Description
Object description
British telegraphist served aboard HMS Courageous in GB coastal waters, 1939; served aboard HMS Durban, 9th Cruiser Sqdn in South Atlantic, 9/1939-3/1940 and with Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 3/1940-3/1941; served on shore duties at HMS Tamar, Stonecutter's Island, Hong Kong, 3/1941-12/1941; served aboard MTB 08, 2nd Motor Torpedo Flotilla, Coastal Forces in Hong Kong, 12/1941; POW in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-9/1942; survived sinking of Lisbon Maru off Zhoushan Islands, South China Sea, 10/1942; POW aboard SS Shinsei Maru during voyage from Shanghai, China to Moji, Japan, 10/1942 and in Osaka Camp No 1, Chikko, Ichioka and Kobe Hospital Camps and Myoshi Internment Camp, Japan, 10/1942-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Edinburgh, GB, 1919-1938: family; education; employment; membership of Royal Naval Wireless Auxiliary Reserve. Aspects of enlistment and training as telegraphist with Royal Navy at Portsmouth in GB, 1938-1939: enlistment, 1938; period without uniform; reaction to enlistment; wireless training. Aspects of period as telegraphist aboard HMS Courageous in GB coastal waters, 1939: seasickness; duties; reasons for leaving aircraft carrier. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Durban, 9th Cruiser Sqdn in South Atlantic, 9/1939-3/1940: drafting to cruiser; tricks played by shipmates; opinion of service; impressions of Freetown, Sierra Leone, outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939; briefing drafting to submarine HMS Clyde in Freetown; return to HMS Durban; move to Simonstown Naval Base at Cape Town, South Africa; arrest after missing ship's departure; period as prisoner in brig; comradeship;; dropping of depth charges; sending Morse Code. Aspects of period as telegraphist aboard HMS Durban, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 3/1940-3/1941: seasickness and removal to wireless room low down in ship; ship's role escorting troops to Singapore, 2/1941. Aspects of period on shore duties at HMS Tamar in Hong Kong, 3/1941-12/1941: drafting to HMS Tamar; secondment to RFA Appleleaf; firing at Japanese aircraft, 8/12/1941. Recollections of operations as telegraphist aboard MTB 08, 2nd Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla, Coastal Forces in Hong Kong, 12/1941: drafting to MTB 08 in flotilla; composition of motor torpedo boat crew.
REEL 2 Continues: coping with being onboard motor torpedo boat; actions against Japanese, 12/1941; story of search for SS Scharnhorst; relationship with coxswain including charge received for going ashore to buy rations; story of attack while under house arrest; move to Aberdeen Harbour; problems with propeller and repairs; destruction of MTB 08 on slip at Aberdeen Harbour, 16/12/1941; drafting as personal wireless operator to Major Giles, Royal Marines on Bennett's Hill; description of Japanese invasion including problems with overcoat; separation from Major Giles; destruction of wireless; movement downhill; taking cover in storm drain and narrow escape from searching Japanese troops; reunion with British troops; treatment received; being placed on charge by Major Giles and its dismissal; return to Bennett's Hill; move to Aberdeen Docks and surrender; arrival of Japanese and effect of conversation with Japanese soldier; rape of Red Cross nurses; post-war meeting with one of nurses; reaction to situation. Aspects of period as POW in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-9/1942: treatment during journey to camp; details of camp; sleeping arrangements; population of camp.
