R. E. Jones Wartime diary: View pages

Cleaned bthrooms etc.

2 Pkt Cigs issued.

New guards appear to be getting more familiar & accustomed to their job & to us.

Hosp 2-5pm.

With Steve pm.

Cold & rainy.

Instructions re repat. completed, (checking of Passports & Identity papers & required destination listed ready for air transmission to Tokyo.


Real cold snap set in. Damp & drizzly.

Ground rice for Mary.

5-8pm Hosp. Nice supper on return helped with a piece of Mrs Willcock’s veg. pie.


Cold & damp. Quiet day.

Commenced night duty at Hosp. with Frain.

Saw Steve little while pm.

No smokes.


Cold, damp.

German lesson.

Saw Steve pm.

Choir practice.

8pm to Hosp.


Cold, nice afternoon.

New order re chatties.

A1-4 rice rations in a mess, many complaints in circulation.

2Pkts cigs issued.

Started block congee routine. Lucky to get any this morning.

Saw Steve before going on night duty.

Wrote music for Eve.


Fine & sunny but still cold.

Ground rice for Mary.

German lesson.

Received my reading glasses.

Saw Steve pm.

Night duty.


Fine. Cold pm.

Air raid aft.?

Saw Steve pm.

Night duty.

Food very poor lately.


Fine.

Wrote music all day.

4Pkts cigs issued.

Saw Steve pm.

Night duty.


Fine. Wind changed  3.30pm. Cold & cloudy.

Ration carrying.

Saw Steve pm.

Night duty.

All lights off 9.30 & on again  about 10pm. but no more lights allowed anywhere.

Air-raid?


Fine.

Did my washing.

Finished n. duty.

Frid’s air-raid confirmed.

Choir practice pm.

Black-out.

Good nights sleep for a change.


Fine, colder, cloudy.

German lesson aft.

Jap paper news poor.

Choir practice 5pm. Carried harmonion [sic – harmonium?] down from A3 but it was found to be useless to us due to pitch A.

With Steve pm.

Black-out cancelled.


Fine, cloudy.

Ration carrying.

We seem to be doomed to fish for evermore.

Ground rice for Mary.

Paper news pessimistic as usual.

Saw Steve pm.


Overcast, colder wind.  

German lesson aft.

With Steve pm.

Prepared canteen list. No 25.


Better day but still cold.

Canteen shopping.

Ground rice for Mary.

No news.

Choir practice 6pm. Saw Steve after.

Heavy explosion to N. 6pm.


At meeting of Camp Rep. & HQ. rations & repat. discussed, also allowance. Something may be done for our benefit yet.

3 Pkts cigs issued.

Tea & cake with Steve aft.

Fine day, got washing done.

Saw Steve pm.

Old “Life” mags very interesting.


Fine day.

Nothing doing, no news.

Nominations for Block Committee in progress.

With Steve pm.


Cold wind, cloudy.

Lost Q.M. by great majority & L.O. by 12 votes (32-20) (I’m about as popular as I thought) ((Does "Q.M." mean Quarter-master? "L.O." should mean Labour Officer, as on 23rd Feb he writes "Took over Labour Officer of the Block."))

Choir practice 6.30 pm  St Steph’ns.


Cold, cloudy but dry.

Ground rice for bread, food carrying.

German lesson.

Choir practice 5-6pm. Discovered how to alter pitch of harmonium.

With Steve pm.

M to Hosp. early due to signs of birth.

News in paper very good.


Cloudy, cold wind.

Poor rations all day.

Choir practice 5-6pm. With Steve after.

Told Willcocks re harmonium & its history.

Took over Labour Officer of the Block.


Cloudy but fine & warm pm.

M had daughter, named Christine.

Watered garden for Steve am.

Signed affidavit re not attempting to escape. This signing done under compulsion, penalty for failing to sign, stand in one spot until willing, or walk up & down a room, no food or drink in any case. Now we come under Art.16 of Jap Army law & can be shot for escape or attempt to escape.

“Mid-summer Nights Dream” at St. Stephens.

With Steve pm.

Posted postcard 15 to Marj.  

Y25 issued.