1st Class Journey

Peter Bazire writes:

" Recently I rang the Scout Information Centre to ask about the "1st Class Journey" that I undertook in Weihsien with my class-mate Jamie Taylor. I was told that it was part of the "1st Class Badge" which no longer exists as such.

My “1st Class Journey” account was in June, but 1944 or 1945 - I don’t know. In the hymn “New every morning is the love…” there is a line: “The trivial round, the common task.” These pages are a bit like this last line: nothing dramatic; just 27hours of observations of Camp life.

1st Class Journey.
June 8th 6 o’clock pm to June 9th 9pm

In the afternoon at 2.30-3.30 we chopped wood. We had a good deal of surplus wood which was very dry. We borrowed Birch’s axe , but during the journey we didn’t use it.
Having packed the big haversack (J. Clark’s) with 2 blankets and the axe handle which was loose, and the small one (Ru Hoyte’s) with billy-cans, towel etc. and matches, salt, tooth brushes, a miniture (sic) book of psalms, peanut oil, raw food, spoon etc. mugs, we left the building at about 6.00.
We emptied the kit out of the haversacks on to the mattresses which we had brought at about 3.30.
We had forgotten the watch so J. Taylor went & fetched J. Graham’s while I lit the fire 6.05.
I put a billy can of water on which, when almost boiling, I put in another billy can.
J. Taylor returned with the watch at 6.10 and we fried leeks in a billy can.
J.T’s food was cooked already so we ate that with some fried bread which was fried after the leeks.
The weather was uncertain – a haze all over. There was a pleasant breeze blowing which came from W.S.W.
We did not have to carry our kit with us in the evening 5 rounds.
At about 7.00 we were ready to leave Mr. Warren’s block & he informed ...

... us that he had decided with Mr. Houghton that at 9.00, if the weather was threatening we would move over to the Hospital under the outside steps.

The round was from 23 to church – down Italian lane – to power house – to S. Field – to L. Showers & back to 23. 5 rounds between 7.00 & 9.00 p.m.

1st round.

The sun was a white haze.
C. Trickey was at Mr. Hubbard’s who was banging some tins together.
Trickey had probably seen something interesting.
The Kitchen I boiler room stokers were at the showers & the kitchen workers were packing up.
Mr. Dallimore was stoking at boiler I. D. Clark was pumping. The guage was 2’6”.
The Houghtons’ aluminium drinking water jug was at the pump.
Swifts and Azure winged Magpies were about the only birds around.
Occaisionly (sic) a shrike ...

... would call harshly.

The church door was locked.

The sky S.W. was comparatively heavy. In the N.E. it was slightly blue.

There was a game of soft-ball on – Sadler v Sonny. Sadler was leading by 6-0.
Mr Avery was pumping.
There were little children playing on Italian lane.
An azure was trying to peck at another while flying.
Charlie Hope-Gill was watering Mr. Marshall’s garden.
Stedeford (Roland David Stedford) was pumping 7 – 7.30 at the Hospital pump. The gauge was 4’11”.

Miss Craggs was teaching Mr. Beasly (Mr. Oliver J. Beesley) the violin in the barber’s room.
There were a few little black insects plaguing my leg.
The S. Field was empty.
There was the usual evening gossiping in block 50 yard.
At the ladies showers, Mr. Girling was stoking and Mr. David pumping very slowly.
There was a small queue for distilled water which was flowing very slowly.
I noticed the walls were still very warm from the day’s heat.

At 7.30 when we were leaving, Mr. Girling told Mr. David that he was going to fill the boiler. The gauge was 6” from overflow.
Mr. Churchill was smoking a long Chinese pipe.
We noticed an azure’s nest in a silver poplar ...

... N.E. of 24. We also heard & saw an oriole. There were lots of sparrows by the sisters’ room.

P.S. There was a man sketching in pencil the K2 Boiler room & that arch way.

2nd Round

D. Clark was still pumping.
The softball game was still going on.
Mr Lawless was going to the church being a ticket seller at the back.
Chalkey (Donovan) pumping at the Hospital tower weather-vein (sic) said S.E. wind.
Hoyte 4 & Welch were hitting a tennis ball back & forth on the S. Field.
Miss Talati was walking around the S. Field.

6.45
Mr. David was still pumping at the Ladies showers.
The sketches had finished just as we came around 35.
K.2 stokers had just finished.
There was second oriole with the first.

3rd round

D. Clark still pumping.

7.46.
A man came for distilled water at Boiler I.
The next day’s bakers were coming to set yeast.
The softball game finished 16-0 Sadler-Sonny.
Jesu playing chess in Italian room.
The wind as we came down Italian lane was due E., but it was always changing. On a whole it kept to S.E.

