大象传媒

This is Michael Charnaud鈥檚 story: it has been added by Pauline Colcutt (on behalf of the Fernhurst Centre), with permission from the author who understands the terms and conditions of adding his story to the website.

An unusual and true story of a young boy who with his mother became a prisoner of both the Germans and the Japanese May 1942 - August 1945

CHAPTER - 7 FUKUSHIMA 1945 TO THE END OF THE WAR (PART TWO)

July came to a close, with a spate of aerial activity, with now 2,000 plane raids from the offshore carriers, the B29 bombers from Saipan and Okinawa , and with the fleets constantly shelling, we knew that a crisis was about to be reached with a bloodbath of an invasion . One very disconcerting thing we noticed during the latter part of July was the emphasis the guards kept on about sharpening their swords. We had little doubt that should an invasion take place, we could be butchered on the spot on orders from high authority. But in fact towards the very end the brutal regime relaxed a bit, the commandant was easier, the dreadful interpreter Midorikawa had departed and had been replaced by two young Japanese sisters who were very correct and pleasant. From April 1944 we also had a new Sargeant or Section Head Guard, Mr Okita as second in command who could speak a limited amount of self taught English which he liked to practice, and could therefore talk direct to us in a sympathetic way. Also he was far more human than anyone that we had in authority before. At roll call in the corridor on the 7th August he announced with a very grave voice that the Americans now had a new bomb which had destroyed a city called Hiroshima. His face and whole countenance were solemn and putting on the most earnest expression he told us directly in his limited English that just one of these small bombs was so powerful, that it could wipe out a whole city with fire. It was therefore most important that when the air raid siren goes, that we wear heavy coats to try to protect ourselves from the terrible burning and the heat from the new bomb. So for the next few days, in the sweltering August humid heat of Japan, we would don our army greatcoats and sit in a pall of sweat in our cellar. worried that there was some sudden new development in the course of the war which had obviously petrified the Japanese A few days later he came with even more disturbing news. Not only had there been a second bomb dropped, but the Americans were now dropping leaflets on cities that had not so far been attacked, advising people to leave before they were destroyed and obliterated. Our city of Fukushima had already received such a warning by leaflet on the 5th August, so we all had to be prepared for the worst. Until then we were unaware that the city had been warned to be evacuated and to be prepared for attack. During the whole war, although we had watched countless flights and squadrons of planes flying to attack various locations never knowing if we would be on their list, but fortunately we had been spared so far a full scale assault from the air. Once a B29 had dropped a bomb, and once the nearby bridge had been dive bombed but that was as far as it went.

JAPANESE SURRENDER 15th August 1945
I will quote here direct from Mother鈥檚 notes to give a better flavour of that most important of all our days for us from the time of our captivity:
鈥� It was the same as any other morning , the roll call on the 15th. The guard and interpreter were there and the usual regimentation went on just as it had done for the past 3 years......eyes right, eyes left, hands on hips, stand at ease, number in Japanese, all so petty. There had been no B29 air raid during the night, so no disturbed sleep. Then the first bell went at 6am and we got up, rolled up the mats ready to face another long and weary day. However on this particular morning, when this daily ordeal was over , the guard through the Interpreter informed us that lunch would be half an hour earlier. The order did not register with me its particular significance as lunch then consisted of a roll and water, but the order did cause some bitter comments from some. I was just too hungry and exhausted to care as much of my whole lunch ration went to my young son Michael every day and so it just meant collecting it earlier.

Presently just after lunch , I was sitting in my room when one of the young girls rushed in very excited. In camps there are always people walking around trying to get news or information. She said 鈥� Do come and see, something really important is happening鈥�.

