We are really having smooth sailing, grand meals and a nice time.
My cabin isn’t too hot and now that we’ve discovered the elevator, I'm not too tired from carrying Bobby up and down steps. It's quite something to be able to take an elevator up and down the 5 decks from A to E. The ship is the most elaborate one we’ve seen.
The Japanese style bathroom here in 3rd is fun, a small pool fashion with another basin in the opposite corner with fresh water. The children love it.
Heavy showers all day.
Went to Hiscock’s 36 birthday party & very good it was too. ((Probably fellow prison officer A. W. Hircock.))
Alex. in danger?
Much disorder re impending re-billetting.
Hore-Belisha talks of our repatriation?
233 $75 parcels arrived for Br. Community
????? ?????? ?????? ((Unclear, possibly “Bungalow murder attempt”)) (Clark/Rennie)
The Americans have gone, 30th June.
Went to Dr Kirk today and he has prescribed palm oil for 'K' ((camp medical name for lack of periods, which affected most of us women)).
Tales that the notice about civilian foreign nationals doesn't apply to us, that Eden is still talking repatriation, and that we are in a very bad way in Egypt.
My weight now about 114 lbs, Olive still gaining, Mum losing a little.
We haven't got our $75parcels yet.
In the morning the Asama Maru reaches the mouth of the Mekong River. Somewhat to Norman Briggs surprise, the ship makes its way up the narrow, winding river to Saigon - Briggs had expected the Americans interned there and in Bangkok to be brought out to the repatriation ship.
They arrive at Saigon just before noon. They anchor about five miles below the city and are soon surrounded by fruit sellers in sampans. In the afternoon a small Thai steamer arrives with the 80 Americans from Bangkok.
I clearly recall being on deck when the boat paused in the river to meet a small narrow launch. A few people were let off the launch to come up the boarding ladder. Then we went down river, never having reached the city.
Vague recollection - somewhere along the way there were typical Asiatic entrepreneurial sampans selling mangoes and bananas etc alongside the boat. Eagerly bought by former internees who had been starving.
Today the folks at Saigon ((Now called Ho Chi Minh City in Viet Nam)) came on.
The scenery there is beautiful, and it was interesting to see all the sampans come selling fruit. We bought bananas and what a treat. The first in 9 months. They also have pomelos, papaya, mangos, loquat, cherries, etc. in this neighborhood. If only we could send some to our hungry Stanley friends.
Sepastopol [sic] fallen. When will the list of our losses stop increasing I wonder. Alex & Cairo will be next it seems. Churchill tells us that the situation is serious but not grave. He knows more about it than we do so maybe he is right.
$75 parcels although reduced to $52.20 in value have at last become realities.
Showery.
Fridge moved from American Kitchen.
((I've used 3rd July, despite 4th July shown below. Ella Buuck records the people from Saigon boarded on the 3rd July. I think Ella's record is more likely to be accurate - she appears to have kept a daily diary at the time, whereas these notes were written up later.))
On July 4th, a beautiful day, we slowly made our way up the Saigon River to pick up the embassy staff from French Indo China, now S. Viet Nam ((now just 'Vietnam')).
Silver wedding – Dr. G.W. Pope & Sarah Isabel Leland (At parish ch. St. Annes-on-Sea)
Issue of 4 pkts. Royal leaf $1.20
SS. Hall Dance cancelled
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the first American air raid on Canton is to bomb Japanese aircraft on the ground at Tien Ho airfield
TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:45 a.m.
The Asama Maru pulls anchor at 10 a.m. and gets to the mouth of the Mekong at 3 p.m. It's low tide, the ship can't get past a sand bar so turns back upstream and anchors. The passengers are worried: they spend the next few hours debating the situation, and some people fear a return to internment. At 6 p.m., to general relief, the ship pulls anchor, crosses the sand bar, and heads out into the open sea.
Not much reason to think that this is a holiday for us. ((Independence Day in the U.S.))
We did have some excitement. We hit a sand bar and had to go back up river and wait for high tide.
The scenery is beautiful.
American Independence Day. If Roosevelt’s promise is true we should be hearing some heartening news very soon.
Didn’t hear Hill’s baking efforts this am. ((Believed to be F. N. Hill)) Thoughts of all sorts of things kept me awake until the early hours of this morning so I was fast asleep by the time he got started.
Fridge moved from American Kitchen to G6.
Four pkts.cigs @ 30cts issued.
(Wittenbach) / Short
One more month gone. How much longer are we to remain here?
At any rate, the Americans have departed……and some of the British community have received their $75 parcels! Really I had begun to doubt both the promised departure and arrival. True, instead of $75 worth we get only $52.50, the rest going on squeeze and rake offs etc; but even that is something. Yvonne and I hope ours will come soon.
A diarist in Shamshuipo POW Camp records:
Stanley reported to be overcrowded & much free love being practised.
Tony Banham comments that 'the truth was less exotic', and indeed most accounts of camp life report that the combination of hunger, poor nutrition and lack of privacy inhibits most people's interest in sex. There are a number of 'camp romances' though, some of which will cause problems after the war.
Source:
Tony Banham, We Shall Suffer There, 2009, July 5, 1942
Sunday. First of all I had a shampoo and set. Then we had services at 10:30 in Mrs. Ziegler’s room. There seemed to be singing and services in a number of places.
There is a plan to have all the children play at certain times and places on board. It’s causing quite a stir.
Two years ago today Marj went away, two years wasted. I wonder what you think of it all dearest. It is raining too just as it was two years ago on that hateful day. Shall I be seeing you before this year is out I wonder Marj pal.
Shifted to A.4. D.room (The Single Officers dining room) Lyle, Jones ((probably means himself)), McGrath, Rae, Fitzgerald, Gemmell & Excell.
Meeting to form club for children 6 to 11 years