大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War website by Don and Betty Tempest of the Lancshomeguard on behalf of John Walker and added to the site with his permission.

John Walker was born in 1919. He joined the Royal Artillery in October 1939 and was called up on the 29th. December 1939 as a Signaller. John was initially posted to Lanarkshire in Scotland for training and in September 1940 left for Portsmouth.

In December 1940, whilst on Christmas leave in manchester, two days befor Christmas, he survived a very bad Blitz. In March 1941 he set sail from Gourock in Scotland on the HMT Strathmore, to arrive in Freetown, West Africa on April 3rd.

On April 6th. 1941, he left Freetown and went to Cape Town and then on to Bombay, where he stayed at a rest camp at Deolali (About 90miles from Bombay)
Unfortunately, at this time John contracted Malaria and was admitted to hospital for some time.

Upon his recovery John's Regiment went into Haveliaiu on the North West Frontier. His journey took two days by train. When he arrived he joined the 5th. Field Royal Artillery. They were told their stay in India was only going to be a short one. On October 8th. 1941, they travelled back to Bombay and embarked on the Orion for Columbo, Ceylon. After a four day journey they arrived in Singapore and left be train the next day for Ipoh.

After two days travel, they arrived at the barracks in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Barhu. They had only been there for two days when Japn attacked Pearl Harbour. On Decmber 7th. 1941, they were ordered to pull out as the Japanese had landed on beaches 26miles from their camp.

They made their way to the Aerodrome and for two days there was constant firing between the Japanese and John's unit. Bad news arrived to the troups to say that the ships Prince of Wales and the Repulse, which were coming to take them home, had both been sunk.

John wrote many diaries detailing the daily events of his period of service, but on the 15th. February 1942, he was captured by the Japanese and taken to Changi jail. There is a break in his diaries for a time, but then he starts to write again. He details his weight on a monthly basis, sample menus, the types of jobs they were expected to do, friends who didn't make it, and the dates of every letter and parcel received from home etc.

John was moved to various camps including Malaya and Taiwan. He writes, on Christmas Day 1942, that they knew it was Christmas because they were allowed to finish work at 3pm and they were given extra rice and pork for their meal, and three packets of cigarettes.

On the 26th. October 1945, Japan surrendered and they were released from the camps. He returned to Manchester and was discharged from the Army on 10th. April, 1946. John took up trade as an electrician.

Now, at the age of 86years, he resides in a Nursing Home, suffering Dementia and Alzheimers Disease. He received the 1939 - 1945 Star, The Pacific Star, and the 1939/45 War Medal. The only physical signs now of his time as a prisoner of war are the numbers tattooed on his arm and his extensive collection of diaries, Birthday Cards and drawings made by people in the camp.

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