5: In the evening, as we were trying to get to sleep, several of
us were showered with 11 liquid, which tasted like battery acid. "What
were the Japs up to now?" The liquid proved to be the contents of a
latrine bucket; the prisoner, carrying the bucket to the deck, was so
weak, he spilled it. When we asked the guards for some sea water to
clean ourselves off, they just laughed.
I volunteered to take guard duty at the stairway so I wouldn't
freeze to death.
Jan. 6th: It was bitter cold! We were still barefooted and wearing the
summer clothing received at the Olongapo Naval Base in the
Philippines. The guards were shivering in spite of heavy overcoats. No
food; no water!
We were taken up on deck, then down a long ladder to scows and moved
out into the harbor. Some prisoners were grabbing dirty and rotten
vegetables floating in the filthy water. Some even filled their
canteens with sea water.
In a few minutes, our scow pulled up to transport No.2, the Brazil
Maru. We were soon up the ladder and put in the second hold with the
other prisoners - all 1,273 of us. We were told that there had been
thirty deaths on the Brazil Maru.
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