More Letters from Christine Shaw

Further letters from Christine Shaw shed more light on the Eades' life in Australia and Jack's escape from Burma.

December 22nd 1941

I was much interested in your description of the views held by the Bulletin of Information people that Germany might have helped China - dirty dogs! One feels rather worried about Theodore Shepherd & his new wife & baby - somewhere near Kuala Lumpur & Jack Eades in charge of the entire electricity of Burma & Guli herself in Australia. As far as I know she's in Sydney. I wish she'd stayed here. I hear that they landed just about the day that the Japs attacked Pearl Harbour. 

January 25th 1942 (approx)

I am worrying about Guli. They are talking of an invasion of Australia now. Poor Sheila was fearfully unhappy about going - she said she had some curious feeling against it - she felt they ought not to go - that there was some trouble looming, which linked up with her father. She is only 11, but extraordinarily mature - I comforted her as well as I could. This was about 4 weeks before Pearl Harbour. She was dead right poor child. She is one of those brilliant creatures that might well have intuitions. I do wish they had stayed here. They are stuck there - & Jack is, I think, in Rangoon, being bombed - & I am afraid Guli will be feeling dreadfully anxious - she won't get news I expect.

February 24th 1942

Poor old Guli is in Sydney, her Jack in Rangoon. She must feel frantic, & I wish she had stayed here. Theodore's Sylvia was expecting a second baby any moment when the Japs invaded Malaya. I am very anxious to hear what happened to them. Stella had had no word last time mother wrote. Jack Eades is in charge of the whole of Burma's electricity. I suppose it is good that Cripps is in the Cabinet, he seems to be very live.

December 7th 1942

I've had 18 visitors this week! Amongst them Margaret Goodbody from Ottawa - (the one from Bristol, who is censoring). She had a letter from Guli - enclosing extracts from a letter of Jack's. She is still in Sydney - & very worn. She's had a dreadfully anxious time. She left here on Nov 7th last year & heard no word from Jack until May 1st, when she heard he'd reached Assam. Then silence again until July 26th when she heard he was in India & recovered from typhoid. Then again no news until a cable came saying the army wouldn't pass him as fit & so he was trying to get to Australia & join them. His description of his flight from Rangoon was pitiful, he & six friends set out & trekked 250 miles in 40 days - three of them died - they started with oxen & ended by carrying the minimum - it was mud nearly all the way - it rained without cease - every kind of insect stung them day in day out - the road was piled with corpses of refugees - his heart was broken by the pathetic women & children - many barefoot, whom he knew could never reach safety. He said all he could do was to pray fervently and hard. Poor old Jack - but the main thing is that he is alive and fit & I feel so for Guli - but she's a dear good soul - & I know she'll have put up a grand show.