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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:25 pm

'His Life Worth Living' - Page 44:

MON APRIL 27: Auger boring off this morning. Someone has taken the auger again. Went for long stroll in morning around area. Then to lecture at 12.00 on General Farming. After lunch Cooperative Marketing. Later in evening Political Science. After tea A.I.F. concert which was very good. Feeling very well this day. Cooks getting the larger issue of flour so we are getting two buns a day. Extraordinary the difference extra bread does to man. Rice not much good to stick to man.

TUES APRIL 28: Feel splendid this morning. Even a meal of stew (once a week) for breakfast and it was my turn to back up. Did some latrine work in morning and slept all evening. Went to Advertising Lecture after tea which was interesting. Start of ad. campaign to sell Aquafit bathing costumes. Should prove worth going.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sat Jan 23, 2016 9:51 pm

'His Life Worth Living' - Page 45:

WED APRIL 29: Emperor of Japans birthday and he has given us holiday. Does not mean much in Army. I am to go down to sea to get salt water to cook with. It’s a long way but I feel well. Had good walk and feel reasonably tired. Went away from mob of about 500 and went scrounging. Got 1 coconut. One fellow got 1 nut, caught! Fined 3 pound. The area where the nuts are is English. Did not bother to go for swim. Enjoyed the nut. Went to lecture on National Wealth. Very interesting. There seem to be men in this army who can lecture on anything under the sun and give it very intelligently. No doubt army personnel is slice of citizens of country with its best and worst. The brains are very much in evidence here in this time of trial. The spirit of men during last few days has changed considerably. Don’t know if it is due to extra bun each day or the reassuring rumours. One man has bet all his money in pay book at least 50 pound that we will be home by end of July. I am not that optimistic but I think we have every hope to think we will be free by August. Went to concert again after tea which was one of best put on for some time. 1 bun, 1 piece of pastry and rice (delicious). Rice and sort of rice soup. I had a piece of nut afterwards. Had tin of pineapple between 3 men at lunch time which amounted to 9 cubes each. They were marvellous. So we had had quite a good day. Hope Emperor Tojo gets a 100 birthdays a year.

THURS APRIL 30: On cleaning drains of sand this morning. Threat of further decrease in food issue and there are food riots in Singapore. Things must be very bad for the natives to riot. They are a very poor spirited lot and would take a lot to rouse them. Read book “Cattle King Kidman” Very impressed. Went to lecture on Aristotle. Bit over my head. After tea went to second lecture Stock Exchange. Yarned over ways to cook food in bush and found a few more ways to cook mutton. Have to try them when get out again. About 11pm J T heard loud shouts and whistles in rubber. Later found out Malays are way laying our men who are scrounging and robbing them. Robbing the robbers. The Japs have been on to them and that was the whistles we heard.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:21 pm

'His Life Worth Living' - Page 46:

FRI MAY 1: Had to go to A.S.C. for beef today. Hind qtr for the Regt. Still will be very good stewed. Large number of cases of beriberi in English Army. Pines should keep it away from us. They are still getting 70 cases of dysentery a day. We have just about stopped it. Started giving us lectures to fit us for any campaign. Hope seems to run very high and though we are not well fed most of us are in the best of spirits. Some even go so far to say we will be free within the month. Had our third meal of pineapple cubes today. Tin between three men which makes a tin for each man. Should keep beriberi in check for while.

SAT MAY 2: Hottest night we have had for months. Just like nights we used to get at Malacca. Most of us bleary eyed from lack of sleep. Mosquitoes also bad. On latrines again this morning.

SUN MAY 3: I am this day on 24 hr duty on No 3 gate. Just a piquet duty on the gate. We are not supposed to let anyone out without a flag but of course we do not stop them getting through the wire if they want. If the gate was not in sight of R.A.A. we would not worry about the gate either. A lot of men sneak out at night to buy tucker from niggers they having got it from various food dumps around the place. The flag is white with red border and some Jap letters or words in centre. Had heaps of rice on this job. In fact could not eat any for tea so brought it up for mates. I knew they would be able to eat it. When I came home I took a stroll over to water tower which is about 70’ high and climbed it. Magnificent view.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/591980.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Mon Jan 25, 2016 9:52 pm

'His Life Worth Living' - Page 47:

MON MAY 4: Salt water party today. Party of Infantry seem to be off to Singapore. Feeling is strong we will be free before long. The 18th May or thereabouts has been mentioned. Got 3 nuts on salt water party which we all enjoyed after tea. Went to lecture on Trade Union in evening and after tea went to one on Market Values. Singapore party tomorrow about 2000 going. Supposed to be Bukit Timor but no one knows.

