Colebrook, Charles James Maurice (Oral history)

British sapper served with 22nd Fortress Coy, Royal Engineers in Hong Kong, 2/1935-7/1941; NCO served with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Hong Kong, 7/1941-12/1941; prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-1/1943, Osaka No 9-B Camp, Amagasaki and Hiroshima No 3-B Camp, Tamano in Japan, 1/1943-8/1945

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1916-1930: family; education; enlistment in British Army, 1930. Aspects of period as sapper with 22nd Fortress Coy, Royal Engineers in Hong Kong, 2/1935-7/1941: embarkation aboard HMT Somersetshire for Hong Kong, 19/1/1935; arrival at Wellington Barracks; work installing searchlights; meeting future wife and marriage; the British Army and his mother in law's attitude towards her daughter marrying a soldier; misbehaviour of troops in Hong Kong; attitude to Japanese presence in colony; transfer to Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 7/1941; evacuation of his wife to Australia, 7/1940; clash with Impeiral Japanese Army troops in defence of refugees crossing into Hong Kong from China, 1938. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Hong Kong, 8/12/1941-25/12/1941: reception on transfer to unit, 7/1941; how he received news of Japanese attack, 8/12/1941; orders to go to Kowloon to show Indian Army units how to use searchlights; under Japanese shell fire at Kowloon and start of withdrawal; his escape to Hong Kong Island; drive through shelling at Wanchai Gap; capture by Japanese at roadblock and death of Chinese cooks; escape during skirmish. REEL 3 Continues: return to positions at The Ridge, Repulse Bay Road, work in observation post at The Ridge, Repulse Bay Road; use of heavy artillery based at Stanley against Japanese forces; machine gunning of infantry attacks by Imperial Japanese Army; orders to surrender and Japanese refusal to accept it; decision to make for Repulse Bay, 22/12/1941; discovery that Repulse Bay Hotel was occupied by Japanese troops, 23/12/1941. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-1/1943: capture by Japanese, 24/12/1941; initial treatment by Japanese; move to Sham Shui Po Camp. REEL 4 Continues: casualties amongst Royal Army Ordnance Corps personnel during Battle of Hong Kong; living conditions in camp and how diphtheria arrived in camp; acting as untrained nurse to diphtheria cases in Jubilee Barracks. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Osaka No 9-B Camp, Amagasaki and Hiroshima No 3-B Camp, Tamano, Japan, 1/1943-8/1945: voyage aboard aboard SS Tatsuta Maru from Hong Kong to Nagasaki, Japan, 19/1/1943-22/1/1943; arrival in Nagasaki, Japan, 22/1/1943; move into Osaka No 9-B Camp, Amagasaki; factory work at Otani Heavy Industries Company; earthquake and floods; opinion of rigidity of United States Army Air Force bombing tactics; arrival of prisoners of war from Burma-Thailand Railway; punishment of prisoners of war by Japanese; removal to Hiroshima No 3-B Camp, Tamano, 6/1945; work in Mitsui Mining Company smelting factory. REEL 5 Continues: what he heard on day atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, 6/8/1945; hearing news of Japanese surrender, 15/8/1945. Aspects of liberation and return to GB, 1945-1946: US Army Air Force air dropping of supplies after 15/8/1945; arrival of American doctors; sight of flatterned Hiroshima; move to Philippines; return to GB via US, winter 1945-1946; condition he was in as result of his experiences during captivity; attitude towards Japanese. Reflections of period as prisoneer of war in Japan, 1/1943-8/1945: opinion of Japanese industrial efficiency and prisoner of war sabotage; use of illicit radio; memories of dropping of atomic bomb on Hiroshima, 6/8/1945; sight of Japanese casualties from atomic bomb.