<Begin Segment 21>

MU: Okay. Now, during your off hours, did you have what we call bull sessions at all? Just sit around and talk, have beer, possibly?

HW: Well, we supported our own club.

MU: What club was that?

HW: Well, that was a place to go and have drinks. And when we got to Australia -- we got there in the fall -- and while we were setting up our club, about the tenth of December, a warehouse burned down, army warehouse burned down, and was army warehouse with liquor in it. Right down to the ground, nothing. So the navy warehouse was still available. So we would ask the navy officers for help and get some stuff. Then we'd go down to the Australian stores and buy gin, mostly, that's what they had. And then we'd stock our, stock our club so we could -- after work or sometime when we're not doing anything, go in there and help ourselves.

MU: So did you have a chance to talk to each other and exchange thoughts?

HW: Oh yeah.

MU: What were some of the thoughts?

HW: Well, mostly, mostly not about the war situation. Mostly about -- reminiscing about home and other things. Talking sports and, you know.

MU: Talk about, you wanna get home and when you get home...

HW: No, you didn't talk about that too much because it just makes it worse -- talking about wanting to get home.

MU: Now, all during this time you were, I'm sure, communicating with your wife?

HW: By mail.

MU: By mail?

HW: First couple of times she wrote back and said, "You didn't say anything," because it's all cut out. Because if we said that our camp was alongside a river, and I can hear the kookaburras singing early in the morning, they'd cut it all out. 'Cause those two little thoughts can tell people where the camp was at, possibly. So, so much was cut out -- that was her complaint.

MU: Uh-huh. But did you get mail regularly?

HW: Uh, yeah. Pretty good.

MU: Under the circumstances.

HW: Yeah. Took a while to get there in those days.

MU: Was your wife getting along okay?

HW: Yes. Yes. Her sister had come out of camp and was with her and the two of 'em got along.

MU: You didn't have family at that time, did you?

HW: No, no kids. No.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.