7.55.
There was a service in the Iso. Ward.
I was informed by George Andrews that there were two ...

... tennis leagues for over 18 & under.
Miss Craggs had just finished from the violin lesson.
J. Hoyte was climbing over the Jap-S.E. wall having hit a tennis ball over but he hadn’t found it.

Mr David was still pumping 8.00.
The board with ‘no hot water’ was still up.
The guage (sic) was 4” from overflow, but by the time we finished at that place, there were only 2” to go. There was very little water in the well.
Mr. Girling had just finished drawing the fire.
One person came for drinking water. Mr. David told her by mistake that it was not drinkable, but that it was the steam from the boiler condensing : so she asked Mr. Girling who said it was perfectly drinkable.
The baby rooks came out of their nests & cawed slightly more shrilly than their parents.
We saw the rovers going to their meeting in uniform.
People were playing tennîcoît (sic) behind 23.
A pied woodpecker flew from W-E behind 23.

At 8.10 an oriole was answering another in a tree 20 or 30 yds off.
The sky was very yellow around the setting region.
There were doves cooing but very few birds out.

4th Round

The sun set at about 8.12.
The K.I. workers had finished and were coming back from their showers.
At 8.15 there were people gambling in K.I.
Bazire I pumping 8 – 8.30. The guage (sic) was 2’ 8”.
Dr. Hoch’s shift were well into their work.
8.20.
The lights came on at 8.22.
The Jap guard in the corner of the softball field was sitting on a stump leaning on his rifle.
‘Death takes a holiday’ began at 8.25.
Ru Hoyte was running to pump at the Bakery.
D. Parry was talking to the Italians.
There were a few slightly reddish clouds low down N.E. Cool breeze blowing.
R. Candlin was running up to fetch Mr. Mihailoff.
When we were at the bottom of the road Candlin was running back and told us that he was too buisy (sic) to come since he was in the show.

P.S. (I forgot to mention that the lights were off at the school)

. Mr. Stoker & Mr. Faers were talking to Mr. & Mrs. Allan.
Amos was pumping 8.30 – 9.00 at the Hospital. The guage (sic) was 5’ 0”.
At 8.35 the wind was S.S.E.
Mr. Girling who had been stoking at Boiler II had had a shower because he was clean & was going to Mr. Houghton.
The Jap guard was sitting on the turret wall.
The 57 residents were gossiping S. of 57.
There ...

... were no people on the S. Field.

8.38.
A cat was running around the Zimmermans back yard.
The rovers were in S.E. room of 35.

At 8.42 the Boiler II was closed up & the guage (sic) was 3” from overflow.
The bats were beginning to fly around.
I hoped that they would kill off some of the insects that were plaguing my leg.
Miss. Ragiere (Miss Marie Joanna Reiger) was sketching Miss Melo (Miss. L. Meebold) & Mrs. Cox who were sitting on the 8 steps of 23.
There were gamblers in K2. The kitchen was empty.
The better ‘Death - Holiday’ was on K.2 notice board.
People were watering their gardens.

5th Round

8.50,
people were still gambling in K1.
Father Ghyselinck was reading in K1.
8.52
the bakers were still mixing dough—some had finished & were having showers.
Mr Huebener was fetching hot water for the bakery.
Stoker banking fire at Boiler 1.

9.00,
Mr Harle emptying yeast dregs. Wind died down.

9.58
Amos finished pumping.
Guides singing songs in 61.
Jap guard still sitting in old position on turret.
The Rovers were singing as if they were board(sic).
Insects-moths were flying around the lights.

9.05 finished.

We then went back to Mr Warren & since it looked like rain, we moved our mattresses under the hospital SW steps & our kit.
We were careful with the peanut oil.
The lights went out at 10.15.
These are the constellations and stars that were up at 10.15 from camp-site. There was only the SW section of the sky visible.: Straight above, Bootes, a star Arcturus. Hydra in the south, a star Alphard. Leo in the SW fairly high up a star Regulus. Castor & Pollux just setting in W. Virgo in the S, a star Spica. Since we were where the two wings of the hospital met, there was very little sky visible.

We woke up in the night & it was absolutly (sic) clear but by the morning it had clouded over again.
We woke up at 5.00 but went to sleep & woke up at 5.30.
Mr Warren came to see how we were getting on.
We then set out for 23.

5 rounds between 5.30 & 7.30.

1st Round.

5.55 shreddy clouds. E. one haze.
Heard orioles & doves.
Irwin & Marques on KI.

