Natalie Crouter

(October 30, 1898 — October 15, 1985). Resident of Vigan and later Baguio in the Philippines. Interned by the Japanese with her family in Baguio, then Bilibid Prison in Manila.

Mar. 6, 1942

March 6, 1942

Tokyo radio says they have never interned or held any prisoners in occupied countries!

Mar. 8, 1942

March 8, 1942

We are not starving but we thoroughly crave accustomed food. There is a definite unbalance to our diet besides the fact of only two meals a day.

Mar. 9, 1942

March 9, 1942

The Chinese babies in camp get no milk, only rice gruel with vegetable juice added, and they thrive on it. None of them are sick,

March 29, 1942

One day when the three American soldiers were locked up and received no coffee, some of our men fed it to them through a small

March 30, 1942

Nakamura gave the girl garden detail a talk on useless American women yesterday. He must have been watching some of the women in here for

April 1, 1942

I never expected to sleep so long without sheets, on a plain mattress. But we must not forget –This is War! Mosquito nets look so

April 2, 1942

Jim has an Authentic. Russia is not in the war in any way but is getting tons of American supplies which come faster. Russia is

Apr. 8, 1942

April 8, 1942

I never expected to sew up tears in paper market bags in order to make them last. I pick out cloth from the trash can

April 11, 1942

A vegetarian who has been allowed two tins of milk a day is now having this cut off due to shortage. She went direct to

April 12, 1942

Some shoe soles have been made for the children out of old pieces of rubber fire hose nailed onto the shoe. Another rubber sole was

April 13, 1942

I gave June’s glasses to Jerry and he raged as I hoped he wouldn’t, being upset myself. I have saved some paper for typing and

April 14, 1942

A truck drove in with Florey and Loddigs who have been in jail for questioning, unheard of for three months, Grey was not with them.

April 15, 1942

Someone asked one camp member to help out with vegetables. She was furious, says she has two children to look after. She is too good

April 19, 1942

A four-motor Flying Fortress went over to the north, steady and beautiful, the first we have seen from this camp. Some of sourse saw red

April 20, 1942

Isobel is all upset over the rumor that the officers are considering moving us to Camp Holmes. Ray says they were talking it over and

April 23, 1942

The trucks came soand fast that it took only five hours to move the 800. The Japanese wanted to move their soldiers right in as

April 24, 1942

We have a gasoline tin cut down, with wabeen binding and handles around the top, to use for laundry and bath water. Enid announces at

April 26, 1942

Violent quarrels have developed over space, often a matter of three inches only, but it rages back and forth. It takes just about six hours

April 27, 1942

There is rebellion in camp though it may die. After we had clear soup and cold corm mush, many of us saw the In Group

April 30, 1942

In the valley near us are fine bananas. papaya, pineapples, calamansits (limes)—and we do not need to buy even native coffee in town for it

May 12, 1942

The old guards let the garbage detail go on a shopping spree before they departed, knowing full well that the new guards will be tough

May 23, 1942

June is drawing paper-doll clothes in the dining room. The fresh sergeant stops to watch it. He takes a pencil, draws kimonos showing the men’s

June 26, 1942

Rumor now says that Nakamura [the camp commandant] is being promoted to Tarlac Prison Camp, where our Army is located. He is gratified but still

June 30, 1942

Nakamura seemed sorry to go, for he has watched over our trials and tried to straighten out some of the tangled months. We could search

July 8, 1942

Jerry fried out some pork and he gave me some of the crisp remains. It tasted so good and I was so hungry for it

July 11, 1942

In some ways I live in a world of my own with these notes that are an outlet, saving wear and tear on other people.

July 21, 1942

Jim Halsema was announcer for Major Bozo hour, our first Amateur Night, with Concentration Rice the sponsor—“in seven different flavors—burnt, coconut, caramel, perspiration, cockroaches, fish,

Aug. 5, 1942

August 5, 1942

After the evening lecture came the fashion show with the parade of Concentration Modes, Inc. Much curtain material was in evidence. Delia, Inc., made up

Sept. 14, 1942

September 14, 1942

Toyko rages over our inhuman treatment of internees in America, moving them from camp to camp making a seventy-year-old man work, kicking a thirteenyear-old boy

Sept. 25, 1942

September 25, 1942

Jerry’s disposition is certainly not normal. He has no appetite or pep, looks thin, just pushes around and has no hope of any American approach