大象传媒

June 1945. While working on the Sumatran rail track, being built daily by prisoners of war under the Japanese and Korean guards in Sumatra and in the Far East - this island being close to Singapore and Java.
It's just another working day and our camp is right close to these tracks. I'm one of twenty cooks in this open type cook house - no sides, just a roof over our heads. This day we expect our ration supplies by train - right up to the camp gates and guard quaters of the Korean soldiers - and a visit by our medical officer, known to be good at his job caring for sick, wounded and dying POWs.
He asks us if it was possible to steal a bag of good rice for a bag of rotten rice expected on the train. The Japanese rice is far superior and the heavy bags have a blue painted band painted round the midddle of the sacks. Our old rice has a red band so no mistakes are made.These are carried by us, the POW cooks. The rice is always in bad condition, stale, damp and loaded with maggots which we have managed to eat in big numbers. We are required to carry out an exchange to help the sick men in camp under secret. The medical officer is pleased if this can be done without too much trouble -we have a staff talk. I volunteer to carry out this dangerous job for the sick - I do have lots of cover by the other cooks and the staff. This stealing (or exchange) of one blue-band rice goes into our cookhouse kitchen and one red band bag goes into the Japanese kitchen. It all goes well, the change has been made by me with help. It is placed first on the wood rack with 30 other bags ontop of the good rice. Its all smiles all round, but not for long. Into our cookhouse walks Sergeant Mori - he's the main master of all work and the camps throughout Sumatra. Their officers just dont want to know what happens and are hardly seen around the camps.
Gunsor(Mori) lines up the cooks of 20 men. First, he asks where the blue bag of rice is, walks down the line- we all give the same answer - 'no'. He has a heavy cane stick in his hand, goes back to the chief cook Number 1 and again repeats the same words. He says 'No' but that cane hurts. Right down the line he hits everybody and yet the same reply, 'No'. Now he's real mad - up the cookhouse he goes and shortly returns. He wants the correct answer that is 'Yes'.
Now all of us are properly wound up. Our medical officer is there too this time. First its the Chief Cook's turn, the Segeant has a rice- stirring paddle in his hand. It's sharp, strong hardwood from the Japanese kitchen. He smashes the Chief down hard and he stays down on the deck. Down the line, this happens until halfway of the line. I know that some are unconscious. I think its time to stop these beatings, all have been hurt and stayed on the floor. I put my hand up and state 'I'm responsible'.
I said that the sick needed better rice to stay alive. The statement from Sergeant Mori - 'YOU AGAIN !'
I did get a bashing but not too bad, he knew me well. Im one of his key men he requires for bridge building as well, I get double rations on these jobs, so Im very lucky. Any way regarding that bluebag of rice, in the end this goes to the sick POWs and now a change starts to take place. The war is now being lost by the Japanese, news is is getting through that great losses at sea have happened.
I am alive because of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. I, myself , Victor, one of the biggest thiefs in South-East Asia! If I thought something was wrong, I would always protest.
This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunterr from London on behalf of Victor Brock and has been added to the site with his permission. Victor Brock fully understand the sites terms and condition.
The End

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