"How is Australia?" (20)

Inside a 92nd Evac. ward tent at Rockhampton

September 30, 1943 (Thursday)
     ...  This evening we received 2 ambulance loads of the 162nd Reg. They landed at Gladstone and came up here by train. They were in on the Salamana [or Salamaua, New Guinea] push, so saw plenty of fighting. Terribly tough going - straight up and straight down, with Jap pill boxes at the top! Pill boxes so well constructed that a direct hit from a 105 wouldn't harm it. But it was the artillery that finally broke the last line. The AIF (Aussies who were in N. Africa) are the toughest fighters. But a green Aussie outfit! They said - Come on, what's wrong with you Yanks! And the Yanks had to help go up and carry them back. One of their first questions was "Has Finchhofen fallen?" It had - 3 days ago. [According to Wikipedia, Finschhafen didn't fall to the Australians until 3 October 1943: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finschhafen]
Also 24 nurses arrived from a staging area at Brisbane to help us. They are of the 108th Station Hospital. They had been at Townville a while.

3 Oct. '43
Dear Folks,
      Ho-hum! It's early in the morning. Well, 1 hour earlier at least. We went on day light saving time during the night. That puts us on the same basis as your war time. So now if it is 8 A.M. here, Sunday, it is 5 P.M. Saturday for you. Heck, I quit - I can't figure it.
     ... At last we are to have a floor in my office - a semi-permanent building. It is started and should be done in a few days time.
      I've started another leather sewing project - making a sort of bag to hold the camera and stuff with it. I'll get a zipper off some reclaimed clothing [it didn't turn out quite like he had envisioned it; it had no zipper, but was a box with an attached lid and strap]
     A patient is just going out this morning with whom we had a time when he entered. He was in full equipment, but a little out of his head and wouldn't let go his rifle. Fortunately it wasn't loaded for we had to take it away from him. We've been seeing some restricted pictures also of the Japs and their background. No wonder they are tough eggs.
      ... Hope you are both staying well!
      Love, Eugene


     Exerpt from "The Bitter Pill", Vol. 1 No. 8, a newsletter for the 92nd Evac. while in Rockhampton: "Leaving the brass and pulling our finger further down the roster we are confronted with the name, Adams, Francis, Capt., M.C. [Sparky].  When not instructing the nurse to 'begin the atabrine routine' Capt. Adams is deep in the throes of concentration dreaming up another invention.  Oh, well, you know what they said about Edison.  Then we have Armstrong.  Or do we?  Were we dreaming or did we actually hear someone say 'I think Capt. Armstrong is the nicest man!'  ...  Slightly removed but a first cousin to the medical service is Capt. Pfile who threads needles in the Receiving Dept. and sews in his quarters they do say.

October 6, 1943
      A 2nd Lt. from the 34th Div. had been with the 32nd Div. in some heavy fighting. He said that the natives saved his life. They carried him for 8 hours, after he had been shot in the back by a sniper.
      2 Portable Hospitals, 16th and 24th Portable Surgical Hosp. are attached to us for a rest. They were up at Salamana for 10 weeks, taking care of battle casualties. One of them was set up at the foot of the ridge where the fighting was. Stray bullets used to fly around them occasionally, or a mortar shell. I heard some men talking - his company got lost with 2 days rations, for 7 days. All the time they were within a mile of camp.  They say the hills are straight up and down , and so densely covered with growth!

6 Oct. '43
Dear Folks,
      ... You ask what I really think of the country. Well, I'm hardly in a position to judge it accurately. I haven't met many of the people, nor seen their homes, but what I have I like O.K. They have been at war much longer than we have, so naturally their stock of luxuries has been depleted,  But their manufacturing is a younger thing, so naturally their items don't have the polish or refinements that ours do. Many items are just too expensive, or too strictly rationed, for them to possess a lot of worldly goods. It seems to me that they waste an appreciable share of their income, betting on horse races or buying lottery tickets, or both. It seems almost a universal vice, with them! They do eat a great deal of sweets - cake and pastry more than candy. They have a lot of sugar - raise it I mean. And meat! Steak and eggs is their idea of a meal, so many of their restaurants are drab with an inescapable odor of steak fried in mutton tallow! The waitresses have not the polish - tend to slam things down and beat it! Most places have an acute shortage of matched dishes and cutlery - table knives with warped plastic handles, odd sized spoons (either demitasse size or tablespoon size), forks with bent tines. Napkins are seldom furnished - never cloth ones. Tipping is not expected. But of course I haven't seen their large cities. Their first 3 cities are said to be quite cosmopolitan, so I may be doing them a great injustice. I don't see how they have bourne up under the avalanche of "dog-faces" (infantry or GI's to you!) as well as they have. Our men, with higher pay, came to this country of relatively cheap prices. Supply and demand sent the prices soaring, so it worked a real hardship on the people. Thru it all they remain friendly. Get a book on Australia. It can tell you better. This "Australia" by Paul McGuire is quite good, even though I don't agree with all his views!
     I'm doing fine!
     Love, Eugene



October 7, 1943
      We admitted 100 patients in 12 hours, for a total of 103, midnight to midnight. Over half were soldiers just back from New Guinea.
      Today the carpenters ("joiners") said the plumbers (roofers) would put the roof on. Tree getter is a lumber jack.
      As I was sitting in my tent today 2 birds flew thru, touching my hair! They were playing tag, or whatever birds do when one chases the other.

