Death of Francis Arthur Sutton, aged 60.
Francis 'One Arm' Sutton celebrated his sixtieth birthday on February 14, 1944. He wrote in his diary:
I am young no longer, ambition to take the world by storm has passed me and gone. I remember my many failures. I flee from life and do not pursue it, as formerly....Enthusiasm in starting each new job and brushing aside all obstacles is not wholehearted. What's the good? comes too easily to my mind.
On Wednesday 18th October at 9.30 am I was carted away on a stretcher for the operating table. Prior to this I had of course received castor oil, salts and finally an enema. Dr. Birwell applied the ether and was very delightful in his side talk until I passed out. Evidently they trussed me up like a fowl and then pull the whole anus inside out. Prof.
Fine, warm, light airs.
Suk yin & 2 matches issued.
Rigged sawing horse & chopped wood. Bandaged hands are a damned nuisance.
With Steve pm.
No news today.
Weight 132 lbs.
SS. – Ian Heath
Fine, cloudy. SE wind.
Cookhouse construction.
Aft. tea with Mrs Brown & repaired thermos flask. ((Not sure which Mrs Brown, possibly MW Brown.))
Sugar & oil issued.
With Steve pm.
Lorry arrived 6.30 with fish.
Les Fisher in Shamshuipo:
I had a postcard from Win and Bert ((Cox)) in Stanley and both are well. However I can still get no news of Andy ((James Anderson)) as the money I sent has been returned. The only clue I have is that I managed to decipher a half erased remark on the form that ((Major Cecil)) Boon had, which said 'removed from camp.' I tackled the stooges and Boon about it, but they did not help.
Got 1½ cigarettes as Kitchen worker
Cooler, fine. NE wind.
Cookhouse & woodchopping.
Aachen finished 20th. Landing on Leyte Island. Advances made on all fronts.
With Steve pm.
Mary gave me 5 cigs.
3 day workers’ cigs issued so I had 3 cigs to share between 5 of us, cut the cards for them.
11 Euro. soldiers killed & 21 wounded on 16ths raid.
Mum to hospital with dysentery.
Cool, cloudy. NE wind.
Cook house & woodchopping.
Russians capture Goldap 21st. Germans evac. Nis area. Breskens captured 19th. Allied forces pushing E of Aachen on to Durens. Cervia 19mls North of Rimini captured 21st.
Lorry arrived 2.30pm with fish & veg.
Some talk of free issue of cigs. Vic gave me a packet for shifting bricks & iron plate.
With Steve pm.
Gave Mary blue sweater.
Suicide attempts are rare in camp - perhaps surprisingly. And today's attempt is not on account of the general camp conditions: a woman involved in the black market tries twice to kill herself because she's being threatened by the guards because she's defaulted on payment for some articles they've provided.
Source:
Franklin Gimson, Diary, Weston Library, Oxford, p. 105 (verso)
“Music Shop” (p. by Heath – M. O’Connor, I. Stevens, M. Beck, J. Anderson, J. Whyte, J. Luke, G Willcox, C. Thirlwell, C. Large, E. MacAlister((sp)), Viv. Garton, B. Twidale, R.W. Jenner, W. Todd, G. Pearson, A.
We hear that the Americans commenced their invasion of the Philippines on Oct 17th!! Of course the Japanese, as usual, are claiming to have inflicted enormous losses and say they will soon wipe them off their beachheads, but I have heard all that before. They sailed into Leyte Bay on 17th Oct, so my premonition that something important would happen on that day has proved correct. I had hoped it might be the capitulation of Germany, but that has not proved to be the case.
Cool, cloudy, showery.
Cookhouse & woodchopping.
Provincial Gov’t. set up in Leyte. All Pacific commanders congratulated on recent performances.
Lorry arrived with wood & canteen gear.
4 pkts cigs issued 65sen each.
With Steve pm.
Current suspended.
“Music Shop” ((see 26th for details))
Showery, SE wind.
Cookhouse & woodchopping.
Lorry arrived 12.30pm with veg.
Kyushu raided 25th. Japs claim 69 warcraft sunk & damaged in Taiwan & Phillipine Battles. Hungary apparently in state of flux, house divided. Ford making aerial bombs.
With Steve pm.
Lovely evening & cloudless night.
Lovely day, NE wind.
Canteen No.136.
Cookhouse & firewood.
Lorry arrived with wood.
With Steve pm.
Denton case aquires [sic] many rumours.
Clouded over pm.
