Re: Pat Ritter. Books
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:43 pm
'His Life Worth Living' - Page 59:
Chapter 10
FRI JULY 10: Digging trench to plant hibiscus. Very hot and am sunburnt. Heard U.S. had landed convoy at Solomon Isles. Germans back to Mirza M. Russians back to fixed positions at Don. Few arrivals from Changi for B troop. Talking to men carting scrap to Keppel wharf. Saw numbers of Japs embarking and more disembarking. Plenty of ships in harbour. Bringing rice and taking away scrap metal. Few aircraft practising in air today.
SAT JULY 11: Just another day on hill. Saw convoy in far distance from W. into Singapore. Was told later 3 transports, 1 trans converted to aircraft carrier, 4 planes. Talk after tea on route from Alice Springs to Birdsville.
SUN JULY 12: Some mix up with Japs today. No trucks turned up so had day off. Had good clean up and played bridge. Was thinking how remarkable thin veneer of civilization is in Jap. Our guard wakes men up who are not covered with bedclothes. Afraid they may catch malaria. Yet as a warning to recalcitrant natives they chop the heads off and exhibit them in a public place until flesh falls away from bones.
MON JULY 13: Top of hill again. Nothing interesting happened. Natives are showing remarkable energy in their gardens. It seems they have to grow or starve and they are determined not to starve.
TUES JULY 14: Another day cleaning up rubbish. Spent most of evening unravelling mess of twine. Just wasting time. No news or rumours. Kato had look in at camp 6am this morning. No Chinese at work today accept few essentials.
WED JULY 15: Kato’s house bricklaying and plastering. Must have made good job for had names taken to keep going. Bit of news today. Turkey supposed to have declared war on Germany. Java said to have fallen to us. No Chinese at work today accept essential workers.
THURS JULY 16: Kato’s house again. Most interesting day’s work learning cement. Few rumours. Libya nearly finished 1,000,000 yanks Burmese border. Notice lot of new Japs about place. Fellow, ours, said number landing here.
FRI JULY 17: On road Kato’s house and did fair days work. Feel tired this evening. Lot more Japs moving about generally making for wharf. Gen’s Percival and Callaghan appeared to have visited camps in Singapore. Rumour that all ranks Maj up going to Japan. We have 95 sick and off duty today. Saw very large plane very high circling overhead. Several fighters appeared to be going up.
SAT JULY 18: Did hard days work today on Kato’s wall. Most of others in yard cleaning up. Was pushed very hard and large number of accidents. 2 fell off truck, 1 overcome with heat. Bad day. Trouble with mess again. Officers doing well. G.M. sent resignation in. One of our sgts accused of making money out of buying things. He is M.P. Not sort of man to do it. Have every confidence in him myself. Fined $1 a month, says it will mean court martial eventually.
SUN JULY 19: Turn up for all hands today. Was raining when we went to work. Got there and came home again. Such is Jap administration. Rumour that last overseas contingent has been sunk. Will wait for confirmation. Change in Q.M. personnel so must be some dissatisfaction up there also. Rations very light must be on ¼ meat ration. Our diet is about 95% rice so must be some nutriment in it. I am buying dates at 30c a Kati and occasionally a tin of sardines @ 30c. Dates I have with breakfast and sardines on meatless days.
MON JULY 20: Rumour we are moving. All bustle at works today cleaning up. Some new Gen coming Wednesday. Nothing of importance otherwise.
TUES JULY 21 : Still cleaning up and had job to keep us all going. Lot of men of A.I.F. in K.L. Rumour of loss of 1000 Australians on torpedoed ship confirmed. Very sad if true. Rumour that Sevastopol has already fallen again to Russians. Turkey on our side and marched in Romania. Party including all Field Rank and upwards at Changi are going away. Thought Japan. We are supposed to be going to another camp end of week. Omitted to say we have all been numbered and I have to wear cloth badge with number mine so. Duties of supposed loss of A.I.F. contingent July 1.
