Hello, My name is Colin Docketty and have led a fairly ordinary life by contrast to my father, who, like so many others that were taken by the Japanese at Singapore have many stories to tell. My father, Francis John Docketty 2048251 was in the Royal Artillery (5th Searchlight) and was shipped from Singapore in a 'Hell ship' to Rabaul in New Britain where he survived along with 17 others from a total contingent of 600.
His life from then on until his death in 1990 was always flavoured with the reminder of malaria, mental cruelty and 'hookworm' (which is an organism that enters the body through the underside of the foot and eventually lives in the hosts gut). I as a child was told stories which I shouldnt have heard until at least the age of 25 about his treatment and that of his comrades. This has affected my life in such a way that last year, I was driven to visit this far off land with my mother (the fanaticism being to great to resist). It was a truly moving event when I was able to meet one of the natives on an island called Watom (7km off New Britain) who was actually about 10 years old when the prisoners where there. The stories from those times had also cascaded down the generations and the youngsters of the tribe were also educated about the past.
I have written an article about this journey on my website at http://www.colindocketty.co.uk/watombo/visit.html I hope you are able to read this. As, for me it was a 'coming home'.
Regards
Colin DOcketty
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