Tjilatjap, Netherlands East Indies

Left Surabaya early this morning aboard the ex-Dutch PBY-5 (#44) and flew directly to the south coast and then west to Tjilatjap (“Flapjack”). Passed one spot along the south coast it looks as though the earth to develop a monstrous case of “goosebumps” — for about 150 square miles the other was level countryside was broken by thousands of small hills of approximately equal height 200 to 300 feet — wonder what the geological history is?

Tjilatjap harbor (resembles a river mouth more) it’s literally literally choked with ships of all the Allied nations. The roadstead is lined, bow to stern — a wonderful setup for a Jap bombing attack. The Childs — our new home — one of the converted, ex-four stack cans, used for airplane tenders — was parked up against a river bank and very well camouflaged with coconut palm leaves, working in conjunction with those of the next-door jungle. Came aboard to find the ship already well filled with an English PBY-5 squadron recently evacuated from Singapore. (Heard that the job Zeros even outnumber even outmaneuver the very maneuverable Hawker Hurricane.) About 200 yards downstream is a native village, and we are located in the path of their upper-river traffic of canoes. The village kids collect in canoes after our meals to get the tin cans that we throw overboard.