Description
Object description
British gunner served with 30th Coastal Bty, 8th Coastal Regt, Royal Artillery, Fortress Command, Hong Kong, 1937-1941; prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-9/1942; survived sinking of SS Lisbon Maru off Zhoushan Archipelago in South China Sea, 10/1942; prisoner of war in Osaka Main Camp No 01-B, Chikko, Japan, 10/1942-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hackbridge, GB, 1918-1936: family; problem of contracting infantile paralysis and small stature; education; sporting activities; employment. Recollections of period as gunner with Royal Artillery in GB and Ireland, 1936-1937: reasons for enlistment in Royal Artillery, 1936; training on Ordnance QF 18 Pounder Field Gun; posting to County Cork for coastal defence duties; reaction to posting to Hong Kong; attitude to military life and discipline. Recollections of period as gunner with 30th Coast Bty, 18th Coast Regt, Fortress Command, Hong Kong, 1937-1941: nature of voyage from GB to Hong Kong, including conditions on board troopship; arrival in Fort Stanley barracks in Hong Kong; amusing story of fellow soldier in typhoon; type of guns used in barracks; qualification as gun layer and rate of pay for specialism; nature of duties with 30th Coast Bty, 18th Coast Regt; work as office clerk.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of accommodation and sleeping arrangements in barracks; employment of local Chinese labour as barrack boys including rates of pay and nature of duties; memory of having clothes and shoes made by local workers; weekend leave and activities; social life in Hong Kong; reading Daily Mirror newspaper for home news; opinion of food; contact with civilian population; memories of inter-regimental sports tournaments; effects of local alcohol and story of being disciplined for drunkenness; memories of Hong Kong Harbour and sampans; popularity of 'Jane' cartoon; difficulty in obtaining news; social life in Hong Kong and lack of entertainment; opinion of civilian population; nature of local environment around barracks; memories of celebrating Christmas; problem of sunburn; description of uniform; communication with home.
REEL 3 Continues: nature of duties and description of typical day; gun drills and clerical work; life in barracks; isolation and problem of obtaining news. Aspects of operations as gunner with 30th Coast Bty, 18th Coast Regt, Fortress Command during Battle of Hong Kong, 8/12/1941-25/12/1941: hearing about Japanese attack from China, 8/12/1941; withdrawn to Stanley Fort to act as sentry; helping clear Japanese from hotel in Hong Kong with Gurkhas and hearing of fall of Hong Kong, 25/12/1941. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, GB, 1/1942-9/1944: march from Stanley Fort to Hong Kong and ferry to Sham Shui Po Camp; description of conditions in Sham Shui Po Camp; daily death rate from malnutrition and disease; use of yeast tablets mixed with rice as nutrition. Recollections of period as prisoner of war aboard SS Lisbon Maru in South China Sea, 9/1942-10/1942, including sinking off Zhoushan Island, Zhoushan Archipelago, China, 2/10/1942: two days spent in cargo hold of SS Lisbon Maru; lack of food and water; torpedoing and sinking of ship by United States Navy submarine, USS Grouper (SS-214); escape to Zhoushan Island; aid received from Chinese civilians; recapture by Japanese forces and removal to Japan; attitude to treatment by Japanese.
REEL 4 Continues: further details of sinking of SS Lisbon Maru, 2/10/1942; Japanese forces' shooting at men in water; period spent in water holding on to cork float; swimming towards Zhoushan Island and rescue by Chinese junk; treatment received from Chinese villagers; opinion of treatment for malaria and dysentery in Japanese hospital; removing ashes of dead comrades. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Osaka Main Camp No 01-B, Chikko, Japan, 10/1942-8/1945: train journey from Moji to Osaka Main Camp No 01-B at Chikko; conditions and daily routine in camp; nature of work; type of clothing worn and rations.
REEL 5 Continues: roll call; return to camp after work and search by guards; methods of concealing sugar in clothing and memory of punishment for smuggling food into camp; no stealing between prisoners; description of accommodation; opinion of Imperial Japanese Army guards; story of sick prisoner being drowned by Imperial Japanese Army guards in water tower as punishment; two mile march to work-place; state of morale amongst prisoners of war; attitude to deaths of fellow prisoners of war; opinion of medical treatment and nature of rations.
REEL 6 Continues: communication with family; washing facilities and personal hygiene; attitude to trying to escape; description of Imperial Japanese Army guards and hierarchy; opinion of Imperial Japanese Army guards and local Japanese civilian workers; importance of regimental pride; amusing story of fellow artilleryman getting drunk; reflections on effects of captivity and attitude towards Japanese people; opinion of British Government's post-war treatment of Far East Prisoners of War; hearing about atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima, 6/8/1945; supplies dropped by United States Army Air Force aircraft.
REEL 7 Continues: liberation of camp and greeting American service personnel whilst dressed in an American uniform; description of American ration packs; opinion of Americans; role in charge of repatriation centre in hotel in Osaka hotel; memories of end of Second World War and nature of celebrations, 15/8/1945; nature of journey from Osaka, Japan to GB including period of recuperation at Pearl Harbor, United States of America and voyage aboard HMT Queen Mary; post-war employment in telephone exchange; opinion of being recalled for further three months of training in Territorial Army.