大象传媒

August 4th
The latest crazy order is that the rubbish heap, which contains broken plates, tins etc, is to be scattered over the unfortunate sweet potato plants - these have already had the contents of the septic tank poured over them, as well as ash from the kitchen fires! Great indignation as Fatty (the Jap officer) insisted on the water carriers filling his bath and water tank, and then they had to water the gardens belonging to the Japs, which was a most exhausting job. Ena Murray and three others had to stand in the sun as punishment for getting water in the wrong place. One teacupful of water to wash in now - the wells have dried up and we long for rain. So often the clouds come and go away again!!
11th
At 1:00 am air activity and gun fire - we were all very cheered by this. Strict orders for no lights and no fires allowed until daybreak. The women who were punished yesterday were made to work from 6:00 to 11:00 emptying the contents of the septic tanks onto the plants - a nauseating job.
17th
Wild Excitement! Letters from the outside world - the first time in over two and a half years of captivity! I got one from Auntie Lill dated February 1944. Mrs Brown heard that her elder daughter had had a baby and her son Alec was well although a prisoner in Germany. We were told we could each write one fifty word letter but we must not mention food or water shortage or that the Japs make us work, so it sounds as if they are ashamed of their treatment.
27th
Capt Siki gave us another talk - we must be prepared to move to Muntok at any time between now and 15 September. We are furious that he made us all work like slaves, planting vegetables etc. Obviously for their own use. We were told that we will probably go in small boats and warned to take only small parcels as the sea will be rough! Also warned that our future camp will only have oil lamps and no running water - grim thought but it cannot be worse than here.
October 1st
Still here, but told we may have to send our elongings on ahead to Muntok. A few letters arrived, they were letters from England and had been forwarded on from Singapore - many of them were two years old. It sounded as if two bombs were dropped not far off.
4th
The order came at midday that the first group were to get ready immediately as we were to leave by 2:00pm. There were about sixty of us. We hurriedly packed our few possessions and had a meal - we then had to wait two hours before the lorries came to take us away. The rest of the camp cheered wildly as we drove away, sitting on our bundles with tin cans and other precious belongings tied to our backs. We took everything, not knowing what was in store for us. We drove down to the river and boarded the ship which was waiting for us. To my great surprise I discovered that it was one of the fery boats which used to run between Penang and Butterworth on the mainland, more than 400 miles away. I thought of the times I had boarded the ferry boat in happier days.
The seats had been removed and we found space on the deck where we could lie down, for by now it was dark. After only a short distance we stopped near the railway station. We were astonished to find that a lot more people were to join us. They had come by rail from a camp in Bencoolen. There were over one hundred women and children, nearly all Dutch. Many looked very ill, and a number were unable to walk, including several nuns, all suffering from malaria, malnutrition and beri-beri. Our people had to help carry their baggage from the train.
Once they were all aboard the deck was crowded and I found it impossible to sleep. It was a miserable night.
5th
We sailed down river this morning, there was a beautiful dawn and the air was fresh. As we got nearer to the sea we hoped that we had said goodbye to Sumatra for ever and that freedom was getting nearer. We had each brought a bottle of boiled water and a little cold rice. How we would have enjoyed a cup of hot coffee! I took a spoonful of my precious sugar; this always did me good when I felt particularly weak and I used to keep a little store of sugar in a face cream jar for emergencies. We sailed down the river all day. It was night when we approached Muntok Island. To get ashore we had to go by coal lighter and with great difficulty we had to scramble down a very narrow iron ladder and into the depths of this filthy pitch-dark boat. The sea was quite rough and we were tossed around like corks. Some of the women screamed and became hysterical. I felt terribly sea-sick and was trying not to faint. By the time we reached the jetty I hardly had the strength to climb up the iron rungs of the ladder. Fortunately two Japs at the top caught me just as I was about to fall backwards into the sea.
It seemed as if we trudged for miles, the Japs kept shouting at us to hurry. I was almost in tears, my legs felt like jelly. Finally we came to a lorry which was to drive us to our new camp. Mary and I were the last two to scramble in. The new camp was huge but we couldn't see much in the dark. The Japs had found it so difficult getting us ashore that they decided to leave the rest of the people aboard.
To our food had been cooked for us by the men whose camp was some distance away. As only a third of our number had arrived and they had prepared enough food for all of us, we were given really large portions. There was a huge stingray, fried fish, congee, rice and hot tea - a real feast. Some people just stuffed themselves - I felt too tired for a big meal but had some congee and tea and took some rice and fish for tomorrow.

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