The guard had also forgotten to lock the steel fire door that separated our quarters from the Commandant鈥檚 office, the men鈥檚 quarters, and the rest of the camp. We could see all the guards, the girl interpreters, the two Obe Sans (kitchen maids) all filing into the office, the holy of holys鈥�. And then the radio was suddenly turned on . Never before had the wireless been on in the middle of the day. Things began to take shape at once, the early lunch, and so this was an expected broadcast. Presently in Japanese we heard the announcer, we could not understand what he said of course, and then music was played which sounded like the National Anthem .....but I was not sure. In Japan the National Anthem is played only on very rare occasions, never more than once or twice a year. Then we heard a very solemn and dignified voice speak......and I just knew that it was the Emperor Hirohito. I said so straight away although there had been no precedent before, as it was the first time that he had ever come to the microphone. Then there was an announcer again, and the anthem played a second time. We closed the door very carefully, knelt down and looked through the large keyhole and then saw the guards, the interpreters and Obe Sans filing out of the Office, each of them in tears. I shall never forget their red eyes and genuine tears streaming down their yellow faces and their obvious distress.

I quickly said: 鈥榃ell that is over. Japan has surrendered鈥� quite dispassionately and unemotionally. I do not think that I quite realised myself just what I was saying. I do know that I was convinced that it was the Emperor speaking. Things moved quickly after that. The guards forgot to come and let us out for the afternoon, and as it was in the 80鈥檚 our spokeswoman went to enquire at the office, and the guard came and let us all out with no roll call. In the compound we looked across at the men, a punishable offence, and there were no guards, and the men were all making V signs.

Then suddenly the Greek cook shouted across to me in Greek, and said he had orders to prepare two extra boiled potatoes for each prisoner in addition to the bread ration. And it was that evening for the first time for the past two years, I ate my full meal, rather than keeping something back for my son aged 14 years. Next morning whilst I was bending over getting my last tin of bully beef out for my son to celebrate, I felt a strong pair of arms around me from the back, and I was kissed as I have never been kissed before. It was Michael..... he had come over from the men鈥檚 camp to tell me that Fred Garner had translated the paper that morning as usual in the lavatory, with two men keeping guard outside, and he confirmed that the miracle had indeed happened and Japan had surrendered. Later that morning Capt. Stratford went as usual to the Commandants office. He asked for news of the war, the political situation and whether he had anything to report to us. The Commandant said there was no news. But Stratford held his ground, and said the men were in an ugly mood and he could not accept such an answer, as they too had listened to the special broadcast and they realised it significance. The Commandant then picked up the telephone and talked to his superiors, and finally told Capt. Stratford that the Chief of Police would come and address the camp at noon that day.

He duly came and told us that the Cease Fire had taken force from midnight, and that Japan had come to an understanding with the Allies. He also pointed out that this was the first time in history that Japan had ever been defeated in War, and that though we were technically free, he would advise us not to go out of the camp immediately as he could not foresee the reaction of the people to foreigners in their midst. To emphasise this point, he doubled the guards outside the walls of the camp for the first few days. We were at last free people again, with our rights, our dignity respected and restored. There was kissing, handshaking , laughter and tears and the children were bewildered by it all . 鈥榃hy are you crying now when you have not wept like this for three years ?鈥� asked Michael. 鈥業t s all over now鈥�. Yes it is over, but what an ordeal to have had to go through. What an effort to keep alive, not to give in, and what a fight for your life, your ideals, your morals, and your whole future attitude to life. It had been a grave responsibility on my shoulders, entirely dependant on me to pull us both through, but we had done it together!鈥�

For my part it seemed so strange that the War that had controlled over half of my conscious life was now over. I had grown so accustomed to be looking at Maps and seeing advancing and receding Battle Lines, reading and hearing of all the excitement of disasters and victories that there seemed for a while to be a huge anti-climax as I awaited the next episode in this ever fast moving scenario. I had grown up in a camp with adults all around, first with the women but for the past two years with the men so that I felt that I was not a child but I had the confidence of a young adult. I had learnt how to survive by being adaptable, mentally tough and able to stand my own ground and never ever show signs of wingeing. From the age of eleven I had been through this ordeal with my Mother who was always in the background offering love and support. But at the same time I also had to hold up her head high as well as mine, to set an example and to give her the companionship and steadfastness that she would have expected of any grown man

CHAPTER 8 - END OF THE WAR AND JOURNEY TO SYDNEY (PART ONE)