TUES MAY 5: Singapore party went away 7.30 this morning. All rest in our battery 64 missing together. A lot more room in building now although bugs still very bad. A very good lecture by Major Cousens International Affairs which gave us much food for thought. Lecture on Ads after tea. Am on wiring party tomorrow down near Changi Gaol. 3½ mls away so fairly stiff march.

WED MAY 6: Away early this morning on wiring party after early breakfast? Rice and milky water. Lunch. Plain rice. Rotten job undoing a prison fence and very long day. Went scrounging in evening, away from party and got four nuts. Often fellows got chased by Chinamen. Gave Lionel 2. Felt very tired when I got back to camp but after rest was O.K. again. Went to A.I.F. concert after tea. Rice & veg stew. Am getting very thin but if rumours are right then we should not be here much longer. Latest is that six Portuguese ships are lying off Singapore waiting to take us away. Hope it is right but do not think it is possible.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/591980.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:18 pm

'His Life Worth Living' - Page 48:

Chapter 7

THURS MAY 7: A.I.F. ration party today so another long walk. Hope it is only one trip. The rice is delivered by truck to the camp now so we only collected meat, fresh meat, flour, sugar, salt and few bags fresh vegs bought with canteen funds. I scrounged little salt and brown sugar.

FRI MAY 8: Got relapse of malaria again with high temp. Went into R.A.P.

SAT MAY 9: Much better this morn. Dose of quinine and Atebrin seems to take temp away quickly. Rumour very strong that we are going away in near future. Next Fri is mentioned. Another rumour of big battle in Solomon Isles. Huge losses to Jap with no loss to ourselves. Chiang Mai check advancing on all fronts. Peculiar thing here in R.A.P. known as Officer boarding Resid. There are 1 Col., 1 Major, 2 Sap, 6 Lieutenants, 1 Sergeant, 5 Gunners. All Officers have diarrhoea rest have malaria or dengue fever. This rumour of battle in Sol. Is. is supposed to come from B.B.C. news. Figures are 16 cruisers, 8 destr, 2 air craft and the rest. Rather long day today just lying in bed. Still, thoughts of civilization in a few weeks time is very stimulating. The cook here is doing a noble job. Trying to cook little dainties to tempt the appetite out of very little. I notice we get extra ration of yeast in here. Surely they don’t think I will contact beriberi. Quite a number of cases from Singapore in hospital. It is not a nice thing and is caused I think mainly by too much rice and not enough green vegs. Thank heaven I have always hated rice and my appetite for same is not big. Some of the fellows here are never satisfied with it but they eat just as much as they can. I am to be issued with 3 mths supply of Atebrin so it looks as if there is something in the wind. We also today were given a few things such as soap and razor blades salvaged from the kitbags. Not much hope of my wallet I am afraid.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/591980.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:35 pm

'His Life Worth Living' - Page 49:

SUN MAY 10: Still in R.A.P. but much better. Rumour has it that we will be divided into groups A1 B2 C3 to go home. Hospital ships will go straight home and the rest will go to Timor where we will stay for a month. Interesting to see if these rumours are true. Everyone very animated. Had good meal this evening first for couple of days and felt much better after it. Think I will make my first meal just plain bread and butter. I will appreciate it just as much as the best money could buy.

MON MAY 11: Well again but fairly weak. Will be let out this morning. Well it looks like we will be leaving tomorrow. I don’t know how I will go but I won’t be able to walk into Singapore that is certain. The doc wanted to keep me for another day but I thought I may be parted from the mates so he decided it would not make any difference. Everyone very busy packing but I do not think we will be moving. I am packed ready but will not be walking. Went to concert in evening – last one too by the speech and cheers for party. They certainly did a very good job.

