| Diary of Conrad Johnson, 1944, Part II |
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PART II Monday May 1st [44.5.1] Bean sprouts came in today. For vegetables an increase in chow started tonight which was sure welcome. Red Cross boxes were put out tonight- 2 boxes for 5 men and they are being enjoyed by everybody. Tuesday May 2nd [44.5.2] Cigerettes [sic] & cans [of] tobbacco [sic] came out tonight. 7 cans of tobbacco 10 packs ciggerrettes per section each man got 1 pack of cigs or one half can tobb. Some toilet articles came out too - tooth brush’s [sic] & powder, razors, shave cream, sewing kits, etc. Wednesday May 3rd [44.5.3] Everything going along as usual. Lots of work, no change in work routine. One of the men waqs hurt out at the factory today. He was taken to the factory hospital for treatment. There was no broken bones [and] he was brought back to the camp. Thursday May 4th [44.5.4] Beans and fish soup for supper. The bean ration was the biggest we have had yet- 1 ½ buckets per section and they were sweet. Work routine the same. Friday May 5th [44.5.5] The man who was hurt at the factory a few days ago (see May 3rd) was taken to the hospital again today for treatment. Potatoes came in today- the first for several months. Payed [Paid] today. I received 600 yen. The air hammer detail had another day off the day shift. Saturday May 6th [44.5.6] There was an inspection of the camp today. Were in camp about ½ hour. Work routine the same as usual. We had potatoes & rice for breakfast & dinner. Sunday May 7th [44.5.7] Things were very quite [sic] around camp today. Work routine same as before. Monday May 8th [44.5.8] Another inspection today. The general of all camps was through today. There was lots of excitement in camp getting reading [sic] for them. Work same as usual. Tuesday May 9th [44.5.9] Dried fish & beans for supper tonight, potatoes for breakfast. Everything is very quite [sic- quiet] around camp today. Wednesday May 10th [44.5.10] Fried fish & rice for supper tonight. Fish two nights in a row doesn’t happen very often. One of the men was taken to the hospital camp today with a very serious decease [sic-disease]- hardening of the bones for treatment. A few medical supplys [sic] came into the camp today from the hospital camp. We got some more beri beri medicine tonight and the men got some. Thursday May 11th [44.5.11] Fish stew & beans & rice for supper tonight. Things were as quite [sic] as a mouse around here today. Very good sleeping for the night shift. Friday May 12th [44.5.12] Things were very quite [sic] in camp today. Just another day gone by. Saturday May 13th [44.5.13] P.X. supplys [sic] came in today. Pepper, curry powder, [?? Malaria?] pills, horse radish & apples. Apples were issued, 7 sen apiece. The rest of the articles were not put out. We had a bowl of beans & rice for dinner. Fish soup & rice for supper, rice & soup for breakfast. No more potatoes. Sunday May 14th [44.5.14] Things were very quite [sic] around camp today, just another work day for the men. Monday May 15th Day shift on the air hammers had another day off today. No change in activities otherwise. Tuesday May 16th [44.5.16 Things were very quite [sic] around camp today. Again work routine the same. Wednesday May 17th [44.5.17] P.X. supplys [sic] came out to the men tonight - tea, pepper, mustard, horse radish & fish powders, wa??moto pills. [P.X. is the abbreviation for Post Exchange- a term for a military general store] Thursday May 18th [44.5.18] Cigarettes came out tonight, 10 per man. They cost 23 sen each. Camp & work routine the same. Friday May 19th [44.5.19] It rained all day and still raining- or rather misting. Very damp weather - chilly. Saturday May 20th [44.5.20]We had a holliday [sic] today. Nobody worked. The first day everyone were [sic] off since Xmas. We had very good chow all three meals, included were rice with beans & great [??] it for dinner & supper. Fried fish, sugar, doughnuts and apple for dinner also and a very good soup. There were several diferent [sic] sports - boxing, wrestling, doughnut eating contest, tug of war, cicyle [sic] race & several other sports. Everyone enjoyed themselfs very much. Sunday May 21st [44.5.21] We were paid today. I got 450. I owed the P.X. 385 so I’m almost