Two days after we had been officially informed by the Chief of Police that hostilities were now at an end, Captain Stratford received a telephone call from the American Army Authorities in Tokyo, to say that it would be some time before we could receive any visit from them, and repatriation home would probably be at the very least a month away, but in the meantime we were given a telephone contact number to help in any emergency. We were also instructed that we could soon expect to receive air drops of food supplies providing our camp was clearly identified with a large PW sign so as to be easily identifiable from the air. Immediately we had large 10 ft letters laid out in the grounds of our compound clearly identifying our camp and location, and on the 25th August in the morning 12 carrier planes appeared on a reconnaissance flight circling quite high. They were followed by a return visit in the early afternoon by four Grumman Avenger bombers from the USS Lexington this time parachuting our first relief food supplies. They came flying low at about 300 ft high and parachuted food supplies packed into oil drums into the muddy paddy fields opposite. The parachutes looked so pretty coloured red, blue, yellow and white nylon a material that we had never seen before. Everyone scrambled to help retrieve the packages and the canned food which was eagerly shared around, breaking at long last our three years of perpetual hunger. After a couple of days however the flying became much lower at only low tree top height or about 30 ft above the ground and parachutes were dispensed with. The planes would merely sortie round to warn us of their presence, then they would return with their bomb bays open and drop the packages which were just loose cartons of food into the wet paddy fields opposite. It was an exciting start to the excitement and strangeness of peace to see at such close quarters at just over the trees, the standard torpedo bombers that had wrecked such havoc, destroyed the Japanese Navy and bombed Japan from one end to another. Here they were now here in our very presence so close at hand, dropping the food that we had been crying out for. As they flew low dropping their loads often there would be a crew member standing by the open side door waving to us with thumbs up signs. The US Navy white star and double flashes on the aircraft so close by, with their cheerful happy aircrew gave us the promise of a final recognition, after all the trials that we had undergone. We knew that there were now friends in the wide outside world who were acutely conscious of our great ordeal, and they were now present, willing and able to give us immediate practical help. Amongst the cartons and kitbags of tinned peaches, spam, chocolate etc. were friendly notes from ordinary crew members from the four aircraft carriers, the USS Lexington, Yorktown, Saratoga and Essex that were doing the drops. Each day for the next four days we were visited, with supplies dropped close by the camp in the paddy fields opposite and sometimes even within the camp compound which on account of its relatively small size, needed very accurate flying, as well as aiming and timing the drops very precisely. Inevitably there were errors, and one afternoon a cluster of cartons rained down on the side of the building covering it with tinned peaches which in the intense summer heat festered and were soon covered in flies and stank. Another carton crashed through the roof into the women鈥檚 quarters injuring a lady, fortunately not seriously. On the 27th August, however during the late afternoon I was in the garden on the north side of our compound when an Avenger flew low towards me, with its bomb bays open, but standing up by the side of the open starboard door, a crewman pushed out first one kitbag of supplies on the other side of our high brick perimeter wall. The bag flew down from the plane, and its velocity propelled it like a missile right through the solid brick wall, making a three foot hole straight before my eyes only about 20ft away. He waved to me and I waved back thrilled at the excitement of being so close to an aircraft flying so low, and I watched as he pushed out a second bag which flew ahead crashing through a small apricot tree about 100 ft on my right. I did not know then at that very moment, that poor Caroline Dimitricopoulos the Dutch wife of the Greek ship鈥檚 radio operator, was behind the tree and was struck by the impact and had her skull fractured. She was immediately carried indoors and rushed to hospital but died at midnight, never regaining consciousness. What a tragedy this was for the poor woman, from a poor background, an ardent self taught intellectual, very well read and educated. She was a fanatical Communist, aged only 31 and it was a real calamity to be killed after having endured all the hardships just at the point when we were being liberated, and the long gruelling war was at last over. Her poor husband, a huge 6 foot Greek from Samos was devastated and none of the other Greeks or anyone else for that matter could console him for his sad loss at such a happy time as he wept and cried his eyes out. After this tragic incident Capt. Stratford immediately informed the US Army about what had happened and they decided that in future supplies would be dropped using B29 bombers from Saipan 1,600 miles away. To obviate against any accidents, the drops would be made on the Fukushima racecourse which was about half a mile away.

Cont/鈥︹�ee part A Child鈥檚 War Part Sixteen

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