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Air raid alarm in afternoon.

Doreen had shorthand lesson. Went to Annie's with dresses, because Angie ((Annie's younger sister, other bridesmaid)) doesn't want Mrs K's.

Tim and Margery Fortescue gave most interesting talk on Life at Cambridge.


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.


Rumours of parcel for Easter, and that invasion (of HK) on 28th!

Rosary started regularly in Grants' room ((Block 2, Married Q)).

Visited Eileen Grant re rehearsals.  Rosaleen lent me dress for Angie, but the Van Der Lelys don't like it much, except for Annie.


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.?


Mabel and I went to quarry (aka Grotto) to help make palm crosses - Peggy, Sheila, Linda Marvin, Clara Fisher, Dorothy Wilson, we made about 600 between us.  Then tea on the Fathers' landing (they provided it).

Doreen didn't come for shorthand.

Dancing rehearsal for fairies in a.m. On Bowling Green, complete with singers. All rather chaotic at present.


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.


Palm Sunday.

Went to see Doreen, Aileen Thirlwell and Pauline Beck.

Worked in afternoon, but there was gramophone music in office so I managed to get away to Way of the Cross.

Reading and enjoying 'Now I see.'

Opened creamed rice.  A tin of paste was blown.

Spanish lesson with Irma Mejia.


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.


Men went to town for charcoal.

2 air raid alarms.

Rehearsal in P.O. Club in morning – hopeless!

Lecture on Burma Road by Owen Evans, most interesting, over 2,000 miles long; Evans stayed in a house where Gene Stratton Porter lived and wrote 'Freckles.'


Charcoal brought by internee from Bowen Rd. Hosp (vacant) (last orderly officer - Dr Duncan)


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.


Met a Jap on way to get congee.  I just bowed and so did he.  Rehearsal at 10am on Bowling Green, and 11.30am at St Stephens, but we couldn't get the hall and had to go to the open kitchen.

Dick (Cloake) said there's a rumour that Block 14 in Indian Quarters will be taken over as a gun emplacement - or tunnel!

Rehearsal was pretty awful.  Worked in afternoon.

Saw Frelford today. He may give me his charity story.


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)


Doreen didn't come for shorthand.

Visited MacDonalds and Annie.

Wong tong and beans and peas in canteen today.

Rehearsal at St Stephens.

Worked in afternoon and studied German.


There is not much to record except to say that we are making preparations in case there should be a landing here and food difficult to obtain during the first few days. I have taken charge of a tin of mutton per head and tins of seize biscuits equivalent to 38 biscuits per head also other biscuits are being made in camp, also I do a bit of cooking myself. I keep back part of my rice stew or fish and make up with the addition to rice flour a number of pancakes which I keep until the next day so that I'll always have something.


At Tin Lok Lane returning from town when everybody ran. One bomb and black smoke at Kai Tak. Unsettling. Prefer to be home in raids.


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.

Made G & V a dustpan.

Some Canteen gear arrive.

Full Moon.


Maundy Thursday.

Worked in morning.

Air raid alarm in early afternoon.

At 3pm rehearsal: Ray Forster brought Maureen (6) and Paddy (5) crying their eyes out as they'd had to leave a concert.

Dr Talbot removed my lower lid lashes which were infected.  Got aspirin from him.

Lecture in evening on Proverbs and Aphorisms (Mr G.P. de Martin.)


G. P. de Martin ends today's lecture on 'Proverbs and Aphorisms' with some examples that must seem highly pertinent to his audience:

'Everything comes to him who waits' including the end of my remarks to which you have listened so patiently.

I will make you a present of my favourite proverb. 'If every man his doorstep kept the city would be clean.'

It is not a bad code of ethics.

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