Evening star., 1943-05-16

"A leCter written Dy an EngllSn
friend to Miss Janice Holland of
3508 Morrison street NV. describ-
ing her experience in Singapore,
where her first child was born three
weeks before the city's surrender, is
eloquent testimonial to the courage
and pluck Of Englishwomen in COM
bat zones throughout the world.
Written by Mrs. James B. King,
now living in Surrey, England, the
letter carries throughout its rs pages
spirit Of faith in the ultimate re-
turn of her husband, from whom she
has had no word for over Is months,
and brave acceptance of hardships
and worry. The young Enghshwom-
ans correspondence might we'll be
given careful study by some of her
American cousins" complaining of
the unreasonab bleness of food or gas
rationing.
Commencing with her departure
from her home in Malaga, where
her husband, the former overseer of
the largest palm olive estate in that
part OF the country, took her as a
bride, the writer tells of her jour-
ney to Singapore for necessary hos
pitahzation during the birth Of her
child.
"On DECEMBER 16 I went for my
usual visit to the Bunesar Hospi-
tal," she writes, "and was told by
the doctor I'd have to make other
arrangements, as the hospital had
been taken over for casualties"
Describes Discomforts.
Mrs. King describes the discom-
forts of the 250-mile journey to
Singapore, where after six days of
travel she and her husband found
all the hotels full.
After hunting around" she writes,
Eve found one room in an hotel
conducted by Indians. 1t was quite
nice but packed with every kind of
race and nationality"
The day after her arrival in Sing
apore Mrs. Kings husband left to
join the RAF and before being able
to communicate with her was sent
on a secret mission. For nearly three
weeks the young Englishwoman was
without news from her Jamie"
The excitement of his reappear-
ance, safe but i'll with fever" was
followed within few hours by the
birth of her little son, Mrs. King
explains in her letter.
Hospital Concealed Her.
1--WE were having air raids all the
time, but I never took any notice." "
she writes, "as I thought if my
number was on bomb I'd get it, so
I didn't worry. But in the hospital
they insisted on pushing me under
the bed. Why they seemed to think
the bed would give me protection,
don't ask me. Anyway, I got fed
up and refused to go under towards
the end, as I really could not cope
with the pains. had dear little
Chinese nurse, who was so kind
and looked after me well and stayed
with me until Peter was born"
The writer told how in spite of
complications attending the birth
and bombs raining upon the hospi-
tai, she was given no chloroform
due to a shortage. A week later,
she writes. she left the hospital,
"as they wanted the bed for the
wounded"
Scarcely had the young English
woman returned to her apartment
with her week-old baby than she
was told she would have to leave
the city.
Ordered to Leave.
Il was told I'd have to leave that
night, as they we're going to blow
up the Causeway," she writes.
However, later they telephoned to
say the boat was leaving the next
afternoon, so We went to bed, and,
surprisingly, slept well. even though
the noise was pretty terrific"
The following day Mrs. King bade
good-by to her husband and sailed
for Java on a boat packed like
sardines. had six in my cabin, y
she explained in her letter, "one a
child Of S." After her arrival in
Batavia, Java, the Englishwoman
was told her ship must proceed to
Colombo as there were already too
many refugees in Java.
One cannot help but admire the
grit of the young refugee mother
obvious despite the matter-of fact
description OF her arrival in Co.
lombo.
Il was met in Colombo by ambu-
| 1ny ch vr,S,S%4 = -
walk much. I was rather weak with
1t all. Peter, poor pet, was kept alive
on brandy and water with bits ot
stew and watered timed milk, a.
after the raid and the worry OF
leaving Jamie, / was unable to feed
him."
It was impossible for the youne
Enghshwoman to remain long II