Description
Object description
British private and NCO served with 9th (Machine Gun) Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, 18th Infantry Div in GB and Singapore, Malaya, 9/1939-2/1942; prisoner of war in Changi and Keppel Harbour Camps, Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942-9/1942, on Burma-Thailand Railway, 9/1942-10/1944, River Valley Road Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 10/1944-2/1945 and Saigon and Nha Trang Camps, French Indochina, 2/1945-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as private and NCO with 9th (Machine Gun) Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 18th Infantry Div in GB, 9/1939-10/1941: call-up to militia, 1939; pattern of service in GB. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Warwick Castle and HMT Felix Roussel from GB to Singapore, Malaya, 10/1941-2/1942: voyage aboard HMT Warwick Castle from GB to India via South Africa, 10/1941-1/1942; conditions at Deolali, India, 1/1942; conditions aboard HMT Felix Roussel during voyage from India to Singapore, Malaya, 1/1942-2/1942; casualties during Japanese attack on convoy in Sunda Straits, 4/2/1942. Recollections of operations as NCO with 9th (Machine Gun) Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 18th Infantry Div in Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942: reaction to sight of dead Indian soldier at Mount Pleasant; being accidentally shot by Indian troops at Mount Pleasant; incompetent British NCO; first appearance of Imperial Japanese Army troops. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Changi and Keppel Harbour Camps, Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942-9/1942: march to Changi, 2/1942; dysentery problem; living conditions on work detachment at Keppel Harbour Camp, 5/1942-9/1942; saluting Imperial Japanese Army guards; question of maintaining respect for British uniform and flag; Japanese humiliation of British officer; pilfering on dock work and punishments; reward for prisoner of war for rescuing Japanese driver from dock; treatment by guard for looking European.
REEL 2 Continues: Japanese guard's car accident at Keppel Harbour; near capture of prisoner of war pilfering tobacco; Indian National Army guards; Plaster of Paris pastry; concert party; move to railway station for train journey to Thailand and prisoner of war trading boots with Malay; Japanese beheading of striking Singaporean workers, 1942. Recollections of period as prisoner of war on Burma-Thailand Railway, 9/1942-10/1944: repairing railway bridge at Bankao; rations; clearing bamboo and cutting embankment; eating castor oil nut; method of obtaining food from Thais; food situation at Wanyai Camp; escape attempt and fate of escapees at Chungkai Camp; Japanese engineer's accident during rock blasting work at Wampo; move to Tarsao Camp; suspected British officer collaborator at Tarsao Camp; cholera deaths at Tonchan Camp; his accident at Tonchan.
REEL 3 Continues: pooling resources for sick at Tonchan Camp; burning of cholera victims; treatment for tropical ulcers at Hintok Camp; 'speedo' work hours; Japanese detailing sick to work; case of prisoner of war officer shooting cholera victim; low morale at Prang Kasi Camp; completion of railway, 10/1943; maintenance work; return to Ban Pong Camp. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in River Valley Road Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 10/1944-2/1945: return to Singapore; contact with German seamen; coal trimming work; his beating for not bowing to Japanese officer. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Saigon and Nha Trang Camps, French Indochina, 1/1945-2/1945: conditions during voyage SS Haruyasa Maru from Singapore, Malaya to Saigon, French Indochina, 4/2/1945-9/2/1945; attack on convoy; conditions in camp; receiving news of Allied advance from Japanese; warning that prisoners of war would be executed and suspicions about 'air raid slits'; amusing story of watch; kindness of prostitutes.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of operations as NCO with 9th (Machine Gun) Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 18th Infantry Div in Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942: action at Mount Pleasant and accidental shooting by Indian troops; reaction to sight of dead Indian soldier; use of abandoned Royal Air Force equipment; initial contact with Japanese. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Changi and Keppel Harbour Camps, Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942-9/1942: march to camp; swimming and walking perimeter; Japanese shooting of pilferers at Keppel Harbour Camp; Japanese treatment of Gurkha prisoners of war; plaster of paris pastry; prisoner of war officer's criticism of Barwick's torn shorts; Chinese repair woman; prisoner of war's reward for rescuing Japanese driver from Keppel Harbour; Japanese treatment of striking Singaporean workers, 1942; Japanese NCO's car accident. Recollections of period as prisoners of war on Burma-Thailand Railway, 9/1942-10/1944: train journey; repairing bridge at Bankao; rations and trading; camp theatre at Nong Pladuk Camp; eating castor oil beans; bee stings.
REEL 5 Continues: food situation at Wanyai Camp; relations with Thais; fate of escapees; English speaking Thais; fishing at Tonchan Camp; cholera outbreak and death rate; Japanese attitude towards sick; his leg wound and treatment; state of morale; effect of scorpion sting; increased rations during 'speedo'; making up work party numbers; supplementing rations; a beri beri case; medical officer's suicide advice; shaving and haircut on rest day. Aspects of period as prisoner of war at River Valley Road Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 10/1944-1/1945: return to Singapore; pilfering food from docks; trick played on Japanese guard; eating dog meat; working with civilian criminals on docks.
REEL 6 Continues: treatment by German seamen; discomforts working in heat; accident during coal trimming work. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Saigon and Nha Trang Camps, French Indochina, 2/1945-8/1945: conditions during voyage aboard SS Haruyasa Maru from Singapore, Malaya to Saigon, French Indochina, 4/2/1945-9/2/1945; work parties in Saigon, 2/1945; individual Japanese guards; giving Japanese guard dysentery; toe injury; hearing war news from Japanese guard; Japanese threat of execute prisoners of war and offer from guard to save Barwick; hearing news of VE Day and Japanese surrender; celebrations, 1945; currency value; Japanese fear of Viet Minh; Viet Minh ambush on train on route to Saigon, 8/1945. Aspects of return to GB, 1945: hospital treatment for jaundice in Rangoon, Burma; being refused prisoner of war pay in India; flight to Palestine; flight to GB; reason for refusing army medical pension.
REEL 7 Continues: demobilisation at York, GB, 1945; reaction to call-up to Army Reserve during Korean War, 1950. Reflections on period as prisoner of war in Singapore, Malaya, on Burma-Thailand Railway and French Indochina, 2/1942-8/1945: attending ex-Far Eastern Prisoner of War Association reunion, 3/1983; encounter with Sikh Indian National Army guard whilst pilfering tobacco in Keppel Harbour Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 1942; prisoners of war getting drunk whilst unloading sake; accidental killing of Chinese collaborator; Japanese engineer's rock blasting accident at Wampo on Burma-Thailand Railway; Kempeitai's beating of Japanese guard in French Indochina.
