Much banging in night, Clifton said he saw flashes.
Mum's 30th marriage anniversary.
I was in poisonous temper re re-typing of extra copies at work.
Saw Pat Cullinan re putting on the plays in Leprosarium on Sunday ((for TB patients.))
Fish came in for about first time for 3 weeks.
Gorgeous day.
Mr. L. E. Ryan died about 6pm.
750 planes over Tokyo.
Egypt and Turkey declared war on Germany, according to paper.
Death of Lionel Ernest Norwood Ryan.
Lionel Ryan was born in Kingston, Surrey in 1888 and he entered Christchurch College, Oxford in 1907. He seems to have sailed to Hong Kong, via Quebec, in September 1926. He was employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company as a freight agent, and more generally in 'shipping'.
According to an obituary created by his old Oxford College he was the 111th person to die in Stanley.
Source:
Cloudy, brighter & warmer.
Air-raid 3.30am machine guns only?
Outside roll-call 8.30am.
Working on Hosp. roof.
Lorry with fresh fish 5.30pm.
US big offensive over Roer R. [Ruhr?] in 3 places 23rd. Turkey declared war on G & J 24th. Egypt declared war too 24th. Tokyo bombed 25th.
2 Minelayers & 1 Ex. Blue Funnel 6,000 ton freighter entered Taitam Bay 6.30pm.
Blasting going on all night & day.
((The KWIZ reports come to an end:))
KWIZ #87
KWIZ stands down. It has been directed by higher authority that as from 1st March the Kweilin Weekly Intelligence Summary compiled and produced by the British Army Aid Group in China shall contain no information derived from secret sources. For reasons beyond our control it is found impracticable to continue production of this Summary without such information, and publication in its present form therefore ceases with this issue
Went to Mr Ryan's funeral with Mum, only about 2 dozen there.
Meeting in afternoon, washed hair.
Blasting still going on.
Japs fussing re issues of dry rice. ((You could have some of your rice ration uncooked - to do yourself - instead of having all your ration cooked; many people then ground the dry rice on the grinders and made little cakes etc. with it for a change of meals.))
German lesson in afternoon, only Mr Cautherley and me.
Your wonderful letter of 24th March 1944 arrived on Saturday 24th February '45 for which many thanks. This is the latest one from you and I'm so glad you were well when you wrote. Also I received a postcard from Kate and Walter of 29th June '44 on the 19th February in it they said you were well which is just grand.
Still no news of the food though multitudinous rumours! The most popular one is that it is due here on Friday (two days time) though if that were true I think an official announcement would have been made by now. Another is that the invoices have not yet arrived and that nothing can be done until they do. It is most tantalising for we cannot even be certain that this ship was the Awa Maru and that the food has arrived at all and consequently we do not know whether we can open and eat up the remaining tins of food that we have or whether we must continue to eke them out.
Cloudy, warm, brightened later.
Workers oil & sugar issued.
Hosp. roof & roll-call boards.
Felt lousy all day, hungry.
Trying to sell binocs but nothing doing it seems.
Vessels left Bay this am.
Blasting still.
High Jap. Officials visited camp
Fresh fish arr’d in p.m.
((Following text not dated:))
First week of month loud explosions at night. Black out every night until further notice. Hawkers limited 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. because won't dim lights. Siren erected at electricity substation opposite us. Makes us nervous. Paper says siren now only for big raids and night raids. Too much dislocation.
Overcast, warm.
Hosp. roof.
Air-raid 1PM – 3PM
Blasting still going on.
Col. arrived, left 2pm.
On 2ble [double?] rations for 10 days.
Worked in morning; there was an inspection about 2, so stayed at hospital for a while.
German lesson in afternoon, only Mr George Cautherley and me.
Saw Joan Wilkinson and offered to teach her shorthand, she wants to learn, having started lessons with Martha Lewis (age 14).
Some school children arrested for being on road ((presumably beyond gates)).
Yesterday Y and I each received a POW card from England; Y’s from Chère and mine from Betty. They are dated 23rd Aug. ’44 and 11th Sept.’44 respectively – only about 6 months old. They are 25 word messages written on official POW air mail cards bearing a 3d printed stamp (nice to see how old George still looks the same!). They bear some Jap characters as well as the printed English instructions. Chère’s card says they are all well (as does Betty’s) and that they have had letters from the Charters. Also: “Reunion soon our dearest wish”.
Foggy, damp.
Hosp. roof.
Tommy [?] measuring store capacities ready for storage of I.R.C. supplies. ((Possibly Thomas Edgar, as RE Jones has mentioned him before.))
“A” Blocks & HQ cooking staffs on on alternate days.
Japs blasting on beaches.
Lorry with veg 6pm. No parcel news.
30,000 casualties in latest raid on Berlin. Manila apparently finished, more advances on W. front & on N. Russian front.
Rumour that parcels will come tomorrow, with firewood, but nothing official - excpt committee appointed to decide distribution, and suggestions invited.
There's a petition going round to stop food from going to Welfare, and suggestions invited. ((Apparently a plan proposed that some of parcel food should be kept for people in poor health to give them extra, instead of all parcels distributed equally among every one.))
Doreen came for shorthand.
Parcels notification (Canadian R.C.)
Parcels from town put into godown
Issue of 2 ozs. tomatoes per head from communal gardens
Rained during night, heavy fog, damp.
10 yrs on Prison Staff today. £310. Back pay roughly £1000.
Hosp. roof.
Plenty activity re parcels. 600 parcels, 37 US Mens clothing, 21 medical etc. 1 shoe repairs 1 US cigs. 2 Boots & shoes. 5 Toilet, 2 Books & they are Canadian not US. Some 158 private US & Can. parcels among the supply.
Disposition of Internees.
Went to Joan Wilkinson and arranged to give her shorthand lessons. Mist curling right down on us.
Sandbach / Myhill (No sermon)