From Stanley to North Point
On December 30, behind a truck, on the tailgate of which was mounted
two machine guns, and with an officer mounted on a horse, parading up
and down past the column of prisoners, we were escorted to North Point
Camp. Along the way we passed the signs of the recent conflict, burnt-out
vehicles, battered buildings, dead bodies lying where they had fallen and
rotting in the sun.
The dead bodies were not unusual for these troops, because they had just
been through a long campaign in China and were thoroughly
battle-hardened.
On December 30, behind a truck, on the tailgate of which was mounted
two machine guns, and with an officer mounted on a horse, parading up
and down past the column of prisoners, we were escorted to North Point
Camp. Along the way we passed the signs of the recent conflict, burnt-out
vehicles, battered buildings, dead bodies lying where they had fallen and
rotting in the sun.
The dead bodies were not unusual for these troops, because they had just
been through a long campaign in China and were thoroughly
battle-hardened.
From Stanley to North Point is a long way, walking behind two machine
guns pointed at your head. As I look back, it seems surprising that no one
was shot on the pretext of attempting escape, or for any other reason, by
those trigger-happy Nips, remembering that the battle was just over and
just days before we had been shooting at them.
guns pointed at your head. As I look back, it seems surprising that no one
was shot on the pretext of attempting escape, or for any other reason, by
those trigger-happy Nips, remembering that the battle was just over and
just days before we had been shooting at them.
At North Point we were herded into some broken-down wooden huts
that had recently been used for shelter for refugees fleeing from the
Japanese Army as they pushed south from Shanghai and Peking
that had recently been used for shelter for refugees fleeing from the
Japanese Army as they pushed south from Shanghai and Peking
There was no furniture except for some double-decker wooden beds, and
not many of those. The place was infested with bedbugs, fleas, and lice.
There was evidence that the camp had recently been used as a horse
corral. We had brought nothing with us except for the clothes on our
backs and whatever odds and ends we might have carried.
not many of those. The place was infested with bedbugs, fleas, and lice.
There was evidence that the camp had recently been used as a horse
corral. We had brought nothing with us except for the clothes on our
backs and whatever odds and ends we might have carried.
Four other chaps and I occupied a small cubicle, six feet by eight feet, in
the corner of one of the huts. It was a long time before food was brought
in for us, and then it was mouldy rice and a sort of green cabbage. When
you're hungry enough you'll eat anything.
the corner of one of the huts. It was a long time before food was brought
in for us, and then it was mouldy rice and a sort of green cabbage. When
you're hungry enough you'll eat anything.
It wasn't long before the lice got to us. Body lice are huge grey things.
When the bite, and they do so continually, you itch and burn unbearably.
Frank Bowerbank, a World War I veteran, identified them for the rest of
us, telling us tales of the torture of lice in the trenches in France.
When the bite, and they do so continually, you itch and burn unbearably.
Frank Bowerbank, a World War I veteran, identified them for the rest of
us, telling us tales of the torture of lice in the trenches in France.
Some enterprising chap built a steam generating device out of an old oil
drum, and we scrounged wood to boil water in it. It must have done some
good, but as soon as the clothes were put back on, the lice returned.It
was winter in Hong Kong, and quite chilly, so it was either suffer the cold
or suffer the lice.We were lousy for the rest of the winter, and it was only
when the warm weather returned that we were able to control the
problem.
drum, and we scrounged wood to boil water in it. It must have done some
good, but as soon as the clothes were put back on, the lice returned.It
was winter in Hong Kong, and quite chilly, so it was either suffer the cold
or suffer the lice.We were lousy for the rest of the winter, and it was only
when the warm weather returned that we were able to control the
problem.
Conditions out side of the camp were obviously not much better. The
camp was bounded on the south be a busy thoroughfare, and on the north
by Hong Kong Harbour. Flotsam and jetsam of all kinds went floating by,
dead animals, and dead humans, bloated like balloons from being in the
water, some, no doubt, all the way down the Pearl River from Canton.
camp was bounded on the south be a busy thoroughfare, and on the north
by Hong Kong Harbour. Flotsam and jetsam of all kinds went floating by,
dead animals, and dead humans, bloated like balloons from being in the
water, some, no doubt, all the way down the Pearl River from Canton.
I hope that my friend Bob Barter, with whom I shared a six by eight
cubicle with Lance Ross and Bill Doull, will not mind me telling this
account of a dream he told us about one morning.He said that he saw
himself in the kitchen of his ancestral home in Grand Cascapedia, and on
the kitchen table lay the Bible, open in the New Testament at the Book of
The Acts, Chapter 8, Verse 8. We looked it up in the King James
Version and the text read: "And there was great joy in that city." Chapter
8, Verse 8, eight words. What did it mean? I have since tried to
understand the meaning of the verse, and what portend it may have held
for us. I am not superstitious, or even religious, but the idea intrigues me
still.
cubicle with Lance Ross and Bill Doull, will not mind me telling this
account of a dream he told us about one morning.He said that he saw
himself in the kitchen of his ancestral home in Grand Cascapedia, and on
the kitchen table lay the Bible, open in the New Testament at the Book of
The Acts, Chapter 8, Verse 8. We looked it up in the King James
Version and the text read: "And there was great joy in that city." Chapter
8, Verse 8, eight words. What did it mean? I have since tried to
understand the meaning of the verse, and what portend it may have held
for us. I am not superstitious, or even religious, but the idea intrigues me
still.
Our latrine was the harbour, To relieve ones self one had to cantilever his
backside over the water and hang on for dear life. My memory fails me
here, but there must have been some restraint, more in the interest of
keeping prisoners in than in letting prisoners fall into the drink. Some drink.
backside over the water and hang on for dear life. My memory fails me
here, but there must have been some restraint, more in the interest of
keeping prisoners in than in letting prisoners fall into the drink. Some drink.
There was a washroom between the huts and the "latrine" with cold
running water. Without any soap available, cleanliness was a problem.For
the life of me I can't remember where the cookhouse was.There was a
parade square where we were lined up to be counted every night and
morning, and sometimes in the middle of the night on any pretext.
running water. Without any soap available, cleanliness was a problem.For
the life of me I can't remember where the cookhouse was.There was a
parade square where we were lined up to be counted every night and
morning, and sometimes in the middle of the night on any pretext.