Speech

British private and NCO served with 9th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, 18th Infantry Div in GB and Singapore, Malaya, 1939-1942; POW 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 Da Nang Camps, French Indo-China, 2/1945-8/1945

REEL 1 Aspects of period as private and NCO with 9th Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 18th Infantry Div in GB, 1939-1941: call up to militia, 1939; service in GB. Aspects of voyage aboard MV Warwick Castle and SS Felix Roussel from GB to Singapore, Malaya, 10/1941-2/1942: voyage aboard MV Warwick Castle from GB to India via South Africa, 10/1941-1/1942; conditions at Deolali, India, 1/1942; conditions aboard SS Felix Roussel during voyage from India to Singapore, 1/1942-2/1942; casualties during Japanese attack on convoy in Sunda Straits, 4/2/1942. Recollections of operations as NCO with 9th 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 Japanese. Recollections of period as POW 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 Japanese guards; question of maintaining respect for British uniform and flag; Japanese humiliation of British officer; pilfering on dock work and punishments; reward for POW 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 POW pilfering tobacco; Indian National Army guards; Plaster of Paris pastry; concert party; move to railway station for train journey to Thailand and POW trading boots with Malay; Japanese beheading of striking Singaporean workers, 1942. Recollections of period as POW on Burma-Thailand Railway, 9/1942-10/1944: repairing railway bridge at Bankai; 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 POW officers shooting cholera victim; low morale at Brankassi Camp; completion of railway, 10/1943; maintenance work; return to Ban Pong Camp. Aspects of period as POW in River Valley Road POW Camp, Singapore, 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 POW in Saigon and Da Nang Camps, French Indo-China, 1/1945-2/1945: conditions during voyage from Singapore to Saigon; attack on convoy; conditions in camp; receiving news of Allied advance from Japanese; warning that POWs 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 Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers 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 RAF equipment; first contact with Japanese. Aspects of period as POW in Changi and Keppel Harbour POW Camps, Singapore, 2/1942-9/1942: march to camp; swimming and walking perimeter; Japanese shooting of pilferers at Keppel Harbour; Japanese treatment of Gurkha POWs; plaster of paris pastry; POW officer’s criticism of Barwick’s torn shorts; Chinese repair woman; POW’s reward for rescuing Japanese driver from Keppel Harbour; Japanese treatment of striking Singaporean workers; Japanese NCO’s car accident. Recollections of period as POW on Burma-Thailand Railway, 9/1942-10/1944: train journey; repairing bridge at Bankai; 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 POW at River Valley Road Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 10/1944-1/1945: return to Singapore; pilfering food from docks; POW 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 POW in Saigon and Long Than Camps, French Indo-China, 2/1945-8/1945: conditions during voyage aboard SS Haruyasa Maru from Singapore to Saigon, 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; threat of POW execution 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. Aspects of return to GB, 1945: hospital treatment for jaundice in Rangoon, Burma; being refused POW pay in India; flight to Palestine; flight to GB; reason for refusing army medical pension. REEL 7 Continues: demobilisation at York, 1945; reaction to reserve call up for Korean War, 1950. Aspects of period as POW in Singapore, on Burma-Thailand Railway and French Indo-China, 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, 1942; POWs getting drunk whilst unloading sake; accidental killing of Chinese collaborator; Japanese engineer’s rock blasting accident at Wampo; guard’s beating from Kempeitai in French Indo-China.