hadn’t died, and when the Japanese soldiers had departed he’d stumbled around in the jungle until he was found by his European companions, and eventually by Frank Holland’s patrol.
That evening Frank took Bruce and Jessie aside. ‘I’m going to send you two to the evacuation point with a couple of my trusted men,’ he said.
Bruce attempted to protest but Frank cut him short. ‘You can relate what happened at the Tol plantation to the Australian government. It’s important that they learn how the Japs are treating captured Australian soldiers.’
Bruce could see the sense in that and the next day he and Jessie set off with barely enough supplies and the two armed Tolai police. They would have to travel through harsh and hostile territory, and both were aware that they were still a long way from safety.
5
D iane had forgotten what the word sleep meant. The babies and children screamed whenever the Japanese shelling rained down on the town. She and the few nurses left at the hospital would scoop up the babies in an attempt to calm them, swallowing down their own fears as the hospital was shaken by the exploding artillery.
‘A baby has been left on the doorstep,’ one of the Chinese nurses informed Diane as she held a trembling baby to her breast. ‘It is very sick.’
Diane handed the baby she was holding to the nurse and went to the front door, where a baby lay naked on the doorstep. Who and why the baby had been left in their care was not of relevance to Diane as she lifted the crying baby and took her to Dr Cicely Williams, the only remaining doctor at the hospital. The courageous medical officer examined the baby in Diane’s arms.
‘I suspect diphtheria,’ she said. ‘She needs to be taken immediately to the infectious ward over at the Middleton Infectious Diseases Hospital.’
Diane knew the location. ‘I’ll take her,’ she said, knowing that she would have to walk through the streets under constant shelling.
Diane stepped into the darkness, the baby in her arms, and commenced the dangerous trek. As she walked she prayed that her own son was safe in Singapore, waiting for her to join him so that they could flee this place of horror. British artillery responded to the Japanese shelling and the noise was stupefying. Diane could feel the shock waves of exploding shells, and her ears rang with the constant din.
One Japanese shell landed so close that Diane was hurled to the ground. She was able to keep her grip on the baby and buffet the impact so that the little body remained safe. For a moment Diane lay on her back, stunned, only half-hearing the baby’s distressed howls. As she recovered she wondered if any of the shrapnel had hit her. But she felt no pain and realised that she must have been lucky this time. She struggled to her feet and checked that the baby, too, was unharmed. The flashes of the Allied guns lit up the street, which was well and truly smashed by the Japanese bombardment. Eventually she reached the infectious diseases hospital and handed the baby over to a terrified nurse.
Diane turned around and walked back the way she had come. By now she was getting used to living in hell, although fear was her ever-present companion. She wished she’d taken the train with Patrick, but the helpless babies and children had no one other than her and the brave staff looking after them.
Back at the hospital Diane found an empty bed and collapsed into a dreamless sleep, oblivious to the continuing heavy gunfire beyond the walls.
The next day she awoke and as she opened her eyes she knew that she had returned to the same hellish world. From her window she could see dispirited soldiers streaming away from the town and it was this sight that made Diane realise that she would either be dead or a prisoner within days – if not earlier. Now all she could do was pray that Patrick was safe and either on Ty’s seaplane or a ship steaming to Australia.
Diane sat down on the edge of the bed and
That evening Frank took Bruce and Jessie aside. ‘I’m going to send you two to the evacuation point with a couple of my trusted men,’ he said.
Bruce attempted to protest but Frank cut him short. ‘You can relate what happened at the Tol plantation to the Australian government. It’s important that they learn how the Japs are treating captured Australian soldiers.’
Bruce could see the sense in that and the next day he and Jessie set off with barely enough supplies and the two armed Tolai police. They would have to travel through harsh and hostile territory, and both were aware that they were still a long way from safety.
5
D iane had forgotten what the word sleep meant. The babies and children screamed whenever the Japanese shelling rained down on the town. She and the few nurses left at the hospital would scoop up the babies in an attempt to calm them, swallowing down their own fears as the hospital was shaken by the exploding artillery.
‘A baby has been left on the doorstep,’ one of the Chinese nurses informed Diane as she held a trembling baby to her breast. ‘It is very sick.’
Diane handed the baby she was holding to the nurse and went to the front door, where a baby lay naked on the doorstep. Who and why the baby had been left in their care was not of relevance to Diane as she lifted the crying baby and took her to Dr Cicely Williams, the only remaining doctor at the hospital. The courageous medical officer examined the baby in Diane’s arms.
‘I suspect diphtheria,’ she said. ‘She needs to be taken immediately to the infectious ward over at the Middleton Infectious Diseases Hospital.’
Diane knew the location. ‘I’ll take her,’ she said, knowing that she would have to walk through the streets under constant shelling.
Diane stepped into the darkness, the baby in her arms, and commenced the dangerous trek. As she walked she prayed that her own son was safe in Singapore, waiting for her to join him so that they could flee this place of horror. British artillery responded to the Japanese shelling and the noise was stupefying. Diane could feel the shock waves of exploding shells, and her ears rang with the constant din.
One Japanese shell landed so close that Diane was hurled to the ground. She was able to keep her grip on the baby and buffet the impact so that the little body remained safe. For a moment Diane lay on her back, stunned, only half-hearing the baby’s distressed howls. As she recovered she wondered if any of the shrapnel had hit her. But she felt no pain and realised that she must have been lucky this time. She struggled to her feet and checked that the baby, too, was unharmed. The flashes of the Allied guns lit up the street, which was well and truly smashed by the Japanese bombardment. Eventually she reached the infectious diseases hospital and handed the baby over to a terrified nurse.
Diane turned around and walked back the way she had come. By now she was getting used to living in hell, although fear was her ever-present companion. She wished she’d taken the train with Patrick, but the helpless babies and children had no one other than her and the brave staff looking after them.
Back at the hospital Diane found an empty bed and collapsed into a dreamless sleep, oblivious to the continuing heavy gunfire beyond the walls.
The next day she awoke and as she opened her eyes she knew that she had returned to the same hellish world. From her window she could see dispirited soldiers streaming away from the town and it was this sight that made Diane realise that she would either be dead or a prisoner within days – if not earlier. Now all she could do was pray that Patrick was safe and either on Ty’s seaplane or a ship steaming to Australia.
Diane sat down on the edge of the bed and
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