Monday 2nd February 1943 To 14th February 1943

Field Hospital Manipur Road Area

I worked normal this morning, but I had a headache again. Bill Lloyd and I were driving back to camp, in two vehicles, one behind the other, along the Imphal Road we had just past Kohima, when I felt peculiar. There was flashing lights of different colours in my eyes and I felt has if something was pressing on them. The reflection of the sun on the road seemed to make me dizzy and I felt very hot. It is a dangerous road when you are feeling well, the road is cut into the side of the Naga Hills, the  gradient varies and there are lots of twists and turns it is only narrow with a very steep drop on one side. The only thing I could do was stop at the side of the Road away from the edge where there was a few hundred foot drop into a chasm. Fortunately Bill was behind me, he stopped his truck and came running to see what was the matter. He said he could tell there was something wrong, the way I was driving. He could not get help we were miles from anywhere, we sat there and I had a drink of water. Eventually I felt a little better and was able to drive back to camp. The lads were having tiffin when we arrived, but I could not eat and I went to lay down. When my mates came in to see how I was feeling, I was going hot and cold and shivering. Bill said I am going to the office to get you put on a special sick report and one of  my other mates went and got the Dodge Van and they took me to the Field Hospital that was being built near the Manipur Road. There I was examined by the Medical Officer, he took a blood sample and told me to get into bed. Sometime later a R.A.M.C. orderly came and told me they had got the result of the blood test, and that I had got Malaria B.T. He said that it was not the worst type of Malaria, he took my temperature, checked my pulse, gave me a dose of quinine covered me with blankets and told me to try and sleep. For four days I had a fever, High temperature, sweating then shivering, during this period I did not want anything to eat the hospital staff brought me water to drink. Each morning they brought me water to have a wash and four times a day I was given a dose of quinine and had my temperature taken. On the fifth day I was out of the fever and feeling much better. I was not given any quinine and was told I had to rest for two days before starting the next part of the treatment. By now I was feeling more like eating but I saw the other patients food and it looked unappetising so got one of the ward boys to go out and get me some decent food. I wrote a letter home to my Mother and Father in the usual manor I did not tell them that I was in hospital, because they would be worried. I did write and tell my brother, he is in the army stationed in Glasgow. After the two days rest from quinine, they started me on some yellow pills. The orderly said they are a new treatment for Malaria and they are called mepacrine, they gave  them to me the next four days then changed my treatment again to another type of pill, I was not able to find out what they were called, in addition they started me on an iron tonic. By this time I was feeling very much better and taking notice of the surroundings. The hospital is still being built the site is in a jungle area that was recently cut down for the purpose, the roads and paths are still in the making in the grounds and leading to the site, they are very muddy when it rains, the wards are about 18 yards long, made entirely of bamboo with a grass thatched roof and like our basha in camp they are infested with all types of spiders and insects. The rows of bed in each ward are the usual Indian type made of wood and rope they are called charpoy’s. There are no lights in the wards, when it goes dark at 18.00hrs the patients just have to go to sleep. When you have to be given medicine after it is dark, the orderly comes round with an oil lamp. Drainage round the buildings is not completed and there are hundreds of mosquitoes around at night, you have to make sure your mossie net is well tucked in otherwise you get bit. The latrines are very primitive and are out in the open. There are a few small bamboo buildings that I was told are surgical operating theatres, they have lights the electric is provided by generators. During my stay in this hospital I have made many friends, a lot of them like myself have malaria some have ulcers (mainly on their legs) there are a few with ear trouble. There are a few men that have been wounded and are brought here to have operations and when they are fit to be moved they are sent to India. One of the wounded men we have a laugh with, told us he was driving a tractor near a place called Tammu when he was wounded, he was machined gunned and got five bullets in his bottom. He said, “it is a good thing the Japs fire a smaller calibre bullet than ours, they only felt like pin pricks when they hit me, but what do I tell the folks back home when they ask to see my wounds” The medical orderly told him he will probably be fit to travel with the next convoy. The majority of the men don’t stay long in this Field Hospital they move soon as they are fit to travel. We have been told that those suffering with ulcers will probably be sent back to England because the ulcers will not heal in this climate. There are men in here that have been involved in accidents, like the wounded they are sent to hospitals in India for further treatment.

