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Bright, warm, Wind to S later brought clouds.

Clinic, medical chest. 

A/r, but no action 11am – 12.30pm.

Water on, did some washing.

Allies 65mls W of Berlin. Himmler expresses anger re Allied methods in capturing towns & at the number of places surrendering. Coburg captured (11th) 1st, 3rd & 9th Armies expected to meet .

No postcards this month.


Went down to the nullah and did a big clothes wash, but lost my soap in nullah ((across which was barbed wire, so I couldn't get at it)).  Someone's fault for taking out the stones which some one else had put there after they too lost their soap.

Air raid alarm just as I finished; apparently a false alarm, but another about noon.

Shigometsu (or some name like that - a Jap Minister) has committed harikari they say.


Bright, warm.

Staples for Stores.

A/r but nothing doing 11.40am – 3pm. 

Allied troops crossed Elbe 12th. Tokyo bombed heavily Palace & shrine burnt.

Lorry with veg. 6.15pm.


Very hot.

No air raid.

Bridge in afternoon with Dick Cloake, Betty Drown and Mr Simmons in our room.

Kitchen staff of American and Married Quarters walked out.


Death of James Owens, mariner, aged 44.

He was one of the Stanley Camp's Irish community. His father (also James) had died in 1934 and his mother Annie in 1939. His brother Frank drowned at sea in 1915. The family were from Baltray, County Louth.

Source:

http://www.termonfeckinhistory.ie/graveyard_inscriptions_17.html


Warm, cloudy. S wind.

Door channel [?] in Block 13.

German lesson aft. 

Fronts in E. now known as Central Front.

Cookhse staffs walked out but fresh squads organised.


No air raid.  Went to hospital with Mum to have her callosity on finger removed.  Clifton was there with his father who is going blind.

Dick told me off about my bridge, wants me to study it properly – can't be bothered now.


Warm, cloudy, humid.

Hosp. jobs.

Japs praise Montgomery very much. 3 point drive on Berlin commenced. Tokyo & Yokohama pounded again 15-16th. Von Papen captured. Great progress made in Burma (Rangoon Plain).


Shorthand with Joan and Doreen.  Primrose Day.

German lesson outside Block 4.

To Mrs. F. Large's first aid class ((she was Clifton's Mum)).


Cloudy, warm.

Wire for Hosp.

1st. shower this year.

German lesson. 

45klms from Berlin. On the way to Munich. 11klms from Leipzig.

Tanks & guns to Fort pm.

Hitler exhorts his people to fight on & to shoot anyone who calls for surrender.


Terrific wind and storm in night. Thunder like Nimitz ((Admiral, whom we were always expecting to relieve us))

Much groaning of lorries, presumably bound for the Fort, in night.

We all had stew seconds. Had lovely sweet tart and ground rice in afternoon.

Bridge in evening with Marie, Alec and Gladys.


In the afternoon Franklin Gimson meets the interpreter who's taking over from Kiyoshi Watanabe. He's impressed. Kochi has a better knowledge of English than his predecessor and seems 'quite a cheery, pleasant fellow'. He believes that the Japanese are generally trying to strengthen the staff at the Camp. John Stericker also notes Kochi's arrival, saying he's replaced 'our nice but ineffectual Mr Watanabe'.

Sources:


((Following text not dated:))

Latter half of month almost nightly alerts, but nix. Kept us awake.


Sudden squall, rain & drop in temp. early am. Improved pm.

Staples in A4 store door.

16mls from Berlin.

16th.

Workers oil & sugar issued.


Newspaper says raid on 17th when a ferry was bombed.

Rumour that Allies have broadcast from Berlin, and that Spain has forbidden Germans to land there.

Went to see Burgess and Pat C.

Meeting with juniors (RC clubs) in evening.  Majorie Wilkinson, Rosemary Lewis and Irene Drewery accosted me afterwards re 'going up' to next group. 


Cloudy, fine, windy.

Debarbing wire.

Fixed up frame door for Steve. 

Plane over 10pm.

New Interpreter taking over from Watanabi. He comes from US.


To early Mass after which air raid alarm went. All clear not until second Mass finished.

Worked in afternoon.

Danny Wilson and Mrs Bander won the raffled cakes, and Mrs Wilson (mother of Wendy) the embroidered cushion.

We had vegetable tarts, stew and salad at night – terrific meal.

Went to Open Forum in evening.  I'm to transfer to new Catholic Action group.


Short (reference to Roosevelt) / Ream