broke again. Work & chow are back to normal again. Plenty of work & not enough chow. Monday May 22nd [44.5.22] Everyone was weighed tonight. (last notation was 44.4.25) My weight was 58.8 [kilos]. I gained one kilo over last month. Tuesday May 23rd I spent my third birthday in prison today. I hope it is the last one [as] a captive. Wednesday May 24th [44.5.24] Still struggling along - work, eat & sleep. Very little eating & sleeping but plenty of work. Thursday May 25th [44.5.25] The day shift had a day off of the air hammers. Everyone else worked as usual. A few bags of seaweed powder was issued for each section tonight, 7 bags per section. About enough in each bag for 3 or 4 meals. Friday May 26th [44.5.26] Another day has gone by. It was sure a good day to sleep - very cool. We were issued soap today 1/3 bar per man. Work routine the same. Saturday May 27th [44.5.27] Beans for supper tonight. Everything was very quite [sic] around camp today. Everybody worked as usual. Sunday May 28th [44.5.28] We had a sweet cabbage soup for supper with our rice. It was very good. We also got 2 doughnuts each. They were chocolate and greasy very good. One of the men refused to work today. The beat him around a [???] and put him in the guard house till [sic] tonight. They tried to make a [???] out of him but don’t think they were successful. Monday May 29th We were issued some light summer pants & shirt tonight and 18 pr. Summer underwear per section. Sweet beans for supper and a very light cabbage soup. A load of [???] came in the camp today. Tuesday May 30th [44.5.30] No change in work routine. Camp activities the same also chow ration the same not big enough. Wednesday May 31st [44.5.31] Everything the same as yesterday. Nothing to change the dullness of prison life. Thursday June 1st [44.6.1] Another month has gone by. We all turned in our winter issue of woll [sic] shirts tonight. Friday June 2nd [44.6.2] Wool coats were turned in today. Work routine the same as usual. Saturday June 3rd [44.6.3] Chow & work the same, plenty of work and not too much chow. Two apples each. Sunday June 4th [44.6.4] Apple turnovers came out tonight. They were very good. The rest of the chow the same as usual. Monday June 5th [44.6.5] Today was payday again. I drawed [sic] 6.00 yen. Air hammers detail on the day shift had a day off today. After today they will not be off on the same day. Day off will be the same as the other details - so many men each day. The night shift will also get so many men off every night, starting tomorrow night. Tuesday June 6th [44.6.6] (D-Day in Europe) We got 60 cigarettes each tonight for 1.50 [sen] apiece. Everything else going along as usual. Wednesday June 7th [44.6.7] No change in work or chow. Plenty of work, no increase in chow. Thursday June 8th [44.6.8] Work routine the same as usual. Chow ration also the same. DAY SKIPPED Saturday June 10th [44.6.10] I had off tonight from work, the first night since I have been on the night shift. DAYS SKIPPED Friday June 16th [44.6.16] We had a very hard earthquake today, the worst yet. Camp routine the same, chow and all. DAY SKIPPED Sunday June 18th [44.6.18] We were paid today. I got 4.20 [yen, equals 100 sen per yen]. We had a 40 sen slush fund this payday. Beans & rice for supper. A few apples came in today. They will be in the rice some future day. Monday June 19th [44.6.19] We had apples in the rice tonight and fish soup. Nothing unusual happened today. Tuesday June 20th [44.6.20] Potatoes & in the rice for breakfast this morning. They were very good but not enough of them. A rather small ration beans in the rice for supper plus plenty of rocks. Wednesday June 21st [44.6.21] The first day of summer and the longest day in the year. All night shift workers had to work all morning cleaning up the barracks. We finished shortly after noon. I got about 1 [one] hour’s sleep. Cigarettes came out again tonight. 30 per man. They cost 75 sen. Thursday June 22nd [44.6.22] We had a rough night [of] work in the factory last night. Not getting much sleep yesterday or rather none and only about 3 hours sleep today. It will be rough again tonight. Beans in the rice for supper & fish soup. Friday June 23rd [44.6.23] Potato in rice for breakfast, rice for dinner - beans in the rice and squid soup for supper. We also got two vitaman [sic] pills tonight. Noodles, flower [sic] & sugar came into camp today. Very little flower[sic] & sugar. 