Chapter Four

We were moved from 3 Block to No. 6 which was to be our abode for the next three years — though we never gave up hope that we would be out by Christmas. We were informed that we would shortly be going out on working parties; we looked forward to this as life confined to the cell had become very boring and any change would be welcome.

One of the first jobs we got was to remove all the sandbags that had been put up round all the doors and windows at the front of the jail. Much later a working party was marching towards the exit to the jail when aircraft appeared above. The Japs were changing guard at the time in the archway leading out of the front of the jail. An aircraft was hit and our party flung themselves to the ground, at which the Japs began to laugh, but not for long because the bombs we had heard on the way down exploded outside the entry to the jail and decimated the lot, leaving us on the ground untouched.

One day we saw a number of British prisoners brought in to our old Block No. 3; they had several weeks' growth of whiskers and hair and many of them appeared to be quite ill. By this time a Medical Officer of high rank had arrived in our block and another doctor came into 3 Block, so things appeared to be looking up. However we still had no medical supplies.

I had now developed a large swelling on my neck which restricted movement of my adam's apple and consequently I was unable to move my head freely or to swallow food as normal. This persisted for five or six weeks until finally, in desperation, I plunged the sharp end of a pair of tweezers into the swelling and gained some relief when a large amount of pus was released. From this day for a few days I applied poultices of hot rice, releasing large amounts of pus each day.

I was also at this time suffering with dysentery, as were many others, including a good friend of mine, Harry. The only treatment was starvation, usually for ten days or so, then a diet of rice water followed by a small amount of rice after about a week. At night Harry and I had to get up to the toilets at the far end of the block going down the passage in absolute darkness. We often passed each other, both of us saying "Coming out right" or "Coming in right" as a warning against bumping into each other. At this time we both lost about six stones in weight, which we did not recover during the remainder of our time in the jail.

We continued to go out on working parties and about thirty of us went to a local school where we were divided into two parties, one of which I took charge of and stayed at the school, the others going with a Sergeant Major to work in the town. Civilian Japs took charge of both groups. Before returning to the jail the other group re-joined us and the Sergeant Major asked how we had fared and told me that their civilian Jap had taken them to a café for a sit-down meal. I did not hold back in telling him what I thought about our lot who had left us all day with nothing to eat or drink. I did not notice the civilian Jap nearby listening in, obviously English-speaking, understanding all I had said as he came to our Sergeant Major and requested the same party for the following day.

When the party assembled the next day it was noted that a second Sergeant Major had joined the party, his first and only venture outside the jail, no doubt because he had been told of the meal some of us had had. The following day the whole party stayed at the school and we all had a fabulous meal of curried beef and rice, no doubt because of my tirade the previous day.

We set out one day and ended up at the docks, no more than a mile or so from the jail. We were unloading a ship, much of the cargo being comforts for the Jap troops. Most of these were small bags containing items more suitable for small children e.g. Yo-Yo's, whistles etc. One of our chaps opened a bag and found a small tin of tomatoes in it which set everybody on opening and searching the bags, but with very little luck. The opened bags were dumped in the dock, surprisingly unnoticed by the Japs despite the large numbers floating around the ship. One of the chaps came up to me to tell me that there was a large box as used for console radios round the corner with the lid somewhat loose because of missing nails. On investigation I found that it was just possible to prise open the lid sufficiently to extract a packet of cigarettes, which I commenced to do. I had just extracted a packet when there was a bellow behind me from a Jap officer who had pussy-footed up. Without moving I flicked the cigs away into a pile of rubbish in the corner. The officer suspected but had not actually seen this and accepted my story that I had been examining the part-nailed lid which I said should be nailed up. His reaction was to call one of his men to get the box transported away. The Jap collared me and a couple more to put the box on to a lorry then we got on with a couple of Japs and off we went.

A short while after came the noise of an aircraft in the distance which we assured the Japs was English. Both of them at once continued to look at the aircraft and while they were so engaged the three of us took out several packets of cigarettes. I concealed four packets, one each side of each ankle with a puttee round each. Later we were lined up for the usual search and when the Jap got to me I pulled some paper from my pocket, said it was to make cigarettes if I could have it. As expected it was refused and I was bashed, but he passed on without searching. The following day we returned to the docks and were generally clearing the area when I spotted a tablet of soap, ingrained with grit but better than nothing, so I picked it up and pocketed it. The Jap sergeant in charge came up and gave me a rollicking and a couple of hefty slaps. He spoke good English and told me that I had no need to take this as we got plenty of soap and cigarettes in the jail. I took the opportunity to deny this and got quite vehement about it, not knowing what punishment to expect. I got quite a surprise when he believed me, went away and came back with a packet of cigarettes to hand round to the lads.

We had another spell on the docks which lasted three days and nights, loading lead ingots, lifted on to a shoulder by two of the lads and taken on to the ship, on to a plank to the open hold and dumped. This went on for twelve hours per shift over the three days for each of the two squads. A job well done, but not as good as the Air Force who came over the day after when the ship had moved out to the middle of the river, dropped bombs on it and down it went, as could be expected with the load it carried.

Another spell on the docks was again of twelve-hour shifts, working on a coal barge, emptying the hold by shoveling the coal into a ten foot tall bucket-shaped container which, when full, was hoisted up and out of the ship. We had no foot gear at this time and had to shovel the coal into the container standing on the coal in the barge. Not very comfortable, especially at the end of the hour-long spell when the next shift came on. When we came off the ship for an hour's rest we were covered in coal-dust, but not for long as we sweated (rather than perspired) and the lot was removed. We were rewarded with a rice-ball at midnight.