Overcast, cold, rained pm.
Window panes in Hosp & drain clearing Block 16.
Rec. Mar 44 from Marj.
Lorries with wood 2.30 & 4.00pm veg. 6.30 pm.
Strong rumour re Germany’s capitulation Tues 13th.
Cards from P of W Camps indicate only old parcels like ours received & the [sic] their food is poor.
Apostolic Delegation form of enquiry re my whereabouts dated Apr. 44 rec. on behalf of a Mrs. Murphy. Some mistake it seems.
St Pats Day.
Overcast, cold, NE wind.
1 Box matches Y2.50.
Japs still blasting holes all over the hills & around the beaches locally.
Newspapers rec’d this week 2. A/rs on Japan intensified. Osaka bombed for 3 hrs. Japs obviously in something of panic re invasion of Jap mainland. Rhine bridgehead enlarged & reinforced, 25 mls E of Rhine (13th). Fighting going on in streets of Mandalay. Total British cas. to Nov. 44 1,430,000.
Exhibition opened by Gimson of work done in Camp held in Central Rec. Rm. Very well attended by viewers.
Firewood being procured from local hillsides.
Lorry with veg 6pm.
Vit. pill.
Japs have allowed 50% wood increase.
Overcast, drizzly. Cold NE wind.
More firewood arriving, sufficient for 2 months.
Allies have cut road between Frankfurt am Maine and Cologne. Germans evacuated N. Holland.
Wrote little more in my “letter” to Marj.
Wandered around the Camp pm to pass the time away.
Cloudy, NE wind.
Making oven for Japs & repaired chatty for Mrs. Winfield.
Water on.
Firewood.
Representations made re cut in rice & non-arrival of cigarettes.
Lorry with Canteen gear 6.30pm.
No E. news in paper. Task Force off Kyushu. Kobe bombed. Mountbatten in Chungking.
Overcast, NE wind.
Workers oil & sugar.
Oven for Japs & viewed some Hosp. jobs.
Chatty for Mrs W.
Excellent news in bulletin. 150,000 fresh troops over the Rhine & more advances made. Ribbentrop denies Peace feeler through Sweden.
Book title for G.F. ((This is probably Gwen Flower - R E Jones's first mention of her in his diary.))
Firewood, water on. Rice 15% cut for next 11 days.
Overcast, NE wind.
Oven for Japs & another chatty for Mrs. W.
Yesterday’s paper has very good news.
Iwojima ours & bombing continued on Jap mainland.
Lorry with veg. 6pm.
Rained pm.
A/r a. 7.30-8.30pm. Planes over 11pm.
No paper today due to Jap holiday.
Overcast, drizzly damp. NE wind.
Bean Oil, Tea, sugar & rock salt issued.
Oven for Japs.
2 A/r alarms aft.
Weather warm & bright aft. Foggy pm.
No E news in paper. More raids on Jap. mainland & they indicate their expectancy of Allied landing on China Coast.
1st. Aid kits being prepared in Camp districts.
Foggy & damp.
Oven for Japs.
Drizzled all day.
A real cig from Steve. Sweet-Caporal.
Lorry with veg 5.45pm.
Wood still coming & blasting going on.
Segt. Sato says bulk to come in on 28th inst.?
Overcast, dull.
Dreamt of ships with big black funnels “Triproctor” [?] & “London”.
Jap oven.
Wood, blasting.
No E. news. Kiosho’s speed indicates serious position of Jap.
1st.Aid, Salvage & demolition squads being formed in each block in case of emergency.
Overcast, cold NE wind.
Clayed old baking oven.
Emergency rations issued to Blocks. (1 Tin meat, 38 biscuits & 8 multi-vit. tablets)
North in talk reckons on things happening here between now & end of April.
No news.
Bright & warmer pm.
Party to town for charcoal.
Finished Jap oven.
2 A/r alarms. US planes around & 1 slowly flew over this area, low & unmolested.
Saucepan for S.H. & made myself a trowel.
Paper had no war news whatever. German High Command changed Ronstadt out, Kesselring in & Jap boasting re re-taking what they have lost. Spain declines to carry on looking after Jap interests in Europe.
Bright & warm.
Odd jobs at Hosp.
4 Formosans left amidst much ballyhoo from their comrades.
Lorry with veg. 5pm.
US troops assaulting Luchu Islands since 24th. Hainan being battered. Big advances on Rhine. Wavell in London. V.B. tablet (¼)
Drizzly, colder NE wind.
Odd jobs at Hosp.
More wood coming in.
A/r alarm 3.50-4.30pm.
Excellent news from W & Russian Fronts. 40,000 paratroops landed E of Rhine 1,500 plane escort & Naval bombardment going on from Rhine. Advances made in all sectors.
Multi tablet.
Some Canteen gear arrive.
Full Moon.
Bright & warm.
Extra Congee this am.
Bowen Rd. Hosp. cleared up & emptied of all movable gear. Furniture & charcoal from there went to H.Qs.
Sun-blind wires & 1st.Aid box for G.
A/r alarm 2.20-3.30pm.
No papers.
Lorry with veg 4.30pm.
Planes around 9pm.
Curfew extended 7.30pm to allow for tonight’s church service.
Bright & warm.
2 boxes matches Y7.60.
Cleared out ex.lav. after the door had been taken for firewood.
Lorry with Canteen gear.
All news good. Argentine declared war on G & J. More troops landed in Luchu Is. Japs contradict Peace feelers. No E. war news.
Plane around 9pm – 10pm S & E.
Wood & blasting.
Planes about all night.
Bright.
Outside roll-call am. PM roll-call 5 instead of 6.
Workers oil & sugar. ¼ lb W.T. & 4oz Soy issued.
Stockholm reports US & Brit. papers as saying a decision having been reached in E. war. [sic] US & Brit. lend warships to Russia. All our forces seem to be overrunning Germany. Nurmberg & Danzig in our hands.
Wood coming in, & blasting going on.
Soon be with you now Marj darling.
Clear & bright.
Sunrise service 7.30am.
Tried unbung Sant’rm.lav.
Steve gave me an egg & I gave to Gwen X.
Started sun-tanning.
On double rations for 15 days.
Montgomery going for Hamburg& Berlin? & Patten for Munich & Vienna. Pratas Islands bombarded.
Clear & warm. NE wind.
Drain plunger.
Letter Nov. ’43 from Marj.
3 heavy raids between 12.30 & 3.30 pm on dockyard area it seemed. 4 engined bombers 2 Jap planes downed.
Lorry with oil 6pm.
No papers arrived.
Y2 each.
Plane over 4am & dropped bombs in N.Ts. Yesterday accounted for targets in Kowloon.
Fine & warm.
Heavy raids causing fires Kowloon & N.Ts 11.45-2pm.
3 papers in but no E. news therein.
Lorry with veg. 6.30pm.