大象传媒

This account was related to Denis Price of the 大象传媒 People,s War Team, the 大象传媒 Open Centre Hull, by Mr. Alf Shearsmith the younger brother of Douglas.

Like many others, my twenty one year old brother Douglas who was serving in an East Anglian Anti Aircraft Unit, was on a troopship in 1941 heading for the Middle East. Unfortunately the convoy was diverted to Singapore in time to be captured almost immediately by the Japanese. Our family heard nothing of Douglas,s fate for many months until a card was received from the International Red Cross. It confirmed he was a prisoner of the Japanese.
We learned later that Douglas was among 2,600 other Allied P.O.W working as slave labourers based in Sandakan Camp, Borneo.
As the tide of war began to turn against the Japanese, rumours circulated that attempts would be made by ANZAC Forces to liberate these POW Camps before the Japs could carry out their avowed intention to kill all prisoners before retreating. To prevent rescue, the Japs vacated the Camp and force marched the weak and sick prisoners 160 miles through the Borneo jungle. At the end of the march only six P.O.W survived. Douglas was one who died on that march in June 1945, only weeks before the Japanese surrendered. I recall how the news of Douglas's death devastated all of us.

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