大象传媒

Chapter 7

On the 14th July 1945, two Atom bombs were dropped on Japan and the war against Japan ended. It is difficult to explain what those bombs meant to us. If the war had continued, thousands of troops would have died in taking Malaya and the losses involved against the Japanese homeland would have been enormous.

Every year in Ringmer the 鈥淧eace鈥� people hold a vigil on 鈥淗iroshima鈥� day and I鈥檝e often wondered what they thought about the alternative. .

Unfortunately, not all the enemy had been informed of their surrender and there were many bands still roaming the country expecting to fight to the death. Patrols were sent out with Japanese officers who had to convince their own people that they had lost. To their own cost they were not always successful in this!!

Because of my 鈥榓dvanced鈥� age, 28 and pre-war service (which counted double), my demobilisation group was 26 which was pretty low. Consequently, I was due to be repatriated home. I was sent to Rangoon with a party of British troops, We were told that there were insufficient places on the next ship and they asked for volunteers to take the next one.

To my astonishment I learnt that the ship was the S.S.Orbita. Remembering the misery of the outward journey, I volunteered.

One thing you learn in the Army is that one never 鈥榲olunteered鈥� for anything and that even applied in this case. The S.S.Orbita had been converted into a 鈥楬ospital Ship鈥� and as such must have been sheer luxury.

There are on the files many Orders of the Day and letters from commanders sent when we left Burma to record our claim to fame - 鈥淔irst across the Irrawaddy鈥� 鈥淭he brilliant and daring attack on Mandalay Hill鈥� 鈥淭he heavy losses inflicted in the fanatical breakout鈥�. But of them all the most highly prized is a line in a letter from Major-General T W Rees, C.B., C.I.E., D.S.O., M.C. - 鈥淲hat a magnificent Battalion it was鈥�.

I eventually sailed from Rangoon on a large liner the 鈥楧uchess of Richmond鈥�.

All my smart dress uniform was in our dep么t in India. We were dressed in tatty 鈥渏ungle green鈥� cotton clothes. Although suitable at first, it became useless as we left the tropics.

Although we were extremely fit, we were also very tired. Our blood had thinned in the Tropics and we felt the cold. We were issued with disgusting battle-dress that was impregnated with chemicals (chlorine), which would have been worn in the event of poisonous gas being used.

To us the food was, of course, rather special and the unchlorinated water, heaven. It was certainly a change from the mainly rice and Dahl diet of an infantryman in Burma.

We stopped at Colombo and took on board a fair number of mainly Dutch P.O.W.s who had been repatriated from the Dutch East Indies, I think.

The voyage home was fairly uneventful. We passed a liner full of troops going the other way. They were all very pink and dressed in Khaki or white drill uniform. Seeing us the way we were, must have made them wonder what they were to expect. The two great ships sailed as close together as possible and the banter was enjoyed by both lots. The cries from our ship were mainly advising them to 鈥済et their knees brown鈥�.

We saw a large water-spout which the ship avoided and, of course, there were flying-fishes on both trips. Kiplings 鈥淥n the Road to Mandalay, where the flying fishes play鈥�, meant rather more this time.

The journey home was much quicker this time as we sailed through the Suez Canal. Unfortunately, I do not remember much of this as I think we went through at night.

The weather worsened. After the sweltering heat and humidity of the Burmese jungle particularly in the Monsoon, it became, (at least to us), very cold, very grey and unpleasantly wet. Rain in India and Burma, although at times unlike anything experienced in England, was warm and often welcomed because our 鈥榩rickly heat rashes鈥� disappeared with its arrival.

After a while one began to wonder whether 鈥榃ilayet鈥� (or 鈥楤lighty鈥� which it became to regular soldiers in the first World War), was going to measure up to all our dreams. I think these thoughts mainly concerned fish and chips, pubs and beautiful people.

As we docked at Liverpool in pouring cold rain, we awaited our Heroes鈥� welcome. Suddenly half a dozen bandsmen with ground-sheets over their heads dashed out onto the quayside played a few bars of 鈥淕od Save the King鈥� and dashed off again.

Then the 鈥楾annoy鈥� loud speaker system began threatening us. 鈥淭he Ship is about to be searched and anyone found in possession of Army Equipment to which they are not entitled, will be charged with theft and court-martialled鈥�.

It was possible to feel the sense of anger on the ship. The lousy part was that they did not carry out their threat. Some pip-squeak in the movement control or military police was surely exceeding his brief.

Surely, troops who had fought in pretty bad conditions, some who had a terrible time as prisoners in Jap hands should have been treated better.

At Liverpool we were dispersed quite quickly and instructed to report to our British Units before being allowed home on leave. I think I reported to a barracks in Dorchester but cannot remember exactly.

I do remember the reaction of fellow passengers when I boarded a first class carriage wearing a Gurkha hat, scruffy battledress, a Khukri and a gamboge coloured face and eyes. They were, I remember, very understanding and pleasant.

At the Dorsets Regt. H.Q. I was not of great interest as their 2nd Battalion in 2 Division had been sending people home from Burma for some time.

At any rate, fitted out with a new 鈥榖attledress鈥�, badges of rank and Dorset Regimental badges, together with new boots etc. I was given a few weeks leave and eventually found myself on the Underground (or tube) making for Wood Green Station and home. I met Dennis Pantlin on the train who also went to India on the 鈥楽.S.Orbita鈥� with me. He eventually became our Best Man when mother and I married.

Officers were not demobilised immediately. It was probably something to do with what become the 鈥楥old War鈥� and we were kept in the Army long after our demobilisation groups had dispersed.

The post-cards displayed were taken from dead Japanese. They seemed to have an issue. As they had retreated we found mobile post offices abandoned with thousands of cards men were sending home. The Post Office was usually a bullock-cart.

Souvenirs were not readily available as they were to soldiers in Europe. Japanese officers鈥� swords were in great demand. The best ones; samurai, belonging to high ranking officers usually went as trophies to Regimental Centres. The standard issue ones of Junior and warrant officers, like the one I brought home, were much sort after. The battalion had a 鈥榣oot鈥� trailer on one of the jeeps in which we had collected trophies including lots of Japanese flags.

Unfortunately this was hit by a shell and much of the stuff was lost. My sword survived and I was given a chit to cover me when I brought it home.

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