Wittenbach / Reams
????? ((unclear - shorthand))
Pages tagged:
Cold, fine.
Water on.
Chopped wood. Took a little tea down to Steve’s. Mary gave me a white overall.
Had bath in parts.
Allied troops on Cologne Plain & Russians 35mls from Hungarian border.
Workers oil & sugar issued.
Plane over at 9.45pm.
BM Cigs. Pirate Y25
MBloss & Royal Leaf Y20 & Y22
1lb rice for 2 pkts cigs
Warm. Overcast.
100 Concrete bricks from A1 roof. Cleaning broken bricks.
Nice cup of tea with Steve, noon.
Lorry with wood 1pm.
Cards from P of Ws camp create optimism.
Paper all Leyte tripe.
North’s notes contain news re Russian advance to Austrian border & some American building statistics.
Lorry in 5.30pm with Canteen gear.
Made out Canteen lists.
Wood chopping.
T. Knox died suddenly, leaving his little wife (who used to live in room adjacent to ours for the first year), and sons in other camps.
Mr A.E. Carey died; he'd hung on for a long time - got over the typhus, but developed gangrene of arm.
Death of Thomas Knox, husband of Jessie, aged 60 at Tweed Bay Hospital. He was the father of William Thomas Knox, and perhaps of Douglas Haig Knox, HKVDC members who were in Shamshuipo before being drafted to Innoshima in Japan.
Death of Albert Edward Carey an Inspector in the Hong Kong Police, aged 43. He had joined the Hong Kong force in 1919. His wife Jean and two daughters had been evacuated in 1940.
Sources:
Knox:
Colder, overcast.
Clay & brick collecting.
Canteen buyer No.136.
Chopped wood for Steve & chopped my finger too.
Lorry with wood 5.15pm.
More advances made by US troops thro’ Siegfried Line, 20mls from Cologne. Frazer app’t’d C in C. P.F. ((Bruce Fraser took command of the British Pacific Fleet in December 1944: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Fraser,_1st_Baron_Fraser_of_North_Ca…))
Water on.
Canteen Xmas fare display – Rice flour, rice noodles, Kong So cakes, sweet biscuits, bottled syrup & boiled sweets
Cold, overcast, NE wind.
Cleaning bricks.
Lorry in 3pm with wood.
North’s notes contain plenty statistics re US forces in Pacific. 23 bttleships, 3 ½ million men many other figures. US forces advance on Western Front & Russians enter Budapest. Nimitz to shift H.Qs. to Guam.
Xmas “fare” on view in Canteen window.
Cold & drizzly all day.
Brick-cleaning.
Made a chatty [a little clay stove] for Mrs Whitfield.
Lorry in with fish.
Allied advances on Western Front. Japan bombed 13th.
Col. out, saw C.S.
Posted card to Marj.
Cold. overcast, brightened pm.
Brick-cleaning.
Chatty for Mrs Brown. ((MW Brown?))
Water on.
Lorry in with nothing.
Budapest under fierce attack from 3 sides.
Sandbach / Myhill
No firewood – grass collected for kitchens
Cold, overcast, better pm.
Started filling in Cookhse. wall.
Grass burning in lieu of wood for cooking.
Novs workers cigs distributed.
Chopped wood 6pm.
Made saucepan for Mrs Brown. ((MW Brown?))
Lorry 6.30pm few potatoes & pak choi.
Workers’ cigs for Nov. issued.
We (RC young ladies) gave Marie Barton a shower in honour of her engagement to Vincent Marcus Morrison (HK Police, who, with Randall, Bidmead and Fay had escaped from Stanley in 1942, but were caught and put in Stanley Gaol; released back into camp this June.) ((Marie and Vincent eventually had a very large family; when in 1963 my eldest son went to Winslade School, Clyst S
Issue Y12.50
Wong tong residue ((spelling?)) Y11.88
Soy sauce