Description
Object description
British officer served with 2nd Bn Loyal Regt (North Lancashire), 1st Malay Infantry Bde in Malaya, 12/1941-2/1942; prisoner of war in Changi Camp, Singapore, aboard SS Fukkai Maru during voyage from Singapore, Malaya to Pusan, Korea, Keijo Camp, Seoul, Korea and Tokyo Main Camp, Omari and Tokyo 4-B Camp, Naoetsu, Japan, 2/1942-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Shanghai and Tientsin, China, 1920-1940: family; life in Tientsin; foreign concessions in Tientsin; presence of White Russians and Japanese in Tientsin; threat posed by Japanese expansionism; joining Shanghai Times newspaper as reporter in Shanghai, 1938; criminal activities in Shanghai; arrival of Jewish refugees, 1939; effect of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as enlistment and training with 2nd Bn East Surrey Regt in Singapore, Malaya, 1940-1941: background to enlistment in unit; his selection for Officer Cadet Training Unit. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn Loyal Regt (North Lancashire), 1st Malaya Infantry Bde in Malaya, 12/1941-2/1942: degree of jungle training; situation in Singapore.
REEL 2 Continues: Japanese knowledge of British strategic weakness in South East Asia; anticipations of Japanese attack prior to attack on Pearl Harbor, United States of America, 7/12/1941; knowledge of strategic situation in South East Asia, 12/1941; role of unit as mobile striking force, 12/1941; problems in defending airfields in Malaya; role as intelligence officer; unit morale; complacency of civilians in Singapore, 12/1941-2/1942; concern of Chinese population; attitude of Malays, 12/1941-2/1942; effects of Japanese capture of Penang Island; Imperial Japanese Army Air Service attacks and initial failure to observe blackout; memories of Second Lieutenant Alfred Newland; opinion of senior army command during Malayan campaign; effect of Japanese civilian presence in Malaya.
REEL 3 Continues: move of unit to attack hill at Bukit Payung Hill; Imperial Japanese Army Air Service bombing of unit and abandonment of attack on Bukit Payung; unit losses during withdrawal through defile in Muar area of Johore; taking up positions at Milestone 63 in Johore; story of riding into Imperial Japanese Army ambush on motorcycle and wounding during escape; medical treatment he received from regimental medical officer, 24/1/1942; evacuation to casualty clearing station; treatment in Alexandra Hospital in Singapore; following progress of campaign; inadequacy of defences on north west of Singapore Island especially Jurong-Kranji Defensive Line; state of morale of Commonwealth units in Singapore, 2/1942.
REEL 4 Continues: fate of troops in north west of Singapore; second hand story of Alexandra Hospital massacre, 13/2/1942; how he left Alexandra Hospital, 12/2/1942; move to Indian hospital; narrow escape from sniper whilst travelling in vehicle on Orchard Road; atmosphere in Singapore, 13/2/1942-15/2/1942; Imperial Japanese Navy blockade of Singapore; his activities in Singapore, 14/2/1942; news of fall of Singapore, 15/2/1942; problems with thirst, 15/2/1942; effect of Imperial Japanese Army tactics in Malay Peninsula; discovery of his unit. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Changi Camp, Singapore, 1942: move to Changi Camp including sight of Imperial Japanese Army troops stealing watches from prisoners of war; prisoner of war improvisation.
REEL 5 Continues: hearing stories of fellow prisoners of war of Malayan Campaign; start of work parties on Japanese War Memorial; prisoner of war access to money; construction of latrines; organising of educational courses; learning Japanese language; behaviour of Japanese guards; inspection by General Tomoyuki Yamashita; separation of different prisoner of war nationalities; role of Sikhs of Indian National Army in acting as guards for Japanese captors; camp magazine and concert parties; how is previous knowledge of Japanese coloured his attitude to vote of unit officers to go to Japan; reasons for officers voting to go to Japan; giving parole under duress; bartering provisions for journey; embarkation aboard SS Fukkai Maru at Singapore, 20/8/1942.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of voyage aboard SS Fukkai Maru from Singapore, Malaya to Pusan, Korea, 20/8/1942-22/9/1942: conditions on board; prisoner of war rations; effect of tainted pork on prisoners of war. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Keijo Camp, Seoul, Korea, 1942-1943: arrival in Pusan and Japanese guards parading prisoner of war in front of population, 22/9/1942; contrast in attitude of Korean civilians and Japanese guards towards prisoners of war; move to Seoul, 9/1942; accommodation in warehouse in Seoul; coping with winter conditions; prisoner of war cultural life including books read; problems amongst prisoners of war over cooking of rice; supervision of work parties; behaviour of Korean guards; Korean attitude towards Japanese; Kempeitai treatment of arrested officers, 1943; death of Lieutenant Roger Pigott after three years in jail, 29/8/1945; learning Japanese language
REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Toyko Main Camp, Omori, Japan, 1943-1944: reasons for being sent to Japan; arrival at Shimonoseki; character of Japanese escorts; arrival at Tokyo Main Camp, Omori; method of regimenting prisoners of war in camp; national dress in Japan during wartime; reasons why ex-journalists and actors had been concentrated camp; presence of American collaborators in camp; interview with Japanese captors and reasons why he was not selected for Japanese broadcasting purposes; role as barrack commander; living conditions; nature of Japanese beatings; receiving letters from home; relations with American prisoners of war; contrast in different types of American prisoners of war.
REEL 8 Continues: resilience of British prisoners of war; prisoner of war pilfering of food supplies and method smuggling it back into camp; state of prisoner of war health and treatment by Japanese guards; prior recollection of contracting beri beri in Changi Camp, Singapore; Japanese doctor who experimented on prisoners of war in camp hospital, Singapore; behaviour of guard Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe; method of cultivating food; beating he received from Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Recollections of period as prisoners of war in Tokyo 4-B Camp, Naoetsu, Japan, 1944-1945: background to move with Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe to camp; beating he received with Kendo stick from Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe; sight of United States Army Air Force Boeing B029 Superfortresses over Toyko.
REEL 9 Continues: accommodation in camp; state of Australian prisoners of war in camp; arrival of undisciplined American prisoners of war; rumours of sinking of SS Lisbon Maru; state of prisoners of war from Burma-Thailand Railway on arrival in Japan; vegetable plot given to prisoners of war six miles from camp; nature of diet; work unloading colliers; Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe's punishment of Second Lieutenant Louis Zamporini for death of goat; flight of worst guards, 8/1945; Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe's face slapping punishment and his previous incident of broken ear drums inflicted on prisoners of war; receiving news of dropping of atomic bomb, 8/1945; reaction of Japanese civilians to Japanese surrender; demand of prisoners of war for more rations after surrender; food supply drops received from United States Army Air Force.
REEL 10 Continues: collecting food drops; lack of revenge taking against Japanese guards and populace. Reflections on period as prisoners of war, 2/1942-8/1945: Japanese who were helpful towards prisoners of war; opinion of Japanese; contracting tuberculosis from Imperial Japanese Army soldier; effect of prisoner of war experience; adjusting to civilian life; story of what happened to Corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe.