大象传媒

This story is transcribed by me , Graham Shepherd , from notes provided by Edwin Kearsley and will be added to the site with his permission . He understands the sites terms and conditions .

In February 1945 along with approximately 3000 other POW鈥檚 we were taken to Singapore docks to be transported to Japan . In addition to the POW鈥檚 there were also many native workers , working materials , machinery and munitions . The POW鈥檚 were to be accommodated around the hold cover below deck , and crowded together lying head to foot with no space between us . The heat and conditions were very bad and at times we refused to go below deck and took over the open deck . After two days we set sail from Singapore for Japan , accompanied by two destroyers and two merchant ships . Food was now 1 pint of boiled rice and 陆 pint of watery stew - no water . The toilets were the sea .

On the fourth day at sea , the ship had a warning about submarines being in the area and at around midnight we heard a loud explosion and saw that one of the merchant ships had been torpedoed and it was sinking as we went past it . Another explosion and we saw that a destroyer had been hit . Our ship turned to go back to Singapore when we heard further explosions . Next morning we realised that we were the only ship afloat . We believe that the submarine had noticed POW鈥檚 on the deck during daytime , so we were not attacked .

The boat changed course and we heard that we were heading for Saigon - Indo China - and as we went up the river to Saigon , we saw several sunken ships . A bombing raid seven days before had sunken a full convoy of ships and attacked the aerodrome .

We docked at about 8 o鈥檆lock in the evening and were locked in a godown for the night without food and water or toilets . We were kept there for 7 days and food consisted of a single hard boiled egg !!

I was one of 500 prisoners who were put onto two covered barges where we stayed for 5 days - the barges were the homes of two families , who lived on them - again virtually no food or water , but survived by eating sweet potatoes which were on board .

Arrived early March at a new camp called Fumie where we were to build an aerodrome , and was issued with 2 boiled eggs on arrival !! The camp already held 600 POW鈥檚 - 400 Dutch - and we were housed in bamboo huts and atap roofs with about 100 in each hut . Beds were made of slats of bamboo to form a platform . We had one water well in the centre of the camp . 大象传媒 was to clear an area of trees and undergrowth then levelling the ground and laying a stone base for a runway . This work included large trees which were felled by hand and we used chunkels , spades , pickaxes and baskets to remove the earth.

In the quarry at the side of the runway , 40 men had to pick , shovel and move the rock to the side of the runway . These 40 men were expected to move 30 cubic meters of rock , working from 8-00 am until 8-00 pm , and if not finished you worked until it was , under torches made with pitch and bamboo . If you were moving earth 40 men were expected to move 50 cubic meters , under the same conditions . No food or water was brought out if you had to carry on working .

Working in the quarry one day the POW next to me changed his direction suddenly and as I was picking up my shovel he put his pick axe through my hand .I was walked back to camp under escort , where a Dutch doctor operated on it and managed to save my hand . After 3 days I was taken down to Saigon to a small POW hospital where I stayed for 3 weeks . I was then transferred to Saigon Dock POW Camp - an old French Foreign Legion Barracks . The work was mainly in the docks loading and unloading , but it was heavy work and I was not able to carry the one hundredweight bag on my back . We also handled munitions and vegetables as well as building defence pill boxes .

I went down with bad attacks of Malaria now and again but there was very little treatment , and on these occasions I could not face food for days .

The camp was enlarged to take in another 1, 500 men in July from Fumie . During July the Japanese started to wake us up during the night every hour to have roll calls outside the hut . These took ages as they could not get the correct number due to many POW鈥檚 not going out on roll call some of the time and then at others turning out .

August 12 , and a rumour circulated around the camp that the war was going to end . The following morning , myself and approx. 1,200 other POW鈥檚 were ordered to parade with whatever kit we had on the open ground in the centre of the camp . We were searched by the Kempi police , then later searched and searched time and time again . We had no food or water at all , standing under the burning sun , then at 4 o鈥檆lock we were taken down to the docks and loaded on barges with more than usual Japanese guards . News circulated that we were on an extermination journey . We moored for 4 days at a very quiet part of the river . During the 3 days there we were allowed off the barges , but were surrounded by machine guns and rifles to stop us wandering . Food was a small portion of rice , 录 pint of thin vegetable soup and 3 pints of water .

Suddenly on the eighth day the Japanese told us to re-embark , turned the barges around and started back to Saigon . We arrived back at about 23-00 hours and were marched back to the Dock Camp - all Saigon was lit up - the war was over . The camp was deserted and all the electrical fittings and other items had been destroyed . The POW鈥檚 who had been in the camp had been moved out to another camp when the war had finished and having heard that the camp was to be used as a Japanese POW camp had destroyed as much as they could .

