大象传媒

I was posted to Burma in January 1942 and the Japanese were very active.My squad were kept very busy, repairing the runways, to allow huge American DC3 aircraft to bring in supplies.Dennis Lord was one of my mates and I would love to hear from him.

One day in 1944 a call of nature found me sitting in the makeshift toilet on a bamboo cane with a trough below.Just then the Japanese decided to bomb.One bomb blasted me off the toilet and seriously damaged my upper legs and torso.I was taken to the field Hospital, where an Irish surgeon was performing operations, without anaesthetic but with a large bottle of whisky.

I was airlifted to Calcutta in an Auro Anson, on a stretcher to recover.After three weeks,I was sent back to my unit,I was promoted to Sergeant and told to go to Kuala Lumpa, to bring back a group of Indians, who had been fighting alongside the Burmese, under escort,as prisoners of war.I went to see my Commanding Officer and asked to be relieved because I had to see how my family, were coping back home, as I had completed four years of duty.The Commanding Officer agreed but stripped me of my promotion and told me to find my own way back home.To be continued.

Written with the permission and cooperation of Mr Ernie Tyler by Ged Fleming, Cleveland CSV (story gatherer)Part 1

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.