Hanson, Douglas Parker (Oral history)

British private served with No 1 Motor Transport Sub Depot, No 1 Base Ordnance Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Savenay, France, 1940 including sinking of HMT Lancastria off Saint-Nazaire, France, 17/6/1940; NCO served with No 1 Ordnance Store Coy, Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Singapore, Malaya, 5/1942; prisoner of war in Changi Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942-8/1942, aboard SS Fukkai Maru on voyage from Singapore, Malaya to Pusan, Korea via Takao Camp, Formosa, 8/1942-9/1942, Korea No 1-B Camp, Jinsen, Korea, 9/1942-11/1942 and Mukden Main Camp, Mukden and Hoten No 1-B Camp, Cheng Chia Tun, Manchuria, 11/1942-8/1945

REEL 1 Aspects of period as private with No 1 Motor Transport Sub Depot, No 1 Base Ordnance Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Savenay, France, 1940 including sinking of HMT Lancastria, 17/6/1940: enlistment in Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1939; service with No 1 Motor Transport Sub Depot, No 1 Base Ordnance Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps at Savenay, near Nantes; sinking of HMT Lancastria at Saint-Nazaire, 17/6/1940; treatment for burns in Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse, Plymouth, GB. Aspects of operations as NCO with No 1 Ordnance Store Coy, Royal Ordnance Corps in Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942: Japanese air attack on convoy in Sunda Straits; arrival in Singapore, 5/2/1942; atmosphere in Singapore; duties defending railway station; first sight of Japanese on surrender; behaviour of Japanese. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Changi Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942-8/1942: march to camp; contracting dengue fever; nature of rations; contact with Chinese during 'break-out' from camp; Sikhs guards of the Indian National Army; morale and rumours; symptoms of beri beri; work parties on docks. Aspects of voyage as prisoner of war aboard SS Fukkai Maru from Singapore, Malaya to Pusan, Korea via Takao Camp, Formosa,, 8/1942-9/1942: conditions on board. REEL 2 Continues: Japanese pilfering from prisoner of war; labouring work at Takao Camp, Formosa, 29/8/1942-15/9/1942; parading of prisoners of war on arrival in Pusan, Korea, 24/9/1942. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Korea No 1-B Camp, Jinsen, Korea, 9/1942-11/1942: labouring work; brutality of Korean guards. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Mukden Main Camp, Mukden, Manchuria, 11/1942-7/1943: move to Mukden, 11/11/1942; combating cold; rations; work in machine tool factory; sabotage; work regime; contact with Manchu civilians; relations between British and American prisoners of war; prisoner of war attitude towards Japanese; brutality of American born Japanese guard; execution of American prisoner of war escapees. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Hoten No 1-B Camp, Cheng Chia Tun, Manchuria, 7/1943-8/1945: accommodation; contact with home. REEL 3 Continues: contact with home; receipt of Red Cross parcels; obtaining war news; prisoner of war organisation; representations to Japanese; medical facilities and smuggling of medicine into camp; religious services; hearing news of Japanese surrender; liberation by Soviet Army; surrender of Japanese forces, 8/1945; return journey to GB via Okinawa Island, Japan, 9/1945-11/1945. Reflections of period as prisoner of war in Mukden Main Camp, Mukden and Hoten No 1-B Camp, Cheng Chia Tun, Manchuria, 11/1942-8/1945: lack of long term effects of imprisonment; attitude towards Japanese; attitude to Japanese withholding prisoner of war mail; revenge taken on Japanese guards, 8/1945. REEL 4 Continues: camp commandant's objection to flying of Union flag, 1/1944; instances of informing; prisoner of war punishment for theft; Chinese looting of machine tool factory after liberation; psychological effects of imprisonment; Japanese resistance on Okinawa Island, Japan after surrender, 1945.