October 14, 1943
     The other day I saw a bunch of [Japanese] things one of the Doctors brought back from Salamana - mosquito ointment, garden seeds, pencils, insignia, etc., and including a map on which some Jap officer had marked out the route by which he had come to New Guinea - just as I marked on my map our route to Australia!  Here's hoping no one gets mine as a souvenier!
     There's one bad thing about most of these movies - the heroine makes me so blasted lonesome and homesick for Beth!  Only 3 months in Australia and it seems like 3 years or more since I saw her.

TELEGRAM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Postmaster General's Office VIA BEAM W 404 FREEPORT ILL                                                          11 OCT 43
EMF   CAPT EUGENE FREDERICK PFILE 0 445677
AMBYDA QLD (ROCKHAMPTON)

BEST WISHES FROM ALL OF US BIRTHDAY GREETINGS LOVE BETH ANN PFILE

October 15, 1943
     My birthday today, 33 years old.  And here I'm in the army, and a long way from home.  They talk about the war lasting 1, 2, maybe 3 years more.  The prospect is mighty depressing at times.  If it wasn't for being separated from Beth, I wouldn't care.  Who knows what the future holds.  Probably it's best we don't know.  But there is no use fretting, for it can't be altered.  Only, it just plain hurts to know Beth is having to carry on with her problems [her father was dying and her brother going through a messy divorce], and I can't be there to help, or even comfort her.  Wonder where I'll be next year.  But feeling sorry for myself won't help a bit! There are plenty more in the same fix.

17 Oct. '43
Dear Folks,
     ...  But it [rain] is good weather for something.  My cobber, George, goes fishing in this muddy old river, but caught 2 catfish last evening.  The cooks fixed it (one fellow from Oregon who had been a fisherman by trade cleaned them just bst-bzt!).  They were astonishingly good!  We are still on tidewater here, but the river stays muddy.  I don't have the patience to sit in the dingy on the river.  It would be different on a lake.  ...
     As I sit here writing this , I overhear bits like this, "why you'd get up to about 4 feet before they'd open fire!"  I'm inclined to think that a lot of the stories get taller with the telling!  ...
     Yesterday I received Beth's Christmas package, which I only peeked into to make certain it was for Christmas, and then closed up again.  Other packages seem to be slower.
     My birthday passed very quietly.  In fact I scarcely thought of it.  Oh, I try not to feel sorry for myself.  I read the Psalm.  Thanks for the thoughts, Mother!
     You don't know our Padre!  He goes over big with the fellows.  He is quick on the trigger and can get the laugh on the others, and can preach the most forceful, short sermons I've ever heard!  And he is no hypocrite!  He is perfect as an army chaplain.  ...
     Love, Eugene

October 20, 1943
     ...  These 24th Portable boys had a rugged time.  They were in the 2nd wave landing at Nassau Bay.  They landed about 2 A.M., in heavy surf which turned their boat sideways so that they had to jump into the water from about 12 feet.  They crossed the narrow (30 yd) beach without opposition, and dug fox holes.  Then the Japs began infiltrating their perimeter (they were only a small group - a little over 1 company [100 - 250 men?].  Plans for following waves didn't pan out.).  The Japs fired at them with machine guns and mortars and used grenades.  32 of our men were killed that night, out of the group!  Luckily none of the Portable (which wasn't all there) were shot.  Next morning more troops landed and helped them! 

20 Oct. '43
Dear Folks,
     This is a very nice, fresh morning.  But I suppose it is just ordinary Spring weather for these parts.  Certainly my corn patch is growing after the rain.  And we've seen what tropical downpours must be like, but only for short periods.  here, as it seems to be elsewhere too, weather is essentially changeable.

