Hale, Harry Sidney George (Oral history)

British bandsman and NCO served with 2nd Bn Royal Scots in India and Hong, 1/1935-12/1941; NCO served with 2nd Bn Royal Scots, Kowloon Infantry Bde during Battle of Hong Kong, 8/12/1941-25/12/1941; POW in Hong Kong Hotel Relief Hospital and Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-9/1941; survived sinking of SS Lisbon Maru off Zhousham Islands, South China Sea, 10/1942; POW in Woosung Camp, China and Hakodate Branch Camp No 2, Akabira, Japan, 11/1942-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Romford and Seaview, GB, 1915-1934: family; move to Seaview on Isle of Wight; family businesses on Isle of Wight; interest in music. Aspects of enlistment and training as bandsman of Royal Scots in GB, 4/1934-12/1934: initial attempt to enlist in Royal Army Medical Corps at Newport, 4/1934; abortive attempt to enlist in Royal Marines; background to enlistment in Royal Scots; joining band of the Royal Scots at Dover Castle Barracks; initial training at Dover. Aspects of period as bandsman and NCO with 2nd Bn Royal Scots in India, 1/1935-1/1938: nature of voyage aboard HMT Lancashire from GB to India, 12/1934-1/1935; playing in dance band for extra money; venues played at; promotion to lance corporal; sporting activities; death of battalion members during march from Dagshai to Lahore. REEL 2 Continues: death of battalion member; playing piano at striptease. Recollections of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Royal Scots in Hong Kong, 1/1938-12/1941: contrast between climate in Indian and Hong Kong; journey from India to Hong Kong 1/1938; attractions of Chinese girls to battalion members; marriages; prevalence of venereal disease and precautions taken; punishments for contracting venereal disease and treatments; life for bandsmen; quality of battalion band; lifestyle in Hong Kong; playing and singing with choir of St John’s Cathedral; voice training received from Italian academic; internment of Italian academic, 1940; return of battalion members to GB, 1939-1940; variety of band engagements. REEL 3 Continues: accommodation in Murray Barracks; playing at Chinese and British functions; bandmen’s privileges; playing piano for Russian ballet master; payment of band; band playing on radio broadcasts from Hong Kong; effects of hearing of declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; organisation of flying picket; clashes between garrison troops and American seaman; Air Commodore Robert Brooke-Popham’s dismissive attitude towards Japanese threat; removal of battalion to New Territories; corruption involved in construction of air raid shelters, 1939-1940. REEL 4 Continues: training in New Territories; problems with malaria and morale; his reasons for remaining in Hong Kong; civilian evacuation, 1939-1940. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Royal Scots, Kowloon Infantry Bde during Battle of Hong Kong, 8/12/1941-25/12/1941: orders to return to unit, 7/12/1941; arrival of unprepared Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers and Royal Regiment of Canada, 11/1941; defensive measures taken prior to invasion; Japanese Fifth Column in Hong Kong; opinion of 1st Bn Middlesex Regt; his duties at battalion headquarters at Shing Mun Redoubt on Gin Drinkers Line; activities on orders to return to unit, 7/12/1941; story of how his section was detailed to establish Japanese front line and accidental encounter with Japanese. REEL 5 Continues: his wounding and escape from encounter; reporting to battalion headquarters; treatment for gunshot wound at British Military Hospital at Bowen Road; meeting nurse fiancée; Japanese bombing of British Military Hospital; hospital rations; returning to unit at Wongneichong Gap; story of wounding whilst leading untrained Canadian troops of Winnipeg Grenadiers; evacuation to British Military Hospital at Bowen Road and subsequent surgery for wounded hand; removal to Hong Kong Hotel Relief Hospital for convalescence. Aspects of period as POW in Hong Relief Hospital, Hong Kong, 12/1941-2/1942: surrender, 25/12/1941; awareness of massacre at St Stephen’s College in Stanley; Japanese attitude towards taking prisoners; Japanese assembling of POWs and internees. REEL 6 Continues: reaction to sight of females and children being herded into captivity; Japanese treatment of