WED JULY 22: Had most interesting day. 3 loads of scrap to Keppel Harb from works. Civil buildings hardly touched. Cathay still has hole in side high up. Very little business going on despite efforts of Japs to clean up place and keep things going. Many shops refitted but empty. Saw big yards of scrap and breaking up cars. Wharves full of scrap waiting to be loaded. 5 ships in this morning. This evening some had gone out and convoy had arrived. Saw at least 5 more. 1 was hosp ship. New arrivals unloading rice. Saw ship going out with some Jap troops. Saw one of our planes other side of harbour evidently cont. Saw yard consisting of crashed planes and many were Jap, some were N.1. Farther ration of petrol according to Syonan Times “owing to panicky destruction by us”. Gurkas working on wharf. Saw number of Jap women sightseers. Report from K.L. some of our men imprisoned there. Some had to march 70 miles some in bare feet. Seem to have had tough time. Lot of R.A. and A.I. Early parade after tea followed by a sing song. There is lad comes along road every night playing favourite and popular tunes on mouth organ.
THURS JULY 23: Kato’s rd today. Just a day. Some went to wharf and saw some boat unloading rice. Another with horses and cars went away. Trucks had (diamond symbol) on back. One man injured on scrap iron today. Didn’t feel well this evening.
FRI JULY 24: Another relapse. Suspected it last night. Off work today and taking 30 grams (8) quinine each day. Feel bit better in evening. Just headache and heavy cold.
SAT JULY 25: Still off duty. Not as bad as last dose. Boys tell of huge underground oil storage tanks in what we thought were quarries. I have passed the fence often. They are built into solid granite. One chap contacted an English man who was in charge of works. He is out on parole of course at $20 per mth. Told of 322 women and 52 children out at Changi gaol. 2 births since imprisonment. Men are segregated from women and are allowed to see their wives once per month. Younger married men rig up a plank over 15’ drop to see their wives more often. All sorts out there from jockeys to Drs. Treatment same as ours. What a dreadful experience for those women and children.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/591980.
Chapter 10
FRI JULY 10: Digging trench to plant hibiscus. Very hot and am sunburnt. Heard U.S. had landed convoy at Solomon Isles. Germans back to Mirza M. Russians back to fixed positions at Don. Few arrivals from Changi for B troop. Talking to men carting scrap to Keppel wharf. Saw numbers of Japs embarking and more disembarking. Plenty of ships in harbour. Bringing rice and taking away scrap metal. Few aircraft practising in air today.
SAT JULY 11: Just another day on hill. Saw convoy in far distance from W. into Singapore. Was told later 3 transports, 1 trans converted to aircraft carrier, 4 planes. Talk after tea on route from Alice Springs to Birdsville.
SUN JULY 12: Some mix up with Japs today. No trucks turned up so had day off. Had good clean up and played bridge. Was thinking how remarkable thin veneer of civilization is in Jap. Our guard wakes men up who are not covered with bedclothes. Afraid they may catch malaria. Yet as a warning to recalcitrant natives they chop the heads off and exhibit them in a public place until flesh falls away from bones.
MON JULY 13: Top of hill again. Nothing interesting happened. Natives are showing remarkable energy in their gardens. It seems they have to grow or starve and they are determined not to starve.
TUES JULY 14: Another day cleaning up rubbish. Spent most of evening unravelling mess of twine. Just wasting time. No news or rumours. Kato had look in at camp 6am this morning. No Chinese at work today accept few essentials.
WED JULY 15: Kato’s house bricklaying and plastering. Must have made good job for had names taken to keep going. Bit of news today. Turkey supposed to have declared war on Germany. Java said to have fallen to us. No Chinese at work today accept essential workers.
THURS JULY 16: Kato’s house again. Most interesting day’s work learning cement. Few rumours. Libya nearly finished 1,000,000 yanks Burmese border. Notice lot of new Japs about place. Fellow, ours, said number landing here.
