1937 - 1939 PERSONAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A UNITED STATES NAVY RADIO OPERATOR WHO SEES SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH PACIFIC AND CHINA
On offer is the original manuscript personal diary of William Clinton Newmarch from Detroit, Michigan. He kept this diary from 1937 until 1939 during his service in the United Stat es Navy. Newmarch made daily entries detailing his service in a number of areas of the Pacific and Asia, including the Philippines, Guam, China, Vietnam and many small Pacific Islands. Newmarch was a 3rd class Seaman and worked as a radio operator on a number of ships which he records. He worked in the installation and maintenance of equipment as well as the sending and receiving of messages. He went through Radio School twice, with one entry in 1937 stating that he and two others had been removed from the school. He completes his radio training in early 1938. Newmarch also outlines daily life aboard the ships. Newmarch's diary discusses many personal details of his service, including romances, his personal feelings toward the people he works with and his changing feelings about his life in service. Newmarch also makes many entries about his leave and what he occupies himself with on liberty time. He talks about training, inspections (which he loathes), uniform issues, inoculations, frequent illness, the duties he performs and the other people he is serving with. Here are some snippets: Feb 3, 1937: "En route to Guam, 180 meridian party held. Still sore..." April 10, 1939: "Sulu Island. Good steaming. Hope to anchor tonight which we did on this unholy part of the island." Mar 2, 1937: "Alongapso. Practiced typing, receiving and sending US mail in letter room. Bill Haggerty answered it. 10-12 Sea watch, anchored at 0130." Oct 14, 1937: "Receiving ships. Still have 'head' detail, should be proficient in that type of duty by now." Dec 14, 1937: "USS Penag sank by jap...1 killed 18 missing- Japs apologize." May 5, 1938: "Black Hawk, At sea...Watch from 0100 to 0730 tired. The heat is getting terrible, no wind at all - man overboard, fire and rescue and as I write a fire in the sick bay." June 3, 1938: "Parang, fired today quite an experience went off smoothly, got a good scare though..." Jun 21, 1938: "Swaton, China. What a day for this part- planes and bombs all morning, then the destroyers arrived. Chinese fired not a single shot in opposition..." Jan 25, 1938: "Radio school. Carite. Still bad, had to wait too long to see Dr.- left. Routine school. Weight 129lbs new low. In early, had to get up too many times during the night." Later entries describe Newmarch's hospitalization for anaerobic dysentery. He becomes quite ill and his weight drops down to 119lbs during his lengthly hospitalization. June 14, 1938: "Underway. Left Cota Boto for Saigon. the tactical signals snowed me under got hell from all hands, dread getting up. Sleep is a blissful escape from troubles- like drink." Jan 5, 1939: "Mariveler Bay. Out for more practice today. Out of freshwater and butter, someone put salt water in naps." Feb 15, 1939: "Finished Antennae - I hope. I threw aux together...." Feb 17, 1939: "Manilia, Ship inspected by Captain, passed. In dress whites..." June 27, 1939: "Swaton, China mission. Japs that do come here are very peaceful good people- cannot understand why we stay. No patrolling now just available for Chinese police." July 14, 1939: "...fog delayed us. Passed a mine that was machine gunned as we passed." June 13, 1939: "Swaton, China. Usual day rain. Liberty and watch list all fouled up. Jap plane dropped 4 bombs at 1825." Jan 2, 1937: "In early. Got final word from exec. No leave. If I had the nerve I would desert..." Jan 10, 1938: "Radio School, Carite. Routine school. Tibbitts talked to Mari-Lynn and broke us up. Movies in." May 15, 1938: "Southern Islands. Sunday ashore at 1000 walked say cockfights took pictures, lost liberty pass. movies." Newmarch often stayed in a hotel while on leave to get off the ship for a few nights. Some of his entries report drinking with the locals at bars and things "getting a bit tight". May 23, 1938: "Parang, SRBP all day...it seems good to get out in the air. The chief and I aren't hitting it off so well. He expects wonders and I am not a wonder." July 23, 1938: "Still no liberty, quarters, gold braid aboard to see if a man can be found who fouled up on the beach." Aug 28, 1938: "Peking China. To winter palace. China must really have been something in her day. April 14, 1939: "Parang. Held field today, Kelly will run me away yet - god how he is unbearable." Newmarch makes entries regularly into this diary. For 1938 and 1939 the entries occur daily in good detail. Newmarch is also good at maintaining the diary in 1937 however, on a few occasions, he misses several weeks, resuming his entries with notes such as being in the sick bay, or June 8, 1937: "Dear Diary: Because of the dropping of Cusak, Calton and myself from Radio School I have neglected you." Newmarch's diary ends in late October 1939, when he returns to San Fransisco and is then transported over land by train to Detroit. The diary is written in a 6" x 4 1/2" leather over board "5-year diary". 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