nurses; inoculations. Recollections of period as POW in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 2/1942-9/1942: move into camp, 2/1942; effect of rice diet on health; issue of salt; sanitation in camp; diseases affecting POWs; use of cigarettes as currency; religious services; yeast issue; discipline and punishments; question of escape from camp; deaths amongst POWs; his contracting dysentery and treatment; disposal of dead bodies and effect on camp morale of POW deaths; separation of officers; eating dog meat. REEL 7 Continues: POW deaths and outbreak of diphtheria; death of friend Private William Christie from diphtheria, 5/9/1942; selection for transfer to Japan including primitive dysentery test. Aspects of period as POW aboard SS Lisbon Maru in South China Sea, 9/1942-10/1942 including sinking off Fusham Island, 2/10/1942: conditions on board; torpedoing of ship by submarine USS Grouper SS-214, 1/10/1942; Japanese battening POWs down in hold; POWs breaking out of hold; abandoning ship under Japanese fire; period in water; rescue by Japanese tug; removal to Shanghai; embarkation on Japanese freighter at Shanghai; showing symptoms of diphtheria; Japanese knifing of POW; disembarkation and hospital treatment for dysentery and diphtheria in Shanghai; assembling of POW survivors at Woosung Flats. Recollections of period as POW in Woosung Camp, China, 11/1942-5/1945: move into camp. REEL 8 Continues: reception from American POWs; composition of camp population; nature of work parties building rifle ranges; work on Shanghai Racecourse; POW sabotaging Japanese wood alcohol supplies; his punishment for sabotage; dismantling Chinese cemetery and use of coffin wood and valuables found; working hours; rations and supplementing diet; arrival of Red Cross parcel; incident of receiving punishment from Japanese after successful US Army Air Force air combat over camp; behaviour of captured American pilots; removal from camp; train journey from Shanghai to Pusan, Korea via Nanking, 5/1945-6/1945. REEL 9 Continues: arrival of British Red Cross supplies and American POW resentment; coping with cold; improvising footwear; sleeping arrangements; presence of rats in camp; provision of night time fire picket; POWs’ belief in Allied victory. Aspects of journey from Pusan, Korea to Japan, 6/1945-7/1945: reaction to voyage between Korea and Japan; journey in closed train across Japan, 7/1945; stopover in Tokyo and attack on POWs by Japanese civilians; rations during train journey. Recollections of period as POW in Hakodate Branch Camp No 2, Akabira, Japan, 7/1945-8/1945: arrival at camp; conditions in camp; work in coal mines. REEL 10 Continues: hazards of coal mining work; working methods; washing after mining work; refusal of officer POWs to work in coal mines; Japanese withdrawal of rations for sick and payment in cigarettes; Japanese preparations for Allied invasion; problems with lice and fleas; POW’s punishment for whistling; hearing news of end of Second World War, 15/8/1945; regimental sergeant major’s method of keeping discipline; POWs’ refusal to participate in roll call; nature of Japanese commandant’s announcement of end of war. Recollections of liberation and return to GB, 8/1945-12/1945: arrival of Allied parachutists; POWs and civilian casualties killed by air supply drops. REEL 11 Continues: taking supplies to Chinese POWs; incident of American POW taking reprisal against Japanese interpreter; keeping diary during incarceration; question of fate of some POWs who collaborated; flight to Tokyo, Japan; 9/1945; delousing process; move by road from Tokyo to Yokohama, Japan, 9/1945; treatment on move to Manila, Philippines; treatment for jaundice in American hospital in Philippines; attitude to sharing ward with former Dutch POWs; embarkation aboard HMS Glory; sight of reprisals against Japanese POWs in Manila, Philippines; reception in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. REEL 12 Continues: reception from Canadians; hospitalisation in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada,10/1945-11/1945; train journey to Nova Scotia, Canada; embarkation aboard RMS Queen Elizabeth in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; voyage aboard RMS Queen Elizabeth from Canada to GB; arrival in Southampton, GB, 2/12/1945; reaction to having freedom of action.