Scott, Norman John (Corporal, b.1905 - d.1987)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of NX54124 Corporal Norman John Scott, 2/10 Field Ambulance, Singapore, Thailand and Malaya, 1943-1944.

Collection consists of one maroon, faux-leather covered notebook with "souvenir from Canberra" embossed on the cover, containing pencil-written diary entries, and a typed transcript of the diary. The diary spans the period 23 April 1943 to 20 May 1944.

The diary begins with a list of numbers and names, likely a guide to photographs in an unknown collection. This is then followed by several pages of recipes. The journal part of the diary, and point where the typed transcript begins, is with Scott in Kluang, marching on his way to Thailand to work on the Thai-Burma Railway. Throughout this journey, Scott mentions their stops along the way and the food that they were able to obtain. On this journey Scott notes the treacherous conditions that he and his fellow prisoners were subjected to, including wading through deep mud. Following this journey, Scott arrives as Nikki camp, where he discusses the many illnesses that have broken out including cholera, pneumonia, beri-beri, and dysentery, as well as the persistent rain. While at Nikki, Scott also mentions the many deaths that are occurring on a daily basis, including those killed by Allied bombings. The next few months see Scott frequently sick and moving around different camps, before arriving back at Changi on 21 December to relative luxury compared to the conditions he had been living in. The remainder of the entries relate to Scott having an operation. This includes his surgical preparation, catching malaria just prior to the scheduled surgery, and then his recovery from the surgery including a brief mention of complications. The diary ends with a brief timeline for the period of 21 November 1943 to 7 April 1944, and a list of figures relating to the Malaya Campaign.

• Diary of Norman Scott, 1943-1944
• Transcript of Diary of Norman Scott, 1943-1944