5.59. Irwin stiring (sic) sweetened porridge.
2 or 3 people in hot water queue.
Clearing up on the N sky - clouds yellow - sun somewhere near.

Dallimore stoking still at Boiler I.
Lester pumping Bakery.

6.00. Mr. Calvert sieving (sic) cinders.
Guage (sic) 1’5”.
Weighing out dough into pans for baking – Hoch’s shift.
Field empty.
No guard to be seen.
Pat Beatty practicing in the church.

6.08. Oriole heard in church yard.
Gentle breeze E.S.E.
Red legged falcon whistling in big Italian poplar.
Bird pumping at the Hos. Pump.

6.10. Lots of sparrows in hedges by sewing room.
Bell 3 asking John Mann about his exercises which are very funny to watch.

6.12. I. Chan & Father Hanquet playing tennis.
Oriole made a noise like a person whistling high to low ‘tu.
Baby rook flew over Garland Smith lighting brick stove fire.
People going for tea.

6.15. Orioles in 23 trees.
Red-foot gliding over.
Girling stoking & Boiler 2.
Sun rising.

P.S. Bongo Jones (James Sidney (Bonzo) Jones) & Rich (Richard A. Jones) sleeping out.
Rich’s bed collapsed.

2nd Round

Dick Burge’s rooks on perch in KI.
6.20. 2 men sweeping KI with tea leaves.
Some vegetable workers at work.
Heard the Shrikes.

6.25., Steele doing exercises on the field.
Jimmy doing exercises in the Hos. Pump area

6.27. Jap guard walking around.
Wind changed to S.S.E. getting stronger.

6.29. 2 orioles on top of poplar ½ way ...

... up cow lane.
We rested on the W.35 steps.

6.35. Torjesen I & Candlin going to pump. Torjesen getting hot & drinking water.
Manning Railton doing exercises on mat.

3rd Round

6.39. Bakers eating perks.
L. Attree’s team having practice

6.40. J. Pyke hitting out to them.
Heard female cuckoo.
Overhead no clouds

6.46. Quiet morning.
Hos. Tank, 5’ 1”. No pumper.
R. Masters & G. Bell carring (sic) out mattresses

6.48. thourough clean out of their room.
Sun just appeard over Hos. onto S. Field. - We rest at 35.
Drongo on cowlane wall. S. David carring (sic) water to K2.
Ladies doing vegetables at 6.52.

Boiler 2 queue just started

6.54. 3 or 4 swifts flying around. Baby sparrows in 35 eaves.
Wheat ripening.
Clouds standing out against blue sky very clearly.

7.00. A Burmese red turtle dove flew over from West fields with a twig in mouth.

4th Round

K.I. vegetable workers picking wor…. out of baskets.
There was a small queue for hot water.
The magpie in K.I. yard was cocking ...

... its head as if looking at some object up in the air.
The softball practice finished at 7.05.
D. Carter pumping at Bakery.
There was a long queue 20 odd.
S.E. wind

7.10. At the Hospital pump Mr. David pumping extremely slowly.
The guards at the tennis court changed at 7.17.
We rested at 35 as usual.
We changed the watch.
Mr. Foxlee practicing at 35.
S. David still getting water.
Usual happenings at K.2.
Mr. Lane & Jonesy chopping wood.

5th Round

Bakers cleaning bin at 7.26 - making buns.
Guage (sic) 2’ 2”.
There were groups of flies here & there.
A red-foot was whistling in a tree by guard house.
Hos. Weather vein (sic) swinging from S.E. to S.S.E & back.

Mr. David loafing.
Guage (sic) 4’ 10 ½ “.
Jap sitting on turret.
Mr. Foxlee finished & Mr. Gleed practicing (sic).
Stedeford (Roland David Stedford) pumping at Boiler 2 from 7.30.

– 8.00. Huebener finished his early morning bakery work.

7.39. finish

(The watch stopped & was moved forwards so we ended a bit late.)

From there we went & got our jug & cooked our breakfast by the bushes N.E. of the hospital.
Taylor lit the fire while I got my breakfast. Then he got his.
We boiled the potatoes (four) for 15 mins. We then fried them + some bread. We had a little fried bread + potatoes but kept most of it for afterwards. We fried some crusts broken up.
Mr. Warren visited us twice.
We had another billy can on the fire for hot water.
When we had finished frying we had nearly a full milk tin of fried stuff.
We washed up our plates etc. & the billy cans with ash & water.

The roll call bell went so we took our kit upstairs & after roll call divided out the fried potatoes & bread.
We brought up the two mattresses which we had borrowed from Sadler II.

Then we got down to this account.

Finished Sunday 6 o’clock p.m.

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