Bright, warm. S wind.
Fixed Hosp.chimney.
A/r 11.15-12.15pm. 3 planes over.
Many people getting into Summer rig once more.
Rice to godown.
No news or rumours today. Japs will not send papers in.
Cloudy over & wind to NE.
6pm lorry with Canteen gear. All lorries go to H.Qs. for search now.
Mum had card from Mrs Burling (a HK friend now in Australia.)
Sang tune of "There Are Fairies at the Bottom of our Garden" to Pauline and Marion Beck at the piano in A3 ((so they could get the tune on the piano for the coming concert at which the toddlers would be fairies, and Denise de Vleeschouwer the Queen of the Fairies.))
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.
Went to see Mrs Ferguson, and Annie and then Pat Cullinan.
Gave a talk on 'What to do when you're grown up' at St Christine's ((younger girls club)) in Harrises room, then to work.
Camp workshop exhibition opened by Gimson
((following text undated, but at top of this page)) Camp Iron Ration - 1 Tin Bully, 1lb beans, 38 biscuits, 8 Capsules
I am glad to report the barometer is on the up again! The breaking of the thermos was, I quite believe, a good thing as it seems to have developed in Y and me quite a feeling of light hearted abandon. I think we have been worrying too much about the future (the future in camp I mean) of late. We have decided to worry less about food and such and let the future look after itself a bit more; in other words, not to take our hurdles before we reach them.
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.
Keith Mackie, and Jacquie Anderson's first banns called; and Annie and Rennie's second.
We rehearsed the tots ((for Easter play)) in Annie's room, in front of the Van Der Lely family and 2 on lookers.
Lovely tinned jam pudding in evening. Marie brought eye ointment for me - having styes.
Dolo (don't meddle; don't try to improve other people; live your own life well first)
Short
The news is good – it always is these days; but my goodness how these Germans hang on and hang on. One cannot but admire their stoicism but I do wish they’d be good fellows and give up trying; it would make things so much easier.
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.
Sheila Bruce's banns are up.
Am having styes. Rehearsed singers with Peggy at 12.30. Saw Sheila at 1.30 (but no cast appeared)
C.A. Meeting in afternoon. Peggy and Marie for bridge.
In hospital
The individual parcels that were sent to a few fortunate internees by friends in Canada, have been distributed. There were some 200 parcels I think, quite a few of which were addressed to people who have long since left camp (Canadians) or died. The wife of Bill Evans, Harold’s cousin who was here during the blitz, sent him a lovely parcel. But Evans had managed to escape from HK between the surrender and our internment and has never been in this camp.
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.
Still styes.
Joan Wilkinson came for shorthand.
Fairies' rehearsal in Annie's room.
Bulletin about emergency arrangements: we must conserve what food we have.
Spent afternoon with Mary (Taylor), nice tea.
George Davitt still in hospital.
Peggy got caught over here (i.e. in Married Q) for roll call ((she lived in American Quarters))
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.
Jacquie's Shower in afternoon; also Aileen Thirlwell' s 21st birthday, and Betty Twidale's birthday.
Rehearsal with fairies in morning, eyes bad and headache.
Got peach dress from Mrs. Nan Moodie, which only just fits me ((bridesmaid's dress for me)).
Sandberg arrested. ((Norwegian, probably the elder boy Tony, aged 20)).
U.S. have taken Iwo-jima.
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.