Table of Contents Document No.: 4.13.0159     1. Provenance         a. Collection         b. Terms of Use         c. Physical Description         d. Geographic Location     2. Transcription     3. Order the Book     4. Related Artifacts

Download or View this Artifact Online
View Online	Word Doc	Text File
Orginal Artifact	Transcription(s)

Provenance

Back to Top

Collection

Courtesy of the Johannes Petrus Rugers Family

Terms of Use

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License. This document may be copied for educational, non-profit, or personal use; however, an appropriate acknowledgement of the source should appear with each copy. The source should be designated as "Al Young, alyoung.com." To request permission to use this image in association with any for-profit endeavor, please contact us.

Physical Description

8.5 in. x 11 in.

Geographic Location of Origin or Subject

Kawasaki Prison Camp No. 2B, Kawasaki, Honshu, Japan

Latitude: 35.501771°
Longitude: 139.721759°

View the KMZ file in Google Earth or other KML-enabled browser or view the map.

Transcription

Back to Top

The following transcription of the diary was prepared by Sandra van de Mortel, and is presented here with her kind permission:

The Kawasaki Diary of Johannes Petrus Rugers The following transcription of the diary was prepared by Sandra van de Mortel, and is presented here with her kind permission: Arrived in Japan. November 1943. It was rainy weather and cold. From there we made a trip by train for two days. The trip by train was very beautiful because there was a lot to see. Agriculture is mentioned. 17 November 1943 we arrived at the camp. The place is called Kawasaki. In the camp we got a sleeping place (maleisian: tampatje). The next day we got clothes and a working suit and a porridge bowl for when we get home in the evening. We were free until the 23rd of November. Then we started to work at the factory. At seven o'clock in the morning we go to the factory. The work is all kinds of jobs, like carrying away the dirt, carrying stones, taking away the (wind) electric motors; sweeping the streets and houses and washing the windows and doors; digging ditches, wells, and cellars; and more work like this. We arrived in the heart of the winter and we had many very cold days. Life in the camp is very monotonous. At seven A.M. we go to work until eleven A.M. Then we go back "home" to eat and at 1 P.M. we go back to the factory to work until five o'clock. When we arrive at home we wash ourselves and we have free time until eight o'clock. We have food at six o' clock. At eight o'clock is roll call. Once every ten days we have a day free. You can make a long washing, shave yourself, and recuperate. Talking about the food, it is delicious, prepared well and very varied. On some days we have rice three times, some days twice, and some days once. The days when we have rice once or twice we have beans three times, and once a week we have bread. The food is good but there is little of it. The past days we were very busy with making [illegible] We made about a thousand. After we've finished that job we tightened them in the big cauldron. Lately we worked hard with taking away the blue clay. With stuff that came out of the cauldron we fixed a gasholder. In that, we had to tighten up the frames in it and then cover it with sand. The 20th. We carried away that day a lot of dirt, dirt and stones. In the afternoon we cleaned the electrician's room. February 18 We had an inspection by a Japanese major. We had that day a half day free to prepare the camp for his coming. You could notice that it was an inspection because on the day before the inspection and the day of the inspection we had plenty of food. The minute the inspection was over we had the same song as ever: Less of everything. February 21 Although it was a little bit cold in the morning it was nice weather. In the afternoon it felt even a little bit warm. Today we picked up two motors and put them on their place by a crane. By a hand-crane. We took about two hours for one motor. February 22 We had a very dirty job. We had to clean a little piece of the electric. We swallowed a lot of dust and in the afternoon the same again. February 23 A very heavy day. We had to clean the cauldrons and in the afternoon we had to take away the blue clay which is coming out of the cauldrons. February 24 We have to bring porcelain kettles upstairs. We had to place those things against the co-ordinate system and put screws on. It was dirty work. February 25 Work was dirty. We had to chip away the blue clay in the cauldrons. In the afternoon the same. February 26 Our group is 5 men strong. Three men were standing in the cauldrons and shoveled them empty. Two men carried away the blue clay with a barrow. It's exactly the same work as the 25th of February. February 27 I had my day off and cleaned the home very well. Yesterday there was an accident at the factory with a soldier (the man who is carrying the flag, or vaandrig. This man lost his left hand. February 28 We put porcelain pots and axles in the electric fabrik. In the afternoon we cleaned everything around our place and gave the place itself a cleaning. February 29 The weather was like summer. We didn't have such a rough day today. In the morning we carried a lot of trash away and in the afternoon we cultivated, swept and irrigated at Dai Saw [spelling uncertain]. The weather wasn't that nice today. There was a cold breeze. Today we stopped cleaning in the electric fabrik. We cultivated in the morning at Dei Saw and in the afternoon we cultivated at dei san on the first of March. March 2 The work was the same as yesterday in the morning. We cultivated at dei Nie [spelling uncertain] and in the afternoon we finished the cultivating. March 3 The weather was lovely today. We worked today here at the decent. In the morning and afternoon we carried away a lot of sand. This happens with a "Pikoelan". March 4 The same work as yesterday. March 5 The weather wasn't nice today. It was cold and it snowed. Today we shovelled the cauldrons. We had to do this in the severe cold. March 6 The weather was not that cold. We carried today the dirt and mud away. March 7 We kept ourselves busy today with digging two trenches. March 8 We picked up in the morning wooden timbers, rope and sacks. In the afternoon we finished the work from yesterday. Today we have been prisoners of war for two long years. March 9 I had a day off. March 10 W didn't have to do a lot because it was rainy weather. March 11 We picked up materials and in the afternoon we dug out little ditches March 12 We carried away the dirt in the morning hours. In the afternoon we filled sandbags and stapled them for an air-raid shelter. March 13 We filled sacks with sand and in the afternoon we repaired a bike. March 14 It wasn't nice weather and it rained. The work was digging little ditches. March 15 – 16 We worked all day at the electric fabrik. The work was dusting the engines and large switchboards. We carried away a lot of dirt and we swallowed a lot of dust. March 17 – 18 Was awfully cold weather. It rained all day and we had a very dirty job to do March 19 It snowed. Everywhere, everything was dirty and sloppy. In the morning we filled sacks and in the afternoon we carried them away. March 20 I had a day off. The weather is awfully cold. The food is delicious but there is little of it. Last night we had an earthquake. March 21 We dusted the engines and in the afternoon we carried away the dirt. Today we had a nice day of spring. March 22 We kept ourselves busy with cleaning the engines. March 23 – 24 I worked in the cellar. We washed out the blue clay. For two days I have had very, very cold feet. In the diary, the following is written in block letters: LIEVE LENA EN KINDEREN EINDELIJK MAG IK WEER EENS SCHRIJVEN. NAAR JULLIE DAT IS MISSCHIEN WEER EEN TIJD GELEDEN DAT JE VAN MIJ EEN KAART OF EEN BRIEF ONTVANGEN HEBT,M WAT MIJ BE- TREFT IK BEN NOG ALTIJD GEZOND. IK BEN NOG NOOIT ZOO LANG IK VAN THUIS AF BEN ZIEK GEWEEST. EN LIEVE LENA HOE GAAT HET MET JE EN DE KINDEREN? IK WIL HOPEN DAT HET MET JULLIE OOK NOG ALLES IN ORDE IS EN GEZOND ZIJT. WAT VERLANG IK NAAR JOU EN DE KINDEREN. EN LIEVE LENA MAAK JE MAAR NIET ONGERUST OVER MIJ. EENS ZUL- LEN WIJ WEER BIJ ELKAAR KOMEN. WAT ZAL DAT WEER EEN VREUGDE ZIJN, ALS IK ANNIE EN ELLIE WEER EENS TERUG ZIE. DAN ZAL IK ZE WEL NIET MEER HERKENNEN. DAT ZUL- LEN WEL EEN PAAR FLINKE MEIDEN GEWOR- DEN ZIJN. IN GEDACHTE ALLEN GEKUST (DOOR) BOY MRS. M. RUGERS MARGOMIRMOLO IV ZAAL 9. AMBARAWA JAVA The diary contains a translation of the foregoing letter. Perhaps someone helped Grandfather, or has written this for him in Dutch block letters and English. Dear Lena and children, At last i'm allowed again to write to you. It's a longtime ago you had a postcard or letter from me. As far as I am concerned, I am in good Health. I have never been ill as long as I have been from home. Dear Lena, how are you and the children? I hope you are all keeping well. How I long to see you and the children again. Don't worry about me. The day will come that we shall meet again. What joy it will be to see Annie and Ellie again, They will have grown to such big girls, that I won't be able to recognize them. In my thoughts I kiss you all. This is the end of Grandfather's diary. Why he stopped writing, and how the diary came into the family's possession, remain unknown.

