Arthur - I am afraid that to publish some of the material on an open web would cause it to have to be shut down.
Have you ever seen the film Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. That was a bland exhibition of the truth.
Lending smoking adicts money and then demanding repayment in food. (From starving men) Selling water at £10.00 Stirling to whoever would buy. usually officers and those who had brought their check books into the camps with them, All cheques endorsed on the back with the words, this cheque must be honoured in the event of my demise.
The chief exponent in this took his cheques value £950 with him when he went aboard the Fukukui Maru. He drowned when it sank on the 12th September 44.
The first Japanese we met took all our watches, lighters and other valuables Many managed to hide them away , however The first chance they got the gangsters stole them and sold them to the natives.
Dog Eat Dog.
I had my revenge several times, selling to the Japanese and Korean guards quinine tablets made from chalk and later mepaquin with iodine added to colour them yellow.
They believed that we had received them in food parcels, (Food parcels never existed for us)
Peggy - Gavin Daws was pretty frank in his book PRISONERS OF THE JAPANESE about how
different Allied POWS behaved. He comes down pretty hard on my country-men, and by contrast indicates that the Commonwealth/British were far more caring of each other. I wasn't there, so I can't say. But it is in Daws for anyone interested.
Arthur - There is no difference in any of the fighting forces.when the odds are against them. In the majority of cases it is number one first, unless there is a small light in the tunnel, a reward or a close friend.
Janet - The main objective for most of us I am sure is to try to learn ( for we don't have first hand experience - thank God ) , remembering that we are all the children of that generations sacfrice, and always honour the memory.
I myself enjoy the " chit-chat " on line and without the help many months ago from Tony Banham and Capt George Duffy I would never have been able to tell my Mother-in-Law what happened to her beloved brother who was lost in the navy whilst on Atlantic convoys.
This wasn't anything to do with Feopw, but when I saw a lady of 83 cry and saying " Thank them ( Tony & George ) so much for me, at least I now know what happened to my dear Bob" , it brought it home only too well that we all need to know, for our own sakes, for the sake of our future generations and for their sakes too as they all paid the highest price of all.
Jen - >Arthur and Peggy thank you for your information. I have not seen the film "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence". Looking at the review it appears to be about the human desire to communicate and understand even through the most dire circumstances.
I have also noted that there is a book called "Horyo"- a memoires of an American POW by Richard M Gordan. It is reviewed on battling bastards of Bataan. I came across it when I was looking for a review on "Prisoners of the Japanese". I will try and give them both a read.
Janet your message came in just as I was writing this. Thank You too.
Arthur - Merry Christmas presents the matter of homosexuality and sodomy by force of being the victor. grizzly and possibly true.
Jen - >Arthur just another film using the fepow story as a draw at the box office? Do you know what happened about the film "to end all wars"
based on Ernest Gordan's "Miracle on the River Kwai". It would be sad if some film producer has mucked this one up and turned it into a flop which I suspect is what has happened.
Arthur - >Jen, I have not heard of this one, but I have just been informed of the release today of a DVD "The Changi Story" All I know is that it is being released in Australia today and is being promoted on Amazon. price £20 or there about.
Keith - >Arthur, If this is of the series on Aussie TV, this was the subject of an exchange on Ron's previous FEPOW list. If I remember correctly, the first episode was great, and from there it went down hill. Ask Lynette Silver for her opinion
Arthur - I have ordered a copy and will report back when viewed Arthur
Cynthia - First I would like to thank Ron and Arthur for their help, thank you
so much, it is grately appreciated.
The Changi Story is going to be on Auckland - New Zealand Television either this week coming or next week, for anyone who lives in New Zealand. It is a story from 6 different POW's who were in Changi, Singapore, I understand. I have no idea what it is like.
Tracy - Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - http://us.imdb.com/Title?0085933
staring David Bowie, with a haunting soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
It has been too long since I last saw it for me to comment on wether it's a more accurate portrayal of the prison camps than Bridge of the RIver Kwai. I had forgotten about this one, will have to watch it again now that I have been on this list and learned so much more about the Far East Asis Prisoners in WWII.
As a child I remember watching a series on Masterpiece Theater called "A Town Like Alice" - http://us.imdb.com/Title?0081949 - about Australians taken prisoner in Malasya (?). I don't know how much is truth and how much fiction but it might be worth watching for some.
I'd like to thank everyone on this list for posting - I'm enjoying reading them all and am learning so much. I don't have anything to add but I do enjoy lurking and following along. I'm afraid that I'm not ever going to find out exactly what my grandfather went through during his years as a FEPOW if the past posts about obtaining records are correct - that I'll need a death certificate to prove my relation
to him. I'm in Washington DC, and my family (and his family) are all still in England (Ipswich) and none of them seem very keen on the idea of me looking into his past. I've asked them to send me whatever information they have so at least I could know what regiment he was in but so far I'm still waiting on the mail.
Various bits and pieces mentioned here have reminded me of what few stories I was told of his experiences - so thank you for triggering those memories.
