Netherlands East Indies

No air raid today. Got back, off duty, about 1100 and spent the rest of the day breaking a little of Molly’s resistance down — finally got a date for Sunday with the most beautiful girl in Surabaya. It’s too damn bad she’s married. She’s only seen her husband two days since she was married last December — he’s in the Dutch Army.

Pondola and I went over to the Simpang Club after dinner. It’s Surabaya’s society hang-out and is truly a magnificent club — fulfills every idea I’ve ever had about a club in the tropics. The U.S., British, and Dutch navies seem to have the situation well in hand there — there’s only a sad little sprinkling of the country’s army officers. It seems as though this town of Surabaya is one of the best stations in the area, even surpassing Singapore, and of course Manila.

Pendy and I returned to the hotel and delivered a blitz attack on some large cockroaches, unfortunate enough to be wandering around his room.