up. 

Parcels released & distributed  4pm. (1 Parcel each similar to our first ones of Nov ’42 & from the same cargo.

• 1 tin Galantine 10 oz,
• 1 tin Jam 12 oz,
• 1 tin Biscuits 8 oz,
• 1 tin tomato  juice 10 oz,
• 1 Curry Mutton 1lb,
• 1 tin cheese 2 oz,
• 1 tin meat paste 2 oz,
• 2 tins sugar each 2 oz,
• 1 Pkt Chocolate ¼ lb,
• 1 Pkt Rowntrees gums 2 oz,
• 1 Treacle pudding 1 lb,
• 1 tin Nestles milk 12 oz,
• 1 piece soap.
• 1 Pkt tea 2 oz,
• 1 tin Margarine 12 oz,
• 1 tin Bacon 12 oz)

Had nice rice pudding & some chocolate tonight.

Blasting still.

All news good.

Worked in morning.

Catholic Action meeting in afternoon, then Red Cross parcels given out, dated April and June 1942, the sort we had in October 1942.  Outside they looked in bad condition (brown cardboard boxes) but not bad otherwise.  Two of our chocolates weren't good, but there seem to be no blown tins.  We opened tin of lobster paste.

Lecture by Dr. Dean Smith on 'Food.'

The Holloway family, and Clifton are getting private parcels, which were meant for Charles and Eileen Medley who had been in camp but were repatriated in 1943.

((I don't know how many 'private parcels' arrived with the general shipment:  I guess relatives in UK or USA 'in the know' managed to get them included.

The private parcels sent to internees who had already been repatriated were presumably distributed by our council.  Clifton Large & his parents were Canadian but chose not to be repatriated in 1943, (because Clifton wouldn't leave my sister Mabel, and his parents wouldn't leave without him), so their nationality was probably what earned them the Medleys' parcel.
The Holloways' eldest daughter Edith was married and lived with her husband in Canada; very probably Edith had sent the parcel the Holloways received.))