Order the Book

Back to Top

My Father’s Captivity $21.95 USD Haunted by darkness surrounding his childhood in the aftermath of his father's captivity as a Japanese POW during World War II, a young boy embarks upon the journey of a lifetime. My Father's Captivity is the story of what the boy discovered about captivity, endurance, and healing. The book's 320 pages feature a captivating narrative, 140 illustrations, and the text of 60 original documents that tell the story in the words of those who lived it on the home front as well as the battlefront. The volume's notes, bibliography, and index summarize more than 30 years of research and writing. Categories: Al Young, Book, My Fathers Captivity Product No.: 0.09.0050.010 In Stock - Item can ship by Friday, 10 September, 2010

Related Artifacts

Back to Top

View All Related Artifacts
View Search Results Pages: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21

Warren R. Stewart, Jr., Roster Diary Warren R. Stewart, Jr., Daybook A Warren R. Stewart, Jr., Daybook B Warren R. Stewart, Jr., Food Fantasy Diary

Al Young Studios
Product Catalog
Art Gallery
Storybook Home™
My Father’s Captivity
    Table of Contents
    People
    Photos
    Documents
Articles
Music Albums
Media Reviews
News 
Policies
Contact Us
Studio Blog 
Storybook Home Blog 

Shopping Cart
– 0 items

Copyright 1998-2010
by Al R. Young
All Rights Reserved