TUES MAY 12: We are not going away now until Friday. Will be messing with the trp again today. Everyone A1 were assembled on Barrack Square for rehearsal. All are formed in Infantry now and our little mob are in 8 Plat. So it seems we will be parted for a while. We are evidently going in the second lot a week later for they have told us nothing about being ready or when we are going. The men are busy getting ready for big march to Singapore and cooks are busy cooking what they can in the shape of pastry and bread with what little flour they have. She seems to be going to be a mad scramble on the island and all sorts of precautions will have to be taken. Malaria will be the biggest job for me but with the course of quinine I am going on with now and the 3 mths supply of Atebrin I should be able to keep it off.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/591980.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:48 pm

'His Life Worth Living' - Page 50:

WED MAY 13: Another general parade this morning on which Callaghan addressed the parade for last time. He seemed to express doubt as to going back to home on this trip. He seemed to make out it is another working party for Japs. Spirit of men still as high as ever never the less and everyone confident we are going to Timor and thence home. Nothing done about B2 men yet. Some talk of us going on hospital ship. I am not cheered with the prospect of parting with Jerry. They seem to be going away definitely tomorrow and things are going to be very quiet. I flat with him. Everyone busy going over their kits. More parades. One thing about our crowd, if they do get a chance they bung on parades. I bet the Japs wouldn’t have a parade a week. Last parade last night was at 10.30 “To see if the packs were properly packed.”

THURS MAY 14: Everyone going away, turned out at 5am this morning to dump their packs in heaps to be picked up. Later at 6am 30, 3 ton trucks came and picked them and a large number of men who were the final party to go to Singapore. I think we will have to move out of this building into A/T. It will be much better. Well all the fit men have gone and only we crocks are left. They left 40 to a truck and very tightly packed but very happy never the less. They had a good lunch of stew, a little stronger than usual, with their rice and a bun. Each man of our unit had 2 buns emergency ration in case the Jap lets the men down, for he promised to feed them en route, they have a little tinned stuff and biscuits put by. Things are very quiet here now but we may not be here very long. There would not be more than 15,000 men left now and 1000 of those at hospital. Afternoon the longest I have known since I have been in Changi but it had its compensations at tea time for we had a REAL MEAT PIE with ROAST SWEET POTATOES and TEA with milk and sugar in, the PEARS with rice. Surely food for the gods. Too good for us anyhow after all the weeks of eternal rice. We also had 2 buns which I could not eat and which I kept for supper when I am told we get COFFEE. A day to be remembered for although the meat in the pie was tinned tongue it was delicious and the first real taste of meat for 3 months. There are 25 Gunners altogether, 20 Officers and the rest N.C.O’s making about 80 in all. Tomorrow the a/15 and A/T are coming into the same building so we will very likely go back to ordinary fare again. I wonder how the boys are getting on in Singapore I understand they went straight to the boats and will be sailing, destination unknown, at midnight. I think the place will be Timor alright where they will be camped pending an exchange of prisoners. We are with the convalescent class here and there is a possibility we will go home in the hospital ship. I hope Jerry makes the trip O.K. for he is a very good scout and the only one who did not change or alter with the times under which we passed which is more than can be said of most of the men here, for, with the tightening of belts and shortage of smokes, men get very short in the temper, yours truly included. But Jerry is always the same and is never put out. He is deliberate in his speech, verbose perhaps, but what he says is usually well thought out and he rarely makes a mistake. Which I suppose is not surprising considering he holds a high position in the National Bank. He is what I would term “A good fellow” and I was very sorry to be parted from him. Learned today for the first time of the terrible casualties we inflicted on Japs at Bukit Timor Village during the last few days of the war here. 5,000 killed. Shows how determined they were to take the place. But we were outnumbered at least 5 – 1 and very tired from 3 weeks fighting with very little rest. Even then we did not lose the Battle for the Jap realizing he would never get us to give in by fighting us, used that other dreadful weapon. Firing on the civilian population of Singapore – a mob of about 1,500,000 crammed in a space the size of a small town where every shell that fell must kill people. We had to give in at this stage. But there is still a doubt in our minds. Why did “they” not allow us to keep firing when the Japs were landing on the Island and why did they not allow us to destroy our guns before handing them over to the Jap. These and a host of other questions will have to be answered eventually and I well say it will be a very interesting story, one which will reveal quite a lot. For there can be no shadow of a doubt that if we had been allowed to fire when the Japanese were landing in Kranji and other places then we would have held them off for a few days more at least. We had coffee and biscuits for supper which was very much enjoyed. Had long yarn with Jules on matters pertaining to war and Jap and he found them mostly very good at Bakit Timor, where he was working. Got some interesting facts from him and also learned he was on a burial party for 3 A.I.F. whom they found. It appears the party working there are still finding remains even after nearly 2 months. It was here the Jap suffered his biggest losses namely at least 6,000 dead and according to him the Jap is building the road and monument as a memorial to the Jap dead.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/591980.
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