SINGAPORE AND THE THAI RAILWAY EXPERIENCES OF ...

Extract of letter:
Written on board HM Hospital Ship "Karoa" between Singapore and Sunda Straits
Thursday, November 2 nd 1945
Dear Mother,
This will not be a long letter, but accompanying it will be part of a journal I am writing of the events of the past
4 years. A fortnight is to elapse before I reach Sydney and disembark, and I shall write for 2 hours daily and
cover as much narrative of events and impressions as I can. I shall post the first part of this when we reach
Fremantle and subsequent parts at Melbourne and Sydney. As I would like these kept as a record and reminder
to me of these past few years, will you please not destroy the journal, but keep it for me against the time I get
home.
We left Singapore at 3.00 p.m. on Monday and have almost reached the Sunda Straits between Java and
Sumatra. We travelled very slowly, at about 4 knots, yesterday so that we shall be able to pass through the
Straits in daylight. Four ships have already been lost since the end of the war in the straits due to mines and
great care is being taken that we do not encounter a similar fate. The hospital ship is the "Karoa", ex-B.I.S.N.
Co. mail ship on the run Calcutta to Singapore. She is a coal-burner and 32 years old and was converted into a
hospital ship in India. We are carrying 421 patients. The holds have been decked in and the majority of the
berths are in the tween-deck space. The more serious cases are in the old saloon on the promenade deck. The
nursing staff is composed of English sisters and Indian orderlies with English and Indian doctors. On previous
trips this ship has carried sick and wounded Jap. POWs to India. The sisters went on strike, but were ordered
by the colonel RAMC that, as Red Cross personnel, they were compelled to give the enemy sick and wounded
treatment, so they carried on. We are comfortably berthed with sheets and pillows on the palliases and the food
is good, cooked in, however, rather an uninteresting way. We are getting quantities of potatoes which we have
not had for so long and also chilled mutton and cabbage. I have made friends with 3 or 4 of the Australians –
we are of course predominantly Australian – and divide my time between reading, playing contract and, from
now on, in writing too. The majority of the patients, who by the way are really practically fit, spend most of
their time lying on their beds dozing. I have tried this, but it does not suit me. The sea air is relaxing but I
prefer to do my sleeping at nights.
I have had 2 tests made for amoebic dysentery, and I think it most probable that I shall be graded as fit for
immediate discharge when we get to Sydney. I was troubled for some months by stomach pains but, since the
course of sulphaguinidine, I have been feeling fit.
I am most anxious to get down to work again, but things really are in an appalling muddle in Singapore and the
British Military Government does not seem very keen to get out and make way for the civilians. It will
probably be about April before the Civil Government is back again in full force in Singapore, and until then no
private trading is permitted. There is, therefore, little point in my being in Singapore whilst the British Military
Administration is in charge. I had thought of offering my services to the Government, but it was obvious when
I got to Singapore that they just did not want any of the ex POWs and civilian internees to have a hand in
running things.
All my love,
Ted
4.