I sat up all night on our first night of freedom , food and clothing came into the camp and one of the most important was a bar of soap .

British troops arrived on 30th August and I received my first army pay since 1942 - 100 piestas - equal to $ 5-00 . A remembrance service was held in the camp in memory of all the POW鈥檚 who had died and the Union Jack , The Dutch flag and the Australian flags were raised . At the end of August the names of all the men in the camp were broadcast to Australia .

On September 6th , the first party of POW鈥檚 were to be repatriated by air , but no planes arrived , so it was cancelled .

The repatriation of POW鈥檚 commenced on 12th September , with sections of men leaving the camp at 05-00 am and taken to Saigon aerodrome . I was fortunate enough to be included in this first section and left Saigon in the first Dakota plane - 5 crew and 30 men - to fly to Rangoon , landing at Bangkok after 3 hours to refuel . We were issued with a meal of iron rations before leaving to fly onto Rangoon , where we landed after a further 3 陆 hour flight .

On landing , the section were taken to a WRVS reception room where we had our first English meal for 3 陆 years and also some English cigarettes . We were then taken to the 58th Indian General Hospital in Rangoon for a check - up and repatriation . It was nice to sleep on a bed with sheets and to have hot baths . About 14 days later we were all declared fit to travel and were taken to a transit camp - under canvas - about 20 miles from Rangoon , where we were issued with new tropical kit , but being the monsoon season , it rained heavily every day and the camp became a quagmire - but the food was good !

In the middle of September we were taken down to Rangoon docks by transport and embarked on " HMT ORDUNA " - 15,000 tons - and were allocated mess deck 12 , with 16 men to a table . I was mess orderly for our table and got paid 15/- shilling extra each week . Hammocks were supposed to be hung for sleeping at night , but we all slept on the tables and on deck . We did boat drill , inspections and received Red Cross parcels .

Food was excellent and at the mess canteen extras could be bought . Films were shown during the day and mineral water and cigarettes given . At night an issue of cocoa with rum was made and " housey - housey " (bingo) was played .

First port of call was Colombo , Ceylon where we were allowed ashore for 3 hours . I was issued with new spectacles , bought some shoes and sent a free cable home . Around 6th October we arrived at the entrance to the Suez canal and docked at Port Twefik , where there was a large Ordinance depot. The following day we were allowed ashore and at the depot . were issued with battle dress , underwear and boots etc . We also had our shoulder badges sewn on and received our medal ribbons . Next day we went ashore for 4 hours , in which time we were buying tinned meat , cans of fruit and chocolate , all of which were in short supply in England .

Received some mail from England , including from my Grandparents , but no mention of my father , and came to the conclusion that he had died . Left the port at 20-00 and sailed through the Suez canal arriving at Port Said at 08-00 next morning , where we remained for 4 hours before starting the final stage of our journey to England . Our journey through the canal was interesting , but nothing to get excited about .

On 11th October we had a lecture on " reception , leave and release " . The weather was getting colder , so no more sleeping on deck . The free issue of beer was also finished . We passed Malta on 12th October and the sea was very rough with strong winds . On 14th October we were put into sections for disembarking , and had a rehearsal . Arrived at Gibraltar to pick up mail and carried onto Liverpool , passing through the Bay of Biscay . The Ceylon Tea Company issued all men with packets of tea to take home .

Arrived in Liverpool bay on the afternoon of 19th October and arrived at Liverpool Harbour on the 20th October 1945 to a great reception , ships sirens , cheering from crowds on the dockside . After hearing speeches from dignitaries we were at last - 4 hours later - allowed to disembark and were taken to a transit camp where we had to fill in loads of forms in triplicate before having a meal .

Transport was arranged to take us home next day . Phoned home to let them know and was issued with ration books and six weeks pay . Left the camp at 09-00 hours with 16 men to be taken home to areas around Salford and Altringham . The driver did not know the way and kept getting lost . To get to each home we had to sit with him and direct him .

Arrived home at about 4-00 pm to a quiet welcome - I was right in my fears - my father had died .

I was discharged from the army in April 1946 , " ceasing to be able to carry on the requirements of the army ".

No medical and no war pension for being discharged .

As this is my story , I have not mentioned the degrading of fellow POW鈥檚 by the Japanese , by starvation , beatings etc . and how due to lack of food and medical supplies the suffering of those before they died - it would take too long .

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