Merrett, Victor Robert Joseph (Oral history)

British Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officer worked for Admiralty in GB and Hong Kong 1936- 1941. Served with Hong Kong Dockyard Defence Corps 1941. Captured in Hong Kong 12/1941, POW of Japanese in Hong Kong and Japan 12/1941-8/1945

REEL 1 Architectural career with Admiralty 1/5/1936; posting to Hong Kong naval dockyard 4/1939. Hong Kong 4/1939-12/1941: purpose of Hong Kong Dockyard Defence Corps; its training and surprise at Japanese attack; relations between European civilians and British service personnel; recruitment to Defence Corps 12/1941 and conditions of service. Chinese hiding Europeans from Japanese. Fall of Hong Kong 12/1941: Japanese strategy; holding British line at Bennett's Hill; involvement with Royal Navy 25/12/1941; condition of retreating troops; their reports of Japanese attack. REEL 2 Fall of Hong Kong 12/1941: Japanese stealing Merrett's watch; Japanese treatment of dog; POWs paraded through city; Japanese fifth column. Shamshuipo POW camp 12/1941-1/1943: march to; layout; facilities; flies; severity of and POW reactions to punishment of POWs by Japanese at British officers' request; recites two POW poems 'Rice' and 'Charge of the rice brigade'; canteen supplies; contaminated rice; POW collaboration with Japanese. REEL 3 Shamshuipo POW camp 1942: clandestine radio; exposing collaborators; severity of Japanese punishments for attempted escapes; Merrett's escape plan; camp poetry; concealing radio during Japanese search; camp studies, recreation and art; parades; other rank working party constructing Kai Tak airstrip; sabotage; torture of Chinese caught helping POWs; camp fatigues; strongyloides; heavy nature of airstrip work; withdrawal of food for sick POWs. REEL 4 Shamshuipo POW camp 1942: adding weeds to rice diet; making heavy bread; POW sicknesses; 'electric' feet; POW death rate; funerals; Merrett's date barometer and prognostications about length of captivity; story of wall map; Japanese approval of reading material; embarkation and removal of Defence Corps personnel from Lisbon Maru 9/1942. Journey to Japan aboard Tatuta Maru 1/1943: fear of attack; decontamination at Nagasaki; journey to Sakurajima camp, Osaka; camp commandant's speech. REEL 5 Sakurajima POW camp 1/1943-3/1945: utensil and blanket issue; camp routine, clothing, construction and facilities; quality and character of camp guards; POWs teasing guards; character of Japanese work supervisors 'hanchos'; work in Osaka iron works; gleaning news from Japanese newspapers; sleeping arrangements; Merrett's savage punishment for hiding newspaper cutting in bed; Merrett's 'revenge' on vicious Japanese sergeant; story of Merrett drawing camp plan. REEL 6 Sakurajima POW camp 1/1943-3/1945: continues story of camp plan and commandant's reaction, especially to Merrett's knowledge of Japanese; primitive administering of injection; Merrett's brine injection for beri beri; bizarre Japanese treatment for pellagra; escaping punishment for drawing victory sign; drawing victory sign on Japanese ship being launched; Japanese workers' PT drill; relevance of 'Song of the seashore', plays James Galway excerpt. REEL 7 Sakurajima POW camp 1/1943-3/1945: sabotaging Japanese propaganda films of POWs; amount of contact with home and POWs receiving bad news; distribution of books; religious services; Japanese priest and view of unified Christianity; rabbit breeding attempt; Merrett's weight loss. Akenobe POW camp 3/1945-9/1945: journey to; rice fleas in sleeping area; recites 'Ode to a flea'; treatment by guards; copper mining work at Akenobe; equipment, routine and clocking off system; absence of wild life; nature and miseries of mining work. REEL 8 Akenobe POW camp 3/1945-9/1945: making 'cigars'; realisation that war over; POW concert for Japanese civilians; Japanese party for POWs; US supply drops; naming goat after B 29. Liberation 9/1945: reception by MacArthur at Yokohama; pleasure of ample soap supply; journey to Manila aboard Ocondo; hospitality in Manila; effects of POW experience on Merrett's spine; Pacific journey aboard General Robert Lee Howze. REEL 9 Return to GB 9/1945-11/1945: Pacific journey; ship's tannoy; welcome at San Francisco and billeting on Angel Island; recognition of Merrett's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve rank and bizarre uniform; ensuring Royal Navy pay precedence; buying shoes in San Francisco and unawareness of rationing; journey across United States. REEL 10 Return to GB 9/1945-11/1945: train journey across United States and Canada; trans Atlantic voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth; master officer duties; reception at Southampton 11/1945; reunion with wife. Present attitude towards Japanese. Koreans' difficult position with Japanese affecting their treatment of POWs.