Gene outside his tent in Rockhampton during a downpour

     We are now very fancy, and don't quite know how to act, with a floor and a roof!  The boys moved the office yesterday.  It isn't quite complete yet, but close enough for us.  The floor and posts beneath, are gum wood.  This is light brown color, reddish rather, and very heavy.  A piece of 4 by 4 about 10 feet long, is a good load for an office worker.  It is fully as heavy as ironwood, and about as hard.  No, it doesn't have the same odor when burning.  They have to work with it while it is still green, or it gets so hard they can't drive a nail in it.  As it is, nails are difficult to drive without bending.  Of course it then shrinks and warps a bit, but it merely makes it easier to sweep a floor - all the dirt drops thru.  The floor is rough sawn only, not planed,  For sides and roofing a sort of asbestos and plaster mixture [is used] to make a sheet.  This is fairly thin and somewhat brittle but makes fine siding and roofing.  One thing that makes a tent so hot is the fact that it is low at the sides.  Besides there is less head room at the sides.  this type of building has a space of about 3 feet between the top of the wall and the roof, and a rather wide eaves, and the side wall slopes inward at the top slightly, so that it is quite airy and rain seldom blows in.  It is commonly used in tropical and subtropical areas.  Like all the homes here, it is upon posts but partly also to make it level.
     It's funny to see them haul lumber.  Their trucks are none too heavy, and with the great weight of the lumber they can only haul what looks like a small load.  We are to get some table-desks made.  Now we are using big boxes, which leave something to be desired.  ...
     Love, Eugene

October 23, 1943
     Our census reached 790 this morning.  All 24th Div. patients must be out of hosp. very soon.  Are they going up front?  Could be.

24 Oct. 1943
Dear Folks,
     ...  Last evening I listened by shortwave to the "Zero Hour".  You might try to find it some time.  It is on here at 8:30 P.M. so that would be 1:30 P.M. for you (except Saturday for you)  The announcer hasn't a trace of an accent.  They give 5 minutes of news.  The Allies are referred to as the anti-Axis folks, while they are the Imperial Forces.  Their version is vastly different!  Their theme song is "Stars and Stripes Forever".  Can you feature that?  Oh it is very subtle.  They even played the record (it is all recordings) "I Am an American".  The announcer would put in comments between records such as "Remember the good old days back in the States - baseball, hamburgers, Coca Colas.  And where are you now?"  They just try to make the fellows homesick.  Funny thing is, everyone gets a laugh out of it, instead!  We should give them a program, called "Fortress Hour".  ...
     Love, Eugene

27 Oct. '43
Dear Folks,
     ...  I've given up my 2 feet square garden.  Carrying water to it is too much of a job.  It is queer - less than a week after a good rain it began to wilt, and if this is going to be the dry season for another 2 months, I'll pass, and wait for rain!  Besides there is too much competition  from the tree roots.
     Milk is still delivered from house to house by a horse drawn 2 wheeled cart, being dispensed from a large can into the housewife's container.  I don't know if it is pasteurized or not.  Apparently the prospects of meat rationing for the civilians here is causing quite a stir.  It won't affect us.  We get quite a few fresh vegetables, including the stringiest beans I've ever eaten.  We also get red beets, squash, cabbage (great quantities of that and frequently), stewed onions (fortunately they are now getting so that they cook or fry the onions separately.  But we still get them in fresh cucumber salad, bread, dressing, etc.  I declare, from all the onions I've seen, there must be an army regulation saying that onions must be served frequently!), fresh tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.  We usually have peanut butter or jam.  ...  We are still using the old mess line system.  And coffee - I've never drunk so much in my life before.  Officers have a liquor ration system.  I've been buying mine only part of the time!
     Some of the buses here are a bit ancient, with long running boards for side entrance into the seats which hold 4 and are crosswise.  There are open sides with canvas curtains for rain [see photo in post #17 of the bus in front of Stewarts].  When it is full, the driver will have 1 or 2 persons on his right and 2 or 3 on his left!  They have one line of nice modern ones, too.  These charcoal burning cars and trucks are peculiar looking items, but they run.
     Time for chow.  We have had no bugler for a long time and I miss it.
     Love, Eugene.

October 28, 1943

Joseph L. Ferguson

     No mail from Beth for 4 days, but a letter from Mother refers to Dad Ferguson's death.  He was one of the Best.  A true Gentleman and a Scholar.  If any mortal receives immortality, as indeed we all hope, it will be he.  How I wish I could have been with Beth to try to comfort her, and her Mother.  Requiesat in Pace.
     Today I admitted Lt. Col. Archibald Roosevelt, son of Theodore.  He is in the 162nd Inf. Reg. and was with their outfit in New Guinea.  He is tall and thin, graying hair and quite pleasant.  Admissions diagnosis - bronchitis.

31 Oct. 43
Dear Folks,
     ...Our weather has been very pleasant after a hot spell.  My tent mates and I spent Thursday afternoon fixing a bamboo frame for out tent.  The bamboo is about 3 to 4 inches across.  We put a frame along the top of the side wall, and longer corner poles (also of bamboo), raising the whole tent (including center pole) about 2 feet.  then we put three of the side walls out almost horizontal, all of which gives a much better circulation of air.  Besides, we have taken our clothes rack from the center pole where they took up a great deal of space, and hung them from the poles of the roof-wall location.  The poles are very convenient in that green as they are now, we put nails and hooks all along the wall for hanging things.  Handy stuff, that bamboo!
     The war news continues to sound good.
     Love, Eugene