大象传媒

I was born 8 August l914 at Sproatley the fourth of eight children. I was working in the building trade and living at Arnold, near Skirlaugh, when I was called up into the R.A.F. I was already engaged to the lady who was to become my wife and she went into the W.R.A.C.S.

I was posted to Padgate, Manchester to do my basic training and being a fit young man managed all right. I was keen on sport and was a good runner.

I was posted to Java where the Japanese had gained control. Fighting was very fierce and I fought alongside Dutch, Chinese and native Javanese, trying to turn back the Japanese invasion. Fighting continued until we were surrounded and captured. The Japanese put us in camps initially in Java where conditions were terrible. Our own officers got slightly better treatment, being allowed to keep their uniforms, and still tried to look out for us, but there was no equipment of any sort and our only food was a small tin of boiled rice a day which had been boiled in a dustbin. We tried to supplement our rations by picking any green leaves we could reach, including bananas.

I spent the majority of the war as a prisoner of war and was put to work building runways for aerodromes, the work was all carried out by hand with picks and shovels, and hundreds died around me. We got no parcels at all and what mail there was arrived between 2-3 years` old. As my mother was already deceased my Dad wrote to me.
Some prisoners tried to escape but so far as I know no-one ever did, being on an island. We were beaten with wooden sticks, or the butt end of rifles, sometimes because our guards did not think we had worked hard enough. I have seen Japanese soldiers kill men for no good reason.

My health was not too bad, I was of small stature and the smaller men seemed to survive longer on the starvation diet. When I was captured I weighed 11 stone and 9 months later I weighed 6 st. 4 lb. The religion of the Japanese was to worship the Sun, but not one of them showed any kindness.

Early in the second year of our captivity we were herded on to ships where we were so crowded we had to stand on deck for the entire voyage and taken to Sumatra for a while. We were set to work making runways for planes and of the 2000 that sailed from Java only 500 survived to be sent to Singapore 18 months later.

We saw no friendly planes and had no knowledge of the state of the war. In Singapore we were set to work digging tunnels and dugouts, still under the eye of the Japanese. By then we had no clothing or shoes, and our only garment was a loincloth.

We had no knowledge of V.E.Day but in the last few weeks before V.J. Day the cruel treatment improved slightly, but there was no increase in our rations.

In February 1945 we were all herded together and told 鈥淭he war would soon be over鈥�. I will never forget Mountbatten at Woodlands Camp when the Japanese surrendered. There were two rows of officers and behind them all the other ranks. Mountbatten approached and the officers' ranks parted, and he stood among the men. 鈥淐ome in lads I have some gen for you. You will be going home tomorrow, just be patient.鈥� He ordered the Japanese to run round the parade ground, hands on heads, then off on a run and back round the parade ground again.

We were taken to a naval base in Singapore and put on ships for home. Some gave up and died on the way home. We came back via Ceylon where we put in for two days. The improved rations helped to build us up a little. We came back to Hednesford where we were given demob suits, mine was brown and not too bad. I didn`t get my pay until weeks afterwards but was given 6 weeks` leave, after which I returned to R.A.F. Cosford, Wolverhampton. I was there for a month until pronounced fit and then demobbed. I have later been assessed for a war pension, but it was decided that I was not bad enough to qualify. I felt the effects of the beatings for many years, and the leg ulcers.

My fianc茅e had been demobbed a month before, and I had been sending her an allowance throughout the war of 拢1. 00 a week.

I was just glad to be home, and never applied for any medals. I had bad dreams for a while after coming home, but not any more. I have a son and a daughter, four grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

I am now in my nineties, but have never had any desire to revisit Tonjon Prioc camp.

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