大象传媒

I was 17 when the war started I went in the A.R.P. and stationed at Friday Street when the sirens went we had to report. Whether we were working or not. It wasn鈥檛 very pleasant moving over the pasture in the middle of the night, it would be pitched black and sometimes very frightening,

A cousin of mine was a Japanese prisoner of war. He was in Leicester Regiment and was a Military policeman. Unfortunately because of the extreme conditions that the prisoners suffered under Japanese internment, my cousin only lasted for a few years upon his release and return to England. He died only a shadow of his former self.

Brian is my son and Herbert is his Father.
Herbert was called up when he was 21 and went to Wigston in Leicester and also served in the Leicester Regiment . He was sent to India then. He served in Singapore and Malaya. It was in Malaya that he received a serious wound to his arm. He also became a Japanese POW. He was wounded in the arm, and was taken prisoner in Alexandria Hospital in Singapore. It was a wonder he survived at all and his arm never healed properly. Later his arm broke out again after he had returned to England and had to attend Queen Mary鈥檚 Hospital and he was awarded a small pension finally.

There was one thing that I hated that I do not wish to recur and that was rationing.
One shilling and two pence of meat for a week, and that only if it was available and not stolen for the black market. My shop gave us the tinned food etc in a correct rotation and orderly manner, unlike some shops that distributed the rationed food to their favourites.

Another thing dreaded was when we saw the telegram boy coming down the street. These were only seen when there was grave news like a loss in battle for one of the families. I had a cousin the brother of the one who got taken prisoner by the Japanese.
He was killed at Anzio the battle renowned in the Italian Campaign. A very fierce battle area where the Allies nearly got pushed back into the sea. The Germans had regrouped very quickly fearful that the Italians would collapse.

Many times I would argue with others that the end of the War was not in June 6th but in August 15, because I strongly felt and this has only really been recognised in recent years, that the poor forgotten Army had not returned and this conflict was still costing valuable lives even after VE Day.

Although many people do not agree with the Atomic Bombs it is my Knowledge and belief that the bombs dropped on the Japanese saved the lives of thousands, if not millions of our Allied troops including my husband and other family members?
We must always remember that at this time it was a race between the Allies and Germany, Italy and Japan, to get the first Atomic Bomb in operation. So based upon their disregard for human rights, torture and general abuse. Just imagine what it would have been like for us to be on the receiving end of this technology. And would they have treated us as fairly as we treated them after the war. I don鈥檛 think so.

This story was submitted to the 鈥淧eoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of Alice Debyshire and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

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