REEL 3 Continues: morale and visits to Anglican padres and Catholic priest; details of escape attempts and escape committee; activities and health; character of Japanese interpreter including punishments received by Hughieson and other POWs; selection for POW detachment to Japan. Recollections of sinking of SS Lisbon Maru off Zhoushan Islands, South China Sea, 10/1942: details of ship including accommodation; latrines; announcement of being battened down; description of submarine USS Grouper's attack on ship; information received from Japanese; conditions in hold including casualties; reaction to evacuation of Japanese personnel; further information received from Japanese; morale; communication with second hold; cutting of air holes and contact with POWs; exit from hold; scenes and events on deck; decision to swim to shore; sight of sinking ship; description of swim to shore.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction to situation; rescue by Chinese fisherman; voyage to shore; medical treatment; fellow survivors on island; capture by and treatment received from Imperial Japanese Marines; apologies on handover to Imperial Japanese Army in Shanghai, China; reception from army. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Shinsei Maru from Shanghai, China to Moji, Japan, 10/1942: embarkation aboard ship; conditions during voyage including supply of water; casualties; arrival in Moji. Recollections of period as POW in Osaka Camp No 1, Chikko, Japan, 10/1942-3/1943: journey through underground tunnel; details of work while imprisoned in Osaka Camp No 1; relationship with civilians; description of Osaka; story of punishment received by civilians; communication and relationship with Japanese civilian workers and guards at Osaka shipyard; rations; Japanese treatment of women; morale; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; discipline; working week; details of work in docks including receiving beating; medical treatment received; work in oil refinery; suggestion by Royal Navy doctor Anthony Jackson that he move to Ichioka Hospital Camp; air raids and resulting work; story of carrying out sabotage and punishment received.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as POW in Ichioka and Kobe Hospital Camps, Japan, 3/1943-8/1945: journey to camp, 3/1943; location and description of Ichioka Hospital Camp; role of hospital; arrival of patients; problems with rats; composition of staff including Dr Anthony Jackson; removal of dead bodies; treatment of ulcers; contraction of frostbite and gangrene; method of removing gangrenous limbs; rations; health; prior recollection of filling sacks of rice in Osaka Camp; morale of British and American POWs; knocking out of patients; knowledge of war's progress; hiding of illicit items and contact with Japanese Christians; rumours of extermination; winter conditions; sterilisation of medical equipment; air raid on hospital; description of Kobe Hospital Camp; duties; rations for POWs and guards; story of addition of spittoon contents to guards' food; memories of first Japanese camp commandant including story of beheading following theft of eggs.
REEL 6 Continues: memories of second Japanese camp commandant; arguments over unwanted rations; description of US Army Air Force air raid including wounding in face. Aspects of period as POW in Myoshi Internment Camp, Japan, 8/1945: removal to Myoshi Camp; population of camp; sight of atomic bombing of Hiroshima, 6/8/1945; reaction of guards; work undertaken and scenes in Hiroshima during following days; return to camp, 9/8/1945; further details of scenes in Hiroshima; orders gained on return to camp; arrival of American troops including earlier food drops; splitting-up of POWs. Recollections of hospitalisation in Japan, Philippines, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and Singapore, Malaya, 8/1945-10/1945: journey to Okinawa, Japan; entertainments; reaction to situation; staff in hospital; discovery of what had happened in Hiroshima, Japan; medical treatment and later meeting of wife; flight to Manila, Philippines; medical treatment received; relations with American troops.
REEL 7 Continues: move to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; reaction to song Roll out the Barrel in Okinawa, Japan; effects of experiences; results of examinations; voyage aboard HMS Lothian to Singapore, Malaya; hospitalisation in Singapore, Malaya; repeat of medical tests and results; voyage aboard hospital ship to GB; health including rations received in different hospitals. Aspects of return to GB, 10/1945: arrival in Southampton; journey to and reception on arrival in Portsmouth; medical received; process of demobilisation; train journey to Edinburgh; reception on arrival home. Reflections on experiences as POW in Hong Kong and Japan: effects of imprisonment and later psychiatric treatment; opinion about need for psychiatric treatment for troops; medical problems with knee and hip; details of pension; casualties from SS Lisbon Maru; meeting with commander of submarine USS Grouper, which sank SS Lisbon Maru; post-war attitude towards Japanese.
REEL 8 Continues: story of first post-war meeting with a Japanese man; story of Keiko Holmes and return visit to Japan; addition of his name to list of survivors in Hiroshima.
