大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Mike Millington of CSV on behalf of Joseph Yates and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The story was originally recorded by members of the Brampton Museum Newcastle Under Lyme
I was a member of 鈥楩鈥� force on the Siamese-Burma railway and had been in the prison camp of Songkurai and Than Buzziart. Of the 7,000 men of 鈥楩鈥� force approximately 4,000 had died. The remainder were withdrawn back to Singapore having walked through the monsoon to finish the railway.
After a short spell at Changi where we worked on the airfield a party of us were drafted to Singapore on a working party. The job was tunnelling into the side of the hills.
At the time we were so hungry that we used to eat what we took out for dinner and take a chance on what we could pinch, mainly leaves, jungle stems and snails, then work 10-12 hours mostly without anything.
One day, having saved a few grains of rice and maize, I was sitting down having my meal. From a nearby camp there used to come Japanese soldiers to watch us.
As they were staring at me eating my few grains of rice and maize, on of them pointed at the maize and said, 鈥淕ood eh? Good. Number One.鈥�
I said 鈥淣o good, in England we give this to the fowl.鈥�
鈥淔owl鈥� he said, not quite understanding (I guess).
鈥淵es鈥� I said and made a noise like a hen laying an egg.
He spoke a few words to his mates and suddenly there were 6 of them hitting me with their fists. When they stopped I was black and blue, I got to my feet slowly and glared at them. Then one of them spoke (the one who could speak English) 鈥淵ou insult Emperor鈥� he said.
鈥淢e no insult Emperor, me never mentioned his name,鈥� I said in surprise.
鈥淵ou guest of Emperor, you prisoner, Emperor, he feed and clothe you鈥�
I looked at my few grains of rice and maize on the floor and I looked at my clothes. All I had on was a G string and a bit of cloth around my shoulders
鈥淚f that鈥檚 the best he can do鈥� I said as I slowly turned away, 鈥渉e can keep it and stick it where the monkey sticks his nuts.鈥�
I don鈥檛 think he understood that or else I would have got another beating.
鈥楩鈥� force was wiped out mostly by cholera, dysentery, malaria etc.

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