18 boxes of noodles. Saturday June 24th [44.6.24] Straight rice & soup all three meals today. Vitaman [sic] pills again today. We were weighed today. I weighed 59.9 [kilos]. 5 letters came in today. DAYS SKIPPED Thursday June 29th Inspection party came through today. Potatoes & rice for breakfast, rice for dinner, beans in the rice for supper. My night off. DAYS SKIPPED Tuesday July 4th [44.7.4] Fried fish and fried potatoes pattys [sic] tonight for supper, rice and soup all three meals today. Everybody worked as usual. DAYS SKIPPED Monday July 10th [44.7.10] The Swiss concul [sic] made a [sic] inspection of the camp today. They had almost all the men out of camp. No one worked this afternoon as one of the men left camp sometime during they night. They found him during the day [??]. DAYS SKIPPED Tuesday July 18th [44.7.18] I am off work tonight. Every [thing] else going along as usual. Chow ration the same. To [sic] damn small. DAYS SKIPPED Friday July 28th [44.7.28] Another night off work. They increased the night shift to 45 men tonight. The day shift was also increased to 45 men. Most of the new men were taken off of the Kosofo [??] detail. Sweet beans & rice for supper tonight. Straight rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. Saturday July 29th Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. Beans & rice for supper. There was some potatoes in the soup. They have no vegetables in camp. Sunday July 30th [44.7.30] Rice & soup all three meals today. No vegetables in the soup this morning at all. Very few for dinner & supper. Monday July 31st [44.7.31] Rice & soup all three meals today. Soap, G.Strings [fondoshi], tooth brushes & powder & 10 packs of cigs per man came out of the canteen. 18 bars of soap for 25 men. Tuesday August 1st [44.8.1] Another change in details today. 3 details are going to work night shift - about 100 men on all three shifts. One of the men came back from the hospital camp today. Wednesday August 2nd [44.8.2] Beans & rice for supper & fish soup. Potatoes and soup for breakfast. Rice & soup for dinner. We also got one small apple tonight each. Thursday August 3rd [44.8.3] Rice & soup for breakfast and dinner. Beans & rice for supper. All short rations. Friday August 4th [44.8.4] Potatoes & soup for breakfast, no vegetables in the soup. Just water, rice & soup for dinner & supper. Also fried fish. One half of a peach per man. DAYS SKIPPED Monday August 7th [44.8.7] Another day off. Chow rations the same as usual. Work routine the same - plenty of it. Weather is very coal [sic] for this time of the year. DAYS SKIPPED Thursday August 17th [44.8.17] Night off again. Chow & work the same. Plenty of work and not enough chow. DAYS SKIPPED Sunday August 20th [44.8.20] Chow ration has increased a little or rather we are getting almost as much as we are supposed to get. We are getting almost twice as many vegetables and a little more rice. It sure is a great help. Monday August 21st [44.8.21] Still good chow rations and no more work expected for it. It must be close to the end of the war. Tuesday August 22nd [44.8.22] Chow ration still good. Work routine the same. Nothing unusual happening. DAYS SKIPPED Friday August 25th [44.8.25] Very good chow all day today. Fish in the rice. To my [??] and a good ration. Saturday August 26th [44.8.26] A double ration of potatoes this morning, compared to the spud ration we used to get. They had soya and oil in them. Rice & soup for dinner, beans in that rice for supper. A good ration all day. Sunday August 27th [44.8.27] Spuds in the rice for breakfast & soup for dinner. Beans in the rice for supper. Still good ration. Monday August 28th [44.8.28] Rice & soup for breakfast and dinner. Straight beans for supper. All good rations today. Makes one year of work in the factory. Tuesday August 29th [44.8.29] Straight rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. The chow ration took a sudden decrease today. I hope it doesn’t stay this way. Wednesday August 30th [44.8.30] Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. Beans in the rice for supper & fried fish. A few vegetables were brought in today. Work going on as usual. 