Escape Forbidden!
It was on that parade square that we were lined up one day and
harangued by a bombastic Japanese officer. His message was translated
to the effect that we were to sign a document promising not to Escape.
Now, the first duty of a prisoner of war is to attempt to escape and make
his way back to his unit. You can understand that in our situation escape
was out of the question, although it was attempted in at least one instance
harangued by a bombastic Japanese officer. His message was translated
to the effect that we were to sign a document promising not to Escape.
Now, the first duty of a prisoner of war is to attempt to escape and make
his way back to his unit. You can understand that in our situation escape
was out of the question, although it was attempted in at least one instance
Colonel Home, who had taken over responsibilities of the Canadian
troops after the death of Brigadier Lawson, addressed us and told us that
we should sign the document, because, given the circumstances of our
captivity in such an isolated part of the world, and the unprecedented and
illegal demands of the Japanese, and because for those reasons the
document was meaningless, signing it would not hold us accountable in the
eyes of the Canadian Government. So we all signed. Except for L/Cpl
Jack Porter.
troops after the death of Brigadier Lawson, addressed us and told us that
we should sign the document, because, given the circumstances of our
captivity in such an isolated part of the world, and the unprecedented and
illegal demands of the Japanese, and because for those reasons the
document was meaningless, signing it would not hold us accountable in the
eyes of the Canadian Government. So we all signed. Except for L/Cpl
Jack Porter.
Jack Porter was an Englishman, a veteran of World War I, who had
emigrated to Canada . He came to us in a re-enforcement draft just before
we left Canada. He was a stubborn man. If there was a loud argument
taking place at the far end of the hut, you could be sure that Jack was
Involved. At any rate, when the Japs realized that they had a rebel on
their hands,Jack was whisked unceremoniously out of camp and we all
were sure that would be the end of Jack Porter.. However, two weeks
later, he was returned to North Point, barely alive. He had been taken to
Stanley Prison and starved and beaten. He had signed!
emigrated to Canada . He came to us in a re-enforcement draft just before
we left Canada. He was a stubborn man. If there was a loud argument
taking place at the far end of the hut, you could be sure that Jack was
Involved. At any rate, when the Japs realized that they had a rebel on
their hands,Jack was whisked unceremoniously out of camp and we all
were sure that would be the end of Jack Porter.. However, two weeks
later, he was returned to North Point, barely alive. He had been taken to
Stanley Prison and starved and beaten. He had signed!
At the far end of the parade square stood the hospital. Like all the other
so-called hospitals in the Japanese POW camps, that one was also a
dilapidated hut with nothing in the way of furnishings. It was only a place
that separated the sick from the sicker. Because of the grossly unsanitary
conditions in the camp, dysentery was rampant. I came down with the
disease and was put in the "hospital" to recover or die.
so-called hospitals in the Japanese POW camps, that one was also a
dilapidated hut with nothing in the way of furnishings. It was only a place
that separated the sick from the sicker. Because of the grossly unsanitary
conditions in the camp, dysentery was rampant. I came down with the
disease and was put in the "hospital" to recover or die.
The only treatment available for dysentery was Epsom Salts. Massive
doses of the salts only aggravated the output, but,in general, it flushed out
the system, and in my case, it overcame the problem. The first night in the
place I spent on the toilet seat, a rough, square, wooden hole. I thought
the night and my misery, would never end. In all of my trials in the camps,
that was the only time that I prayed that I would die.
doses of the salts only aggravated the output, but,in general, it flushed out
the system, and in my case, it overcame the problem. The first night in the
place I spent on the toilet seat, a rough, square, wooden hole. I thought
the night and my misery, would never end. In all of my trials in the camps,
that was the only time that I prayed that I would die.
Kai Tak
During the nine months we spent at North Point, nothing much took place
until the summer of 1942. Then we were transported by barge across the
harbour to work on the Kai Tak Airport Kai Tak Airport in 1942
consisted of only one runway. At one end of the runway was a hill of
considerable height. The Japanese set us to work tearing down the hill and
spreading the ground over the level space below so that the runway could
be lengthened.
until the summer of 1942. Then we were transported by barge across the
harbour to work on the Kai Tak Airport Kai Tak Airport in 1942
consisted of only one runway. At one end of the runway was a hill of
considerable height. The Japanese set us to work tearing down the hill and
spreading the ground over the level space below so that the runway could
be lengthened.
Under the supervision of the Japanese "engineers" we laid wooden rails
about four feet apart on which we place a primitive type of trolley. The
trolley was a simple platform on four wheels; on the platform was placed a
wooden box, built in the shape of a pyramid with the top cut off. The box
had two handles on each end to be used in lifting the box. The trolley was
pushed up the hill, loaded with dirt, and allowed to run by the force of
gravity down the hill with a rider standing on the back end.
The trolleys were equipped with a crude brake, a friction piece that could
be jammed against the wheel to slow the car on its decent. When the car
reached the bottom of the hill, it was brought to a halt, and two or more
men lifted off the bottomless box by means of the handles fixed to the
sides. The platform was then upended over the side, then turned upright,
the box was replaced and the car was pushed back up for another load.
Needless to say, we arranged as many "accidents" as possible. For
example, we found that if we went into a curve a little too fast, the tracks
would gradually shift to the outside of the curve. When everything looked
just right, the "conductor" would hit the curve with a little extra speed, and
the whole thing, trolley, load, tracks, and all, would go over the side. The
"conductor" if he was agile enough, would follow the car down over the
bank to make the accident look authentic.
Then the repairs would begin, and we always found subtle ways to slow
the process, amid cries of "dommy, dommy" and "speedo, speedo" from
our Japanese bosses. There were few real accidents as a result of our
scheming, and as far as I can remember there was only one serious injury,
Frank Methot got a broken ankle, probably in one of the episodes
described above.
There were also few beatings when such an "accident" occurred. A tribute
to the acting ability of the "conductors" and the gullibility of the railway
"supervisors".
about four feet apart on which we place a primitive type of trolley. The
trolley was a simple platform on four wheels; on the platform was placed a
wooden box, built in the shape of a pyramid with the top cut off. The box
had two handles on each end to be used in lifting the box. The trolley was
pushed up the hill, loaded with dirt, and allowed to run by the force of
gravity down the hill with a rider standing on the back end.
The trolleys were equipped with a crude brake, a friction piece that could
be jammed against the wheel to slow the car on its decent. When the car
reached the bottom of the hill, it was brought to a halt, and two or more
men lifted off the bottomless box by means of the handles fixed to the
sides. The platform was then upended over the side, then turned upright,
the box was replaced and the car was pushed back up for another load.
Needless to say, we arranged as many "accidents" as possible. For
example, we found that if we went into a curve a little too fast, the tracks
would gradually shift to the outside of the curve. When everything looked
just right, the "conductor" would hit the curve with a little extra speed, and
the whole thing, trolley, load, tracks, and all, would go over the side. The
"conductor" if he was agile enough, would follow the car down over the
bank to make the accident look authentic.
Then the repairs would begin, and we always found subtle ways to slow
the process, amid cries of "dommy, dommy" and "speedo, speedo" from
our Japanese bosses. There were few real accidents as a result of our
scheming, and as far as I can remember there was only one serious injury,
Frank Methot got a broken ankle, probably in one of the episodes
described above.
There were also few beatings when such an "accident" occurred. A tribute
to the acting ability of the "conductors" and the gullibility of the railway
"supervisors".