大象传媒

My Grandad, the person this story is about, was at Dunkirk. He was rescued on the beaches in June 1940, by a mine sweeper. There were so many people crowding the beaches to be rescued, that he needed to find a way to escape the crowds. He decided to climb up part of a lighthouse and hang on there. He was easily noticed and was rescued with some other people. Luckily, he returned safely to England with his comrades. In June 2000, my Grandad arranged for the whole of our family to go back there and commerorate the 60th anniversary of Dunkirk. This was a huge trip, with people from all parts of the country there. The trip lasted for five days, and each day there were marches, church services and a big wreath laying ceremony on the beaches. We stayed in De Panne, Belgium, which was nearby and the whole town was alive with memories.

After Dunkirk, my Grandad stayed with his rank in England, until they were sent to Singapore. There, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war in Taiwan. He told me that the boat journey to Taiwan was the worst part, with people dying and even jumping over board. He felt alone and wanted to just see my grandmother again, who he was with before the war. In the prison camp, he became very under weight as all he could eat was rice. To keep his mind active, he used to do maths problems and he has still has those pieces of paper today, which probably helped him to stay alive. My grandmother went to Taiwan last year, but unfortuantly my Grandad was unable to go because he was too ill. They did go to Singapore together though. My Grandad lost friends in the war, and had some awful experiences, but thankfully he survived and can still tell his story today. I felt I wanted other people to know his story too.

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