大象传媒

Tommy Wadsworth served with the RAF and was captured by the Japanese.
He was incarcerated for three and half years in Java and Sumatra.

When he was finally liberated, he weighed little more than five and a half stones (77lbs/35kg). Yet, despite all his experiences, he survived 鈥� perhaps due to his unique sense of humour. He appeared to bear no malice towards the Japanese and recalls here one of the rarer, lighter moments as prison camp barber:

It was during the first few weeks of captivity that orders came from the Nips that all personnel should have their crowning glory clipped to the roots. For the first time I had what became known as a Kojak cut. I shall never forget that first day of shearing. One by one we went into the room where Sweeney Todd was operating. We thought it was the height of degradation, but slowly, as the victims came out of the room, it tuned into a pantomime. Roars of laughter went up at the sight of some curly headed buddy suddenly becoming almost bald. One found bumps on his head he never realised were there.

There were a few Yanks interned with us and they took the head-shaving to it鈥檚 limit. One had his hair cut with an inch of slightly longer hair at the top of his head, and another had the letters U.S.A. neatly cut in inch long hair. Both received a beating for their trouble.

All the Japs, regardless of their rank, had shaved heads. It was very hygienic under the conditions.

Since razors were worn out or lost or taken from us by our captors, here was a glorious chance to experiment with facial fungus. I developed a fine Van Dyke beard with a long waxed moustache. My bald head was covered with a white serviette I had found, tied in the manner of a pirate. One of the more affable guards called me 鈥淧irato鈥�, the Japanese way of pronouncing the word.

During a period of sickness (Beri-Beri and Malaria) I was given light duties as a jungle camp barber, the only tool being a pair of well worn hair clippers. One day I was dishing out the usual right over-the-top Kojak trim when one of our members of the camp brought in a bottle of Brylcreem. 鈥淭here you are mate he said, 鈥渇inish the job off properly!鈥� Laughter echoed around the hut as I tipped a pile of the stuff over the bald head I鈥檇 just finished. I slapped the pile of cream with the flat of my hand, giving everyone a liberal showering. As everyone was naked but for a 鈥淕鈥� string, no damage was done.

In one camp I was pounced on by one of the Jap guards who pushed into my hands the rustiest and oldest pair of hair clippers I鈥檇 ever seen.

He wanted me to clip the offending bristle-like black hair. I was in trouble from the start because I knew those clippers would just pluck out the hair. The yells from the Nip soldier as I operated sent shivers down my spine, but he stuck it out to the very end and even made a 鈥減resento鈥� of a chicken for my efforts.

Tommy Wadsworth was liberated in 1945. He died in his home town of Leicester in 1983.

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