Monday 15^th February 1943

 Early this morning there was a lot of excitement in the hospital, the staff  were running round making arrangements to evacuate all the sick and wounded who are not due to be discharged in the next few days. They are to be sent down the line to hospitals in India, the not too bad will be sent to Shillong or Gauhati in Assam. This will not effect me I was told I am to be discharged soon. The reason for this move, heavy fighting is expected in the area soon and arrangements have to be made to receive casualties. The Medical Staff at the hospital don’t know if our forces are going to attack or if the Japs are making a move. There orders are to make ready to receive casualties British and Japanese. Across the road from this hospital a prisoner of war hospital as been built there is barbed wire all round the area and a large Red Cross painted on the top. The Hospital Staff have been told to expect patients within the next ten days wards that are still under construction have to be equipped and ready to receive men. During the morning army ambulances arrived and took the men to a hospital train at Manipur Station at Diampur. This afternoon at about 15.30 hrs, I was sat on my bed reading  (we don’t have any chairs) the sun was shining brilliant. Then all of a sudden it went dark almost like night a large black cloud covered the sky and the temperature dropped, it went very cold, the wind started to blow, getting stronger and stronger by the minute until it was howling! The blankets on the beds started flapping then blowing round the ward, the few of us that are left in this place thought the roof was going to lift off. There were loud claps of thunder! Then all of a sudden the heavens opened up, rain came down as if someone had turned a tap full on, I have never seen rain like it before and all the lads agreed they had never experienced rain as heavy as this. Between the wards and the operating theatres there is a walk-way covered with corrugated iron sheets. Suddenly there was a terrific noise coming from them, it sounded as if they were being pounded with thousands of stones. One of the blokes said it sounds as if we are being machine-gunned. We went to the door to see what was causing the noise it was a most amazing sight! Hail-stones were falling, the size of which I have never seen before! Hail, perhaps snow-balls would be a more fitting description. They were like compressed snow or iced snow in balls a bit bigger than golf-balls. I never expected to see iced snow-balls falling in this hot climate, what amazed me most the suddenness with which this freak weather started. One minute a beautiful warm bright sunny day, then darkness cold wind thunder and a storm followed by huge hail balls falling from the sky, when they hit the hot earth they gave off steam. There was so many falling at one period that the sky was nearly black, and at ground level visibility was near zero. The hail storm stopped as suddenly as it started, the wind dropped, the black clouds quickly disappeared, and the sun came out again all in a few minutes. The only thing that remained was the mist and melted ice which quickly turned the ground into mud. It was undoubtedly the most extraordinary sight I have ever seen. I hope my mates from our unit were not driving on the Imphal Road during the storm, that Road would be extremely dangerous in those weather conditions.                  

Tuesday 16th To Friday 19^th February 1943

For the past few days I have been stuck in this blinkin hospital with nothing to except read or sleep, waiting to be discharged. The orderly takes my temperature etc and gives me some vile medicine now and again they do a blood test, I am on a diet but the food is still not very good. I feel much better now but I will admit to feeling very tired now and again. When the Medical Office came round I did not tell him that, I said I felt fine and would like to get back to work. He said alright you can be discharged today, you will be excused duties remain on a special diet and report to your own M.O for tests. There as not been any news of fighting in this area, and no casualties have been brought into the hospital to date. This afternoon a vehicle from our camp came to collect me and I spent the evening finding out what as been going on in the camp while I have been away. A few more men have joined our unit, replacements for those that have been sent home. There is no news of fighting on the Burma border but there is a rumour that a fairly large force of our troops have gone into Burma, probably that is why they are expecting casualties at the hospital.

Friday 26^th February 1943

During the past week I have done nothing but lounge about eat and sleep, the diet is not very good. I have been down to the workshop once or twice and done some maintenance on my truck. This morning I went to see the M.O, usually it is the medical orderly I see but today I saw the Doctor. I told him I was fed up lounging about he looked at my notes, then asked if I had any leave since I arrived in India? Of course I told I had not. He said take some and then we will think about letting you go back to work. Back in camp this evening I talked to some of the lads that have been on leave they all say wherever you go out here it involves a long journey by train taking days which is not very pleasant. Two of the lads have been to Darjeeling in Nepal they said it was very nice there and the weather is smashing, but it a very long journey and they did not advise it if I am not feeling 100% fit. I am certainly not inclined to go on my own.

War News, British and American aircraft have started round the clock bombing of German Cities.

Saturday 27^th February 1943

I was not feeling very good at all this morning and the food in camp has been ruddy awful. It made me think if I go on leave at least there will be good food. This afternoon I went to the unit office to see Joe Parker to see how long it would take to make arrangements for me to go on leave. He asked where I intended going, of course I told him I had not made up my mind, and I did not like the idea of going on my own, he said why don’t you have a word with Jock Purslow and Lumie they are going on leave to Calcutta.

Sunday 28^th February 1943

I am still excused duty and parades. This afternoon I went to see Jock and Lumie they said they had made arrangements and are going on leave Tuesday to Calcutta and are staying at the race-course. They said why don’t you go and see Joe and fix it to come with us. This I did and Joe said he would have to see the Old Man and get me a pass and travel warrant signed and to go back in the morning to see him.

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