大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Teresa Parsons and has been added to the website on behalf pf William Mundy with his permission and he fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

While a prisoner of war of the Japanese for 3 1/2 years, aircraftsman William Mundy's weight dropped from 10 stone to 5 stone. His stomach was swollen, he had topical ulcers and his sight was damaged by diet deficiencies. He was one of the 250 surviving pow's out of 1,000 building an airstrip out of coral, walking on the sharp coral in bare fet. As Red Cross parcels did not get through, he had to survive on meals ofboiled gras soup and half-cups of rice. A senior deacon at Dartford Baptist Church, William believs it was his faith which kept hin going. Surprisingly, Japanese sailors were pro-British, and would bring the prisoners food and cigarettes and a guard would bring them coconuts. Japanese brutality could be partly explained by the fact that they were brutal to their own military inferiors says William.
His wife Gladys was a medical loan officer, lending out wheelchaors, bedpans and home nursing equipment and trying to get people to return them. Her other role was as commandant of the first aid detachment. She received a certificate from the King and a medal fOR her 'devoted service to the cause of humanity' during WW2.

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