Permalink
Transcription
27 [?]
[? P.N.H.]
Camp Area No 7
Military PO
[? Melville]
Copy
Saturday 6/10/45
We've had quite a good day & are now at a spot [?] north west of [?] called Laoag. We had a good run up from Borneo & tomorrow we go to Okinawa.
Gosh, what a flap it was yesterday to get fixed up & in very little time actually, we aren't fixed up & we feel very [? wrath] at the heads about the place because we haven't any decent to go to strut around [? Tokio] — as have a few other RAAF chaps who are also doing the trip. There are 2 Dougs on the way also & they get fitted out in blue battle dress, complete with their ribbons. I borrowed a pair of wings to adorn my shirt with & promptly lost them today sometime. Oh well. We'll get around in our own khaki shirts & trousers & be blowed to them. I'm sure someone would or should get a kick in the pants for allowing us to go so poorly equipped. Never mind I've got my gun!
We arrived here at 2.30 & after I'd seen to the kite & got things straightened out we came up to a Yank transit camp & settled in & had a most acceptable & necessary shower. Then we had a good feed & set out for an amble about the town. It's quite a fair sized place — about 30,000 I believe — we were reminded of our jaunts through Palestine & the M.E. There are lots of [?] of a very [?] variety & we had a look-see. Ray bought himself a hat & a pair of slippers, Mac bought ½ [?] cigars & I paid for the [? gharry] .
We were a bit shaken by to [?] . It was 6 o'clock when we got there & the evening service was over — it's an RC one of course — & there were hundreds there the church is a huge affair — very old & really very dignified but it was the inside that shook [? us] . We went in & way down to the other end — the alter end — was a most beautiful array of [? twinkling] lights & the paintings & decorations were most impressive. Lots of chanting was going on & we just slipped in & then after a while just slipped out — but not before I'd got a photo.
Most of the yanks here have done a session in Australia & they welcomed us most profusely when we arrived. Roy got talking to a couple of them
2.
6/10/45.
who have wives in Sydney, finished up by giving him 4 cartons of cigarettes — quite decent especially as rumour has it that cigarettes will buy anything in Japan.
I'm so glad I've got the Contax to take photos with — lots of them. We were in town late tonight & without such a fast lens I wouldn't have been able to do much as it was too dark. As it is I don't know how these will go. I am doing a great deal of guessing but have hopes.
I'll try to write each evening, to tell you of our doings — I've an idea that Tokyo is going to be a pretty interesting experience. Also I think we're going to look at a few other places, I hope.
I think I'd better get some shuteye now.
P.S. I put my pay book slightly in the red to draw [?] out a hundred yank dollars so I should be right for [? coin] .
