Diary pages from this date

Death of Norman Charles Barber, merchant of Loxley and Co., at the age of 46.

He was the husband of M. C. Barber. For the circumstances of his death see Barbara Anslow's diary entry for today.

The proceedings in the trial before a Camp Disciplinary Tribunal of Dr. Harry Talbot come to an end today. He is accused of refusing to return a hen belonging Mrs. L. Flaherty on April 7.  The case had gone to arbitration and he'd been told to return the hen on being given 100MY for his services in looking after it for its owner. According to George Wright-Nooth, Talbot's lawyer, at the height of proceedings, stood up to make a dramatic announcement:

My Lord, I regret to inform you that my client ate the chicken last night.

The tribunal - E. S. Brooks, G. A. Pentreath and A. Raymond - express their disapproval of his 'very reprehensible' conduct in strong terms and hand out the toughest sentence in their power: two week's deprivation of canteen privileges.

Sources:

George Wright-Nooth, Prisoner of the Turnip Heads, 1994, 217

MacNider papers: Unheaded sheet.

Note: MacNider's account doesn't mention a lawyer. It seems the original hearing was April 19. Emily Hahn gives a fictionalised account of the incident in Miss Jill (1948). The novel has Talbot ('Lionel Levy') looking after the hen because Mrs Flaherty ('Hawkins') is in prison for black market activities (254-258). Wright-Nooth's account is humorous, while Hahn's is much darker.

Death Norman Charles Barber (46))

Heard letter rec’d by Bellamy from Lincoln (Massey Rd) in which film “Desert Victory” (Montgomery’s success in Libya) is described.

Beautiful dry day.

Shovel & handles on tins.

German lesson.

Amery’s son, alleged to have broadcast for Germans during the war, captured.

No truck, no news.

Rumour has it that Germany finished 2nd.

Mr. N. C. Barber died at 1.25pm, a Christian Scientist who refused to have operation for cancer of the tongue etc.

'Jeanette' Clark is to be called 'Helena' or similar ((handwriting in original diary too faint)). ((within a week or so of the adoption, Mrs Clark went to the Halligans saying 'I want my bairn back' – and took Jean.  The Halligans were devastated.  Many years later I learned that Jean had died in her early twenties.))

Horrible stye again.  

Walked round with Gladys and Rosaleen in evening, then play reading with girls' club.