13 small cookys [sic] per section. Came out of the P.X. [one half] ½ cooky [sic] per man but 13 got them. Thursday August 31st [44.8.31] Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. Beans in the rice for supper. A good ration tonight. Friday September 1st [44.9.1] Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. A good ration of rice both meals. Beans in the rice for supper & fish soup. Saturday September 2nd [44.9.2] Rice & soup all three meals today. Not a very big ration either. The chow rations are decreasing again. Beans soup for supper. Sunday September 3rd [44.9.3] Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner.. Beans with a little rice in them for supper. Small rations all day. Monday September 4th [44.9.4] Straight rice and poor soups all day. Two packs of butts per man came out tonight. [Butts means cigarettes] Tuesday September 5th Beans in the rice for breakfast. Rice for dinner and beans for supper. I had to go over to get some steel taken out and it sure is sore. Today was payday. I drew 5.70 [yen]. Wednesday September 6th [44.9.6] Rice & soup all three meals today. A normal small ration. My eye is much better today. I have a night off tonight which is sure a great help to my sore eye. Thursday September 7th [44.9.7] Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. Straight beans for supper. They were a little sweet. No fish. It rained a little today. Friday September 8th [44.9.8] Rice & soup all day today. A few p???? came in today. It has been raining all day. The weather was rather coall.[sic] To [?] fish in the rice for supper. Saturday September 9th [44.9.9] Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner. Raw vegetables for dinner with soya in them. Very short ration. Straight beans for supper and a wormy soup. Sunday September 10th [44.9.10] Rice for breakfast & dinner. Raw vegetables for breakfast for soup with a little soya in them. Straight beans for supper. Very short ration. Monday September 11th [44.9.11] Straight rice & soup all three meals today. Short ration. We had a good soup for supper. [One] 1 pear per man came out tonight. 8 sen per man. Tuesday September 12th [44.9.12] Rice & soup for breakfast & dinner.. Sweet potatoes in the soup this morning. Beans with a little fish and bean curds in them. Tonight beans & sweet potatoes with sugar for soup. Very good. Wednesday September 13th [44.9.13] Straight rice all three meals today. A very good soup for breakfast & supper. A few cut up cucumbers for dinner with a little soya in them. Almost the same as nothing for soup. Thursday September 14th [44.9.14] Straight rice all day today. Soup the same as yesterday. Cut up cucumbers for dinner soup. A good ration of rice for supper. Vegetables [?] came in today but haven’t come out yet. Night shift each [man] got a pack of cigs when we fell out to go to work tonight. Friday September 15th [44.9.15] Sweet potatoes in the rice for breakfast and a bad soup. Rice for dinner and raw cucumbers or soup beans and rice for supper. Small ration all day. We were weighed today. My wt 57.2 [kilos] Saturday September 16th [44.9.16] Potatoes in the rice for breakfast. Straight rice for dinner. Sweet beans & rice or sugar. A good ration. A night off and not much sleep. Sunday September 17th [44.9.17] Pear jam for breakfast and rice & soup. Soya in the rice for dinner. Pears in the rice for supper. A very good ration all day. Monday September 18th [44.9.18] Straight rice all day. Very good ration all three meals. Good soup all three meals. Tonight we had a regular slum for stew. Tuesday September 19th [44.9.19] Inspection is coming up. We had big chow ration all day, more than some could eat. Night shift workers had to work all day today building bomb shelters. We don’t wok tonight. Wednesday September 20th [44.9.20] Another day of plenty of chow. One half bar of soap was issued tonight. Thursday September 21st [44.9.21] The inspection came off today. Night shift had to practice air raid drills this morning. We didn’t got [sic] only about 1-1/2 hours sleep today and we have to work tonight. Chow rations have late [sic] decrease again which we expected. Friday September 22nd [44.9.22] Straight rice all day. Small ration too. END OF DIARY Back to Part I |