Diary of a Girl in Changi 3rd Edition

by Sheila Allan

Presents the first-person account of a seventeen-year-old Singapore girl who was taken prisoner by the Japanese and ensconced in the Changi POW camp during World War II, in a new edition that includes additional information on the famous Changi quilts sewn by internees. Reprint.

Genres: Nonfiction, War

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1994

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard of Changi Prison when I was watching the Australian TV series Serangoon (sp?) Road. The main character lived in Changi Prison during WWII. I had to learn more.

The author, Sheila Allan, grew up in a convent in Malaya. Her father was a mining engineer and her mother was nonexistent (dead, I think). When she was 17, her father married a woman from Siam and they all vacationed in the Cameron Highlands. It was late in 1941. Her father was recalled to work because the Japanese had just invaded Malaya. Sheila and her step mother were supposed to leave the country but they decided to stay together. They travelled to Singapore with the Japanese approaching the city. The battle for the city occurred in February 1942 and the Japanese took over control. The devastation of Singapore with the dead and dying and the Japanese cruelty left a lasting mark on Sheila. She and her family along with other foreign civilians were marched to Singapoare's Changi Prison where she lived for 2 1/2 years.

The persevering British attitude took over the encampment. The men were separated from the women and children. Each side elected their leaders and assigned chores. Writing a diary was forbidden but Sheila did so anyway and the Japanese never found her books during inspections. From her writings, that first year wasn't all that bad. The entertainment committee provided a lot of activities and shows for the internees. Morale could be low during this time but, for the most part, the mental state of the internees was intact. Food provisions were low and got worse over time. By the end of the war, Sheila weighed 6 stones (84 pounds). She contracted malaria several times and had a bout of dysentery. Her father contracted beri beri and died just before the war ended.

After 2 1/2 years, the civilian internees were moved from Changi Prison to Sime Road Camp (also in Singapore) where Sheila lived when the war ended. What was she planning to do with her life now? Her step mother decided to move back to her family in Siam and Sheila decided she wanted to train as a nurse at the Military hospital in Singapore.

This is not much of a war story and of battles; it's a story, a diary of Sheila's day to day life living during a war and the internment camp. There was much that I didn't understand because she often used initials for people's names. The British English lingo was often confusing to me. As an example, she mentions "tinned hats" several times which I later discovered means a weather proofed hat. She also refers to the Japanese as Japs and Nips. This is, after all, a diary of a 18 year old girl.

This was a good and informative read.

[Merredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

at first, i found this book educational. i knew nothing of the internment of people by japan in the war. sheila had written a diary throughout her internment, and years later, has published it. they had a poor diet, and not enough beds, so that people slept outside. besides that, they had concerts, lectures, school, art, teas, etc. a very weird juxtaposition. and this girl was so innocent! at 17 or so, she still thought babies were made through a kiss. after a while, the diary gets boring. i couldnt finish it.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly an interesting and informative read, but it does get a bit tedious after a while. After all, it is a diary of everyday life, with reference to people and places that the reader can’t really visualize and are a bit hard to keep track of. But certainly quite eye-opening in terms of what life was like interned in Changi.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila Allan Bruhn (August 10th 1924-January 2nd 2022) was born near Taiping,Malaysia,to an Australian mining engineer,John Allan and his first wife,who was Chinese-Malaysian.But that marriage ended and John remarried to his second wife,Vichim, who was Thai and became Sheila's stepmother.Sheila was educated at Catholic boarding colleges in Taiping and Ipoh and left school aged 17 in 1941,where she expected to attend university in Melbourne,her dad's home town.However,the Japanese invaded Malaya on December 8th.The family then fled south and eventually arrived in Singapore.But then the Japanese invaded Singapore on February 15th and Sheila registered as an alien at the City Hall as she was Eurasian,so she belonged to neither the Chinese nor European communities.She witnessed bombing and shelling as well as cruelty.Sheila and her family eventually arrived at Changi Gaol.The men and women were segregated,but they could see each other in the courtyard.Communication in any form was forbidden but brief monthly visits were permitted,under strict control of a sentry.But this privilege and more ended in October 1943, after Allied attacks on shipping in Singapore Harbour.Despite this,Sheila saw Changi as a refuge,a place far removed from atrocities.The guards generally left the women alone,apart from daily roll call and insisted the women kowtow to them.Left to manage themselves, the internees established a mini society where education,entertainment and other bare necessities were organised.The women also made 3 Changi quilts(Britain,Australia and Japan).Sheila trained as a VAD nurse and performed camp chores,but in her spare time she read,wrote short stories and poems and was a keen diarist.In May 1944,Sheila and others were moved to Sime Road Camp where conditions were much worse.Sadly, in June 1945,John Allan became ill and died and Sheila wasn't allowed to see him.Orphaned and homeless,Sheila moved to Melbourne to live with her paternal aunt and became a successful nurse.In 1958,she wed Frank Bruhn,and they had 2 children and 2 grandchildren.In 1992,Sheila travelled back and found her father's grave and helped preserve the Changi quilts.

[Christopher Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting rather than enthralling and makes you realise the true horrors of war for innocent civilians. Sheila Allan (Sheila Bruhn) sadly passed away a few weeks into 2023. My mum and her sister are both mentioned in this book. If you read the latest versions updated to add info on the Changi Prison Girl Guides Blanket, Sheila mentions that she landed in London on the "very morning that Jeannie died" - that was my aunt and God-Mother. I have a copy of a photo my late father took of Sheila Allan and my mum, aldo called Sheila in the lounge of my parents then-home with the Changi Blanket. My mum is now 91 and possibly the last living survivor of Changi, anyone know of any other living survisors?

[Chris Waterford · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was a 17 year old girl when she was interned by the Japanese. The diary is of daily happenings in the women's prison camp. I was interested as my Dad was in the Changi men's prison next door.
6.5/10

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s very rare that I give a book a low star rating, especially when it is somebodies personal story and written from tragedy. I was very interested to read about life within notorious Changi, and despite trying to read this book twice (with about 15 years in between) I couldn’t finish it and it didn’t hold my attention, thus my reason for such a low rating.

[Cara Ng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where can we read it?