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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 {[? wroth] } at the heads about the place because we haven't any decent to go to [?] 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 [? hanoneed] 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 ?? 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 [?] transit camp & settled in & had a most acceptable & necessary [?] 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 [?] 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 [?] 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 [?] . We went in & way down to the other end — the alter end — was a most [?] array of flickering 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
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6/10/45
who have [?] in Sydney finished up by giving him 4 cartons of cigarettes — but decent especially as [?] 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 hops.
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 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 [?] a hundred yank dollars so I should be right for cash.