大象传媒

You have asked for memories of WW2. I had an experience which will do something to balance the impression given by the recent court martial of British soldiiers, accused of abusing prisoners-of-war.

In March 1945 we, the 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment,had crossed the Irrawaddy and were pushing the Japanese back, southwards. I, having returned from leave after being wounded and hospitalised, had been made the battalion intelligence officer. It was in that capacity that early one morning, after A Company had been counter-attacked during the night, I was told that, most unusually, the company had a P-O-W, wounded but not trying to blow himself and others up.

We all knew how abominably we were treated if we were captured by the Japanese. I knew how much my "intelligence" superiors would like, at last, to question a Japanese. I am ashamed to say that I wondered in what condition I would find him. I ran to the A Company position. Our soldiers had been fighting the fanatically brave Japs for 2 years, on and off, in rough, nasty conditions; not the setting for human niceties.

When I arrived I was so moved by the wonderful humanity of our soldiers that tears came into my eyes. They were giving him a cup of tea. During the battle, the Jap had lost his helmet; someone had lent him a hat against the hot sun.

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