大象传媒

My father, Frederick George Pidgeon, was in the Royal Artillery, stationed in Hong Kong from 1936.
He was in Limoon Barracks, Stanley Penninsular, and Stonecutters Island (the Ammo Dump), and he served alongside many of the Chinese contingent recruited into the British Army.
My father was very fit, and a keen sportsman, winning medals for athletics, soccer, rugby and boxing.
When Hong Kong was invaded by the Japanese, in 1941, he fought alongside his Chinese colleagues until the Allied forces surrendered, on Christmas Day 1941.
He was imprisoned by the Japanese as a POW, and was forced to work on the construction of Ky Tak airport, and during this period of internment, was kept in a compound where the Jubilee buildings stood.
My father witnessed many Japanese atrocities, many of which were against the Chinese in the British Army. Some of the Chinese managed to escape, and fled to India where they joined the Chindits, to fight the Japanese.
My father was transported, along with many of his fellow POWs, in unmarked hulks, to Tokyo docks, where he was forced to work, loading and unloading the ships.
During voyages from Hong Kong, many of the hulks were attacked by Allied forces(as they bore no identification marks). One such vessel was the Lisbon Maru, she was attacked and was sinking, the POWs in the holds tried to escape and were shot by the Japanese as they swam away.
When my father was repatriated, he was 7 stone and partially blind through mistreatment and malnutrition. He came back to UK via Canada, where he convalesced for a short time, and resumed his career in the British Army, stationed at Woolwich barracks.
He also resumed his athletics and won many medals for the Army, Combined Services, and the AAA. He represented Great Britain in the Javelin and was reserve for the 1948 Olympics.
He was married to my mother in 1948, and I was born in 1949, Frederick George Pidgeon Jnr.
He continued to serve in the British Army, and was stationed at Horseshoe barracks, Shoeburyness, Essex, where he was awarded the "Long Service and Good Conduct Medal".
He retired from the Army as a WO1, and joined the P&EE (MoD)in Shoeburyness.
He eventually retired at 65, visited Hong Kong, with me, in 1986, and died in 1991 aged just 71.
A very full and honourable life!

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