大象传媒

THE LAST DAYS OF WORLD WAR 2

On the 18th September 1945 Sergeant Alfred Bates, of the Indian Army Corps of Clerks, (IACC) who was based in Rangoon, spent the afternoon and until 2.am that evening typing the final draft of the Instrument of Surrender by the Japanese, which would end the 2nd World War.

This document was so vitally important to peace that it had to be word perfect, no errors, no erasures, no spelling mistakes. The document had to be so perfect that the slightest thing wrong with it and it was back to the drawing board and make a fresh start. Unfortunately because of its importance it was start again and again. Alfred reckons that between him and his companions they made more than enough 鈥渇resh starts鈥�.

The following day, Alfred and the companions he had spent the previous day with were permitted to sit amongst the Allied staff on the gallery in the Headquarters of the 33rd Indian Corps which was based in the University Building Rangoon the exact name of which escapes his memory.

Among some of the people who witnessed the ceremony was Brigadier Enoch Powell who at a later date had occasion to strongly reprimand Alf.

The thing he remembers most of the occasion was that there was a long table down the centre of the University Assembly Hall and sitting on one side were 8 to 10 Japanese officers, not one of which was much over 5 foot tall while on the other side were an equal number of British Officers none of whom was less than 6 foot 2 inches tall.

For this action Alf was mentioned in despatches for distinguished services and this was reported in the Derbyshire Evening Telegraph. He believes a copy of the Instrument of Surrender is held in the British War Museum, London.

In 1945 Alf was 23 years old and had been in the Army from the age of 16, and until he joined the army lived in Derby. As he said he joined the forces to see the world and if they saw fit initially to station him not two miles from his home towards the end of his time he saw plenty and now at the age of 83 he certainly has something to be proud of.

When he was telling us his reminiscences he also told us about the time when his instructions were to move some important maps from one spot to another, but that unfortunately the powers to be could not make up their minds where these documents were to be displayed. Alf got utterly fed up with shifting these from one spot back to the original spot that to another home, remarked 鈥淚 wish these people would make up their minds鈥� to which a very low toned voice replied 鈥淭hey have Sergeant Bates鈥� It was Field Marshall Wavell who then had occasion as Alf put it had the occasion to strongly reprimand him. He finished this Remembrance Day story off with the fact that he never got caught by the lower ranks it was always by those in command.

This story was told to me by our stepfather, the Alfred Bates as above, who has for the past few years had a cutting of the clipping in the paper and a certificate showing he was recommended for the citation. This has been displayed with pride in his lounge for anyone to see. It is with his full permission that I have written this memory and have his permission for it to be displayed in your archives. His present address is Barkingside, Ilford, Essex.

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