For Christmas 1984, Capitol Times published a series of brief accounts from readers responding to the question of what was their most memorable Christmas? Liz Latham, reference librarian at UW’s Coe Library, chose the four Christmas’s between 1941 and 1945—beginning with the Japanese invasion of Indonesia, where her family lived as Dutch citizens–the times in Japanese prison camps later in the war, ending in 1945 as her family reunited in Sydney, Australia, after the war ended. Her piece was made of her diary entries as a very young girl for each Christmas Day during the period. Her account is reprinted here:
“After the War is Over…”
“Christmas, 1941.
“Bandung, Netherlands East Indies
“We are staying in the mountains above Bandung, at the foot of the Tanguan Prahu mountain. Father insisted that Mother, the two babies and I get away from the coastal area around Batavia because of ‘imminent coastal landings.’ I shall miss the 4th grade Christmas program and I really hate that, even though I was only singing in the choir.
“I bet there will be no presents this year, we left in such a hurry—and the two babies need so much stuff! The bungalow is nice, but there is nothing to read but the book of nursery rhymes of the older baby. It is nice to sleep without mosquito netting.
“Mother says she will go crazy with worry if she does not get any news soon. I will go crazy if there isn’t something to read soon. What are ‘imminent coastal landings’ anyway?
“…Christmas 1942
“Batavia, Netherlands East Indies
“The camp gates are still open, but everyone says that the Japanese will close them right after the New Year. We will try to get some food. Mother will go and barter with the Indonesian traders, before they really close the gates for good.
“All the boys fourteen and over have been sent away to another camp; they had to march away like soldiers and all the mothers cried when the trucks left—even the ones who had no boys over 14. There are only women and girls and little boys left.
“I get to haul water from the well for the vegetable gardens now. My little brother cut his foot—he has never had any shoes. I have outgrown all of my shoes, but my feet are tough. I can walk anywhere barefoot now.
“Mother was trying to barter some old curtains with one of the traders and he wanted to take the curtains with him. She wouldn’t do that and he said, ’Trust me. I am your fren.’ He did come back with some duck eggs later. We will have scrambled eggs tonight.”
“…Christmas 1943
“Djakarta, Indonesia
“The gates have been closed for months now. Some people still barter through the wall, but the guards are very mean if they catch you. We are not allowed to build cooking fires anyway. Mother says that, after the war is over, I will have to catch up with school and
she makes me do sums and write on my slate.
“…Christmas 1944
“Djakarta, Indonesia
“The war has been going on for more than three years now. We have not heard from Father for so long—not even through the underground. So many people have died. Great-aunt Gerri died and they let us out to go to the cemetery. There are no coffins anymore and we buried her wrapped in mats.
“My stomach hurts and I cannot eat even mashed rice. The other baby has typhoid fever. I am tired of the adults saying, ‘When the war is over…’ It is never going to be over. They took me to the native hospital and they took my appendix out. They stole my last t-shirt in the hospital.
“…Christmas 1945
“Sydney, Australia
“The five of us are together. Father and the oldest baby are out of the hospital. Father had malnutrition and also had his appendix out. They thought the baby had tuberculosis, but now they think it was also malnutrition.
“Mother has bought five candles. We are staying in a bed-and-breakfast place. Father says we should be thankful that we all survived—so many did not. I don’t want to count the ones who did not make it; I cannot feel anything anyway.
“We are going to the beach this afternoon.”
“–Liz Latham“The author is reference librarian at Coe Library, University of Wyoming.”