Colley, Mamie Freda (Oral history)

British civilian teacher served as Queen's Army Schoolmistress with Army Education Corps in GB, Germany and Singapore, Malaya, 1926-1942; internee in Muntok Internment Camp, Bangka Island, Irenelaan and Poentjak Sekoening Barracks Internment Camps, Palembang and Loeboek Linggau Internment Camp, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942-9/1945

REEL 1 Background in London and Bromley, GB, 1905-1925: family and childhood in Bromley, Kent; education; training as teacher at Goldsmiths College, London. Recollections of period as Queen's Army Schoolmistress with Army Education Corps in Alexandra and Changi Military Schools, Singapore, Malaya, 10/1937-2/1942: prior duties as Queen's Army Schoolmistress with Army Education Corps in Aldershot, GB and with British Army of the Rhine in Germany, 1926-1929; posting to Singapore, 10/1937; accommodation in Fort Canning; daily routine and teaching duties at Alexandra Military School; move to Changi Military School; accommodation in officers' quarters; reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; effects of war on daily life; preparations for possible siege, 1941; Japanese air attacks on Singapore; evacuation of women and children; appointment to run Changi Military School; sheltering in trenches during Japanese bombing raids; closure of Changi Military School; husband Captain J B Colley's service with Royal Army Service Corps; morale; preparations for evacuation. REEL 2 Continues: use of anti-personnel bombs by Japanese; air raid shelters; story of husband being injured in air raid; presence of 16 Inch Gun in front garden. Aspects of evacuation aboard the HMS Mata Hari away from Singapore, Malaya, 12/2/1942-15/2/1942: living conditions aboard ship; opinion of food; bombing of ship by Japanese aircraft; reason for captain Lieutenant Albert Carston not firing at aircraft; sinking of other ships in convoy and rescue of wounded; capture of ship by Japanese destroyer, 15/2/1942; disposal of passport and other personal belongings overboard; disembarking at Muntok, Bangka Island, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 16/2/1942. Aspects of period as internee in Muntok Internment Camp, Bangka Island, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942-3/1942: problems with migraine; contents of suitcase; sleeping on stone jetty, 16/2/1942; smell of burning bodies; fear of being executed; how Japanese left wounded on stretchers in sun; reaction to hearing of fall of Singapore, Malaya, 15/2/1942; separation of men and women; march to internment camp; opinion of treatment by Japanese guards; description of camp and accommodation in Chinese workers dormitories; medical treatment of survivors from convoy. REEL 3 Continues: relations with Japanese guards; organisation of camp; daily routine and activities in camp; use of billycan; cleaning of latrines; opinion of food. Aspects of voyage as internee from Muntok to Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 3/1942: description of voyage; problem of heat; theft of jewelry by Japanese troops. Aspects of period as internee in Irenelaan and Poentjak Sekoening Barracks Internment Camps, Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 4/1942-10/1943: description of Bukit Besar Internment Camp and accommodation in cottages; how Dutch internees shared food; number of internees in each house; problem of overcrowding and organisation of living space; sleeping arrangements; use of Mae West as pillow; furniture; cooking facilities; confiscation of scissors and razor blades by Japanese; separation of male and female internees; move to accommodation in house and garage; relations with Dutch internees. REEL 4 Continues: living conditions in house and garage; sleeping arrangements; washing and sanitary facilities; furniture; attitude to giving personal details to Japanese; problem of lack of bedding and mosquito nets; story of making shorts out of transparent material; organisation of camp by Japanese; problem of irregular food supplies; Japanese chain of command; opinion of camp commandant; number of guards; election of representatives for camp committee and how internees ran camp; distribution of rations; election of Dutch and British camp representatives to liaise with Japanese; emptying of septic tanks; drainage; medical treatment; sick parades; management of camp currency; relations with Japanese guards; roll call. REEL 5 Continues: physical punishments including face slapping and standing in the sun; story of Australian nurses; question of sexual abuse of internees; daily routine and camp duties including chopping wood, preparation of meals, cleaning of rice and organisation of communal work; receiving pay from Japanese to stitch loin cloths; role in organising education for children; problem of having no teaching materials and use of slates supplied by Japanese; subjects taught and teaching methods; size of classes; food sources; problem of poor quality rice; other food sources including vegetables, tapioca, sweet potatoes, maize, meat and fish. REEL 6 Continues: problem of lack of protein in diet; attitude to eating soya beans; purchase of food from local supplier; instance of internees being forced by Japanese to dig vegetable garden; question of receiving Red Cross parcels; allocation of rations; methods of cooking food; problem of scurvy and beri beri due to insufficent diet; treatment for tropical ulcer on leg; death rate among internees; medical facilities and camp hospital; problem of lack of drugs; contracting malaria; attitude of Japanese to internees' living conditions; clothing and shoes; camp currency; question of internees receiving money from Japanese; bartering in camp. REEL 7 Continues: move to Poentjak Sekoening Barracks Internment Camp, 20/9/1943; opinion of living conditions; accommodation in attap huts; sleeping arrangements; layout of camp; separation of Dutch and British internees; story relating to German internee; medical facilities and camp hospital; question of equality among internees; state of health and physical condition; contracted dysentery; death rate and burial of dead; preparation of will; attitude to selling personal effects of deceased; problem of malnutrition; contracted jaundice; methods of earning money in camp including cleaning latrines, teaching English, making clothes, cooking and other camp duties; purchase of extra food. REEL 8 Continues: organisation of camp and elections to camp committee; amusing anecdotes about Japanese guards; volunteer rota system for camp duties; water supplies; preparation and serving of food; distribution of food by Japanese; availability of fruit; description of pounding tapioca and maize; camp choir; celebration of birthdays in camp; church services; deteriorating health and morale; attitude to United States Army Air Force air raids; problem of skin diseases among internees; amusing story of fertilizer; difficulty in obtaining soap; cleaning clothes; method of obtaining water. REEL 9 Continues: further details of water supplies; head counts; amusing anecdotes about camp life. Aspects of period as internee in Muntok Internment Camp, Bangka Island, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 10/1943-3/1945: journey to Muntok, Bangka Island; description of camp and accommodation; contracting malaria; death rate; story of checking lanterns in huts; problem of recurring bouts of malaria; lack of adequate medical facilities; liaison between camp representatives and Japanese. REEL 10 Continues: journey to Loeboek Linggau, 4/1945. Aspects of period as internee at Loeboek Linggau Internment Camp, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 4/1945-9/1945: description of camp and accommodation on rubber plantation; relations with Japanese guards; cooking food; problem of recurring malaria; sanitary facilities; water supplies; state of health; treatment for leg ulcer; camp hospital; death rate and burials; attitude to distribution of personal belongings of dead; morale; story of listening to Japanese military band; reaction to receiving news of end of war from Japanese camp commandant, 2/9/1945 REEL 11 Continues: fear of reprisals by Japanese against internees; attitude to return of male internees; story of children visiting their fathers in men's camp; reason for remaining in camp; requisitioning of food, medical supplies and clothing from Japanese stores; story of liberation of camp by Major Jacobs; repatriation process and return to Singapore, Malaya. Reflections on period as internee: religious beliefs; attitude towards Japanese and question of reconciliation.