FRI JULY 17: On road Kato’s house and did fair days work. Feel tired this evening. Lot more Japs moving about generally making for wharf. Gen’s Percival and Callaghan appeared to have visited camps in Singapore. Rumour that all ranks Maj up going to Japan. We have 95 sick and off duty today. Saw very large plane very high circling overhead. Several fighters appeared to be going up.
SAT JULY 18: Did hard days work today on Kato’s wall. Most of others in yard cleaning up. Was pushed very hard and large number of accidents. 2 fell off truck, 1 overcome with heat. Bad day. Trouble with mess again. Officers doing well. G.M. sent resignation in. One of our sgts accused of making money out of buying things. He is M.P. Not sort of man to do it. Have every confidence in him myself. Fined $1 a month, says it will mean court martial eventually.
SUN JULY 19: Turn up for all hands today. Was raining when we went to work. Got there and came home again. Such is Jap administration. Rumour that last overseas contingent has been sunk. Will wait for confirmation. Change in Q.M. personnel so must be some dissatisfaction up there also. Rations very light must be on ¼ meat ration. Our diet is about 95% rice so must be some nutriment in it. I am buying dates at 30c a Kati and occasionally a tin of sardines @ 30c. Dates I have with breakfast and sardines on meatless days.
MON JULY 20: Rumour we are moving. All bustle at works today cleaning up. Some new Gen coming Wednesday. Nothing of importance otherwise.
TUES JULY 21 : Still cleaning up and had job to keep us all going. Lot of men of A.I.F. in K.L. Rumour of loss of 1000 Australians on torpedoed ship confirmed. Very sad if true. Rumour that Sevastopol has already fallen again to Russians. Turkey on our side and marched in Romania. Party including all Field Rank and upwards at Changi are going away. Thought Japan. We are supposed to be going to another camp end of week. Omitted to say we have all been numbered and I have to wear cloth badge with number mine so. Duties of supposed loss of A.I.F. contingent July 1.
WED JULY 22: Had most interesting day. 3 loads of scrap to Keppel Harb from works. Civil buildings hardly touched. Cathay still has hole in side high up. Very little business going on despite efforts of Japs to clean up place and keep things going. Many shops refitted but empty. Saw big yards of scrap and breaking up cars. Wharves full of scrap waiting to be loaded. 5 ships in this morning. This evening some had gone out and convoy had arrived. Saw at least 5 more. 1 was hosp ship. New arrivals unloading rice. Saw ship going out with some Jap troops. Saw one of our planes other side of harbour evidently cont. Saw yard consisting of crashed planes and many were Jap, some were N.1. Farther ration of petrol according to Syonan Times “owing to panicky destruction by us”. Gurkas working on wharf. Saw number of Jap women sightseers. Report from K.L. some of our men imprisoned there. Some had to march 70 miles some in bare feet. Seem to have had tough time. Lot of R.A. and A.I. Early parade after tea followed by a sing song. There is lad comes along road every night playing favourite and popular tunes on mouth organ.
THURS JULY 23: Kato’s rd today. Just a day. Some went to wharf and saw some boat unloading rice. Another with horses and cars went away. Trucks had (diamond symbol) on back. One man injured on scrap iron today. Didn’t feel well this evening.
FRI JULY 24: Another relapse. Suspected it last night. Off work today and taking 30 grams (8) quinine each day. Feel bit better in evening. Just headache and heavy cold.
SAT JULY 25: Still off duty. Not as bad as last dose. Boys tell of huge underground oil storage tanks in what we thought were quarries. I have passed the fence often. They are built into solid granite. One chap contacted an English man who was in charge of works. He is out on parole of course at $20 per mth. Told of 322 women and 52 children out at Changi gaol. 2 births since imprisonment. Men are segregated from women and are allowed to see their wives once per month. Younger married men rig up a plank over 15’ drop to see their wives more often. All sorts out there from jockeys to Drs. Treatment same as ours. What a dreadful experience for those women and children.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/591980.