Seventy-five years ago today...

[mezzrow]

This was brilliant - I am sharing here. Read the whole thing.

It was noon on August 15th, 1945. The Japanese Emperor had just announced to his people that his country had surrendered unconditionally to the Allied Powers.

To those of us being held at Ohashi Prison Camp in the mountains of northern Japan, where we’d been prisoners of war performing forced labour at a local iron mine, this meant freedom. But freedom didn’t necessarily equate to safety. The camp’s 395 POWs, about half of them Canadians, were still under the effective control of Japanese troops. And so we began negotiating with them about what would happen next.

https://quillette.com/2020/08/15/on...from-a-pow-camp-then-us-pilots-saved-my-life/

 

[gianthogweed]

Them lads look in good condition considering what they went through in them camps

 

[Methuselah]

My Uncle who lived in West Derby, was a Captain in the army. He was posted to India and Burma. He came through the fighting without a scratch but caught malaria which troubled him on and off for the rest of his life. I remember that when he returned at the end of the war he was sponsor to me at my Confirmation. He was in full uniform and I was one proud lad. Not many Officers in full uniform at St Philomena's that day! He ran a fruit and veg stall in St John's market until he retired. He lived until he was 88 and I drove up to Liverpool for his funeral.

 

[PhilM]

Brilliant read and thank you for sharing.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

My Uncle who lived in West Derby, was a Captain in the army. He was posted to India and Burma. He came through the fighting without a scratch but caught malaria which troubled him on and off for the rest of his life. I remember that when he returned at the end of the war he was sponsor to me at my Confirmation. He was in full uniform and I was one proud lad. Not many Officers in full uniform at St Philomena's that day! He ran a fruit and veg stall in St John's market until he retired. He lived until he was 88 and I drove up to Liverpool for his funeral.

I think I remember you saying you had completed National Service.

Any interesting anecdotes from that? What was the training like, where did you go sort of thing?

Apologies if this is off topic, just curious about it.

 

[chrismpw]

Great read that. Thanks for posting.

 

[Methuselah]

I think I remember you saying you had completed National Service.

Any interesting anecdotes from that? What was the training like, where did you go sort of thing?

Apologies if this is off topic, just curious about it.

Did my training at Devizes in Wiltshire. Spent a few months in Nottingham then posted to Singapore and Malaya. Out there for two years 1955/57. National Service was 2 years but I signed for an extra year as I wanted to go abroad. (Plus you got paid a bit more!) National Service was £1. 6 shillings a week. I got £2.10 shillings. I have posted several anecdotes from those days on here, but could almost write a book.

 

[Ducans elbow]

My dad was a POW in Japan for 3 and a half years, it was horrific

 

[verreauxi]

This was brilliant - I am sharing here. Read the whole thing.

It was noon on August 15th, 1945. The Japanese Emperor had just announced to his people that his country had surrendered unconditionally to the Allied Powers.

To those of us being held at Ohashi Prison Camp in the mountains of northern Japan, where we’d been prisoners of war performing forced labour at a local iron mine, this meant freedom. But freedom didn’t necessarily equate to safety. The camp’s 395 POWs, about half of them Canadians, were still under the effective control of Japanese troops. And so we began negotiating with them about what would happen next.

https://quillette.com/2020/08/15/on...from-a-pow-camp-then-us-pilots-saved-my-life/

Good stuff, thanks.

 

[Tubey]

My dad was a POW in Japan for 3 and a half years, it was horrific

Yeah the Japanese in particular did some... questionable stuff during the war. Let's put it that way.

To this day I don't feel they've apologised adequately for some of those things, including POW treatment, comfort women, Nanking and so on.

 

[Methuselah]

My dad was a POW in Japan for 3 and a half years, it was horrific

Massive respect for your Dad.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

Did my training at Devizes in Wiltshire. Spent a few months in Nottingham then posted to Singapore and Malaya. Out there for two years 1955/57. National Service was 2 years but I signed for an extra year as I wanted to go abroad. (Plus you got paid a bit more!) National Service was £1. 6 shillings a week. I got £2.10 shillings. I have posted several anecdotes from those days on here, but could almost write a book.

When out there what did your day consist of? Are we talking military training or Boy Scouts?

What I am getting at I suppose, could you ever see a modern day version?

 

[Methuselah]

When out there what did your day consist of? Are we talking military training or Boy Scouts?

What I am getting at I suppose, could you ever see a modern day version?

Singapore was like a holiday camp. I represented the army at athletics and the Corps at football, cricket, basketball, athletics plus anything that would get me off duties. Malaya, being an active service area was different. All travelling was in armoured convoys and weapons plus ammunition had to be carried at all times. Jungle patrols were hard work and not a little dangerous. Even if there was no contact with terrorists, the snakes, scorpions, spiders, ants etc., kept you occupied!
The big problem with bringing National Service back is that it would have to apply to women as well as men. I don't think the country could afford it.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

Singapore was like a holiday camp. I represented the army at athletics and the Corps at football, cricket, basketball, athletics plus anything that would get me off duties. Malaya, being an active service area was different. All travelling was in armoured convoys and weapons plus ammunition had to be carried at all times. Jungle patrols were hard work and not a little dangerous. Even if there was no contact with terrorists, the snakes, scorpions, spiders, ants etc., kept you occupied!
The big problem with bringing National Service back is that it would have to apply to women as well as men. I don't think the country could afford it.

Reading the VE media it just struck me how National Service is still such a recent thing but yet couldn’t be fathomed for the games console generation.

I am firmly opposed to it bus curious as to your experience of what is recent times.

 

[LuckyDog]

Did my training at Devizes in Wiltshire. Spent a few months in Nottingham then posted to Singapore and Malaya. Out there for two years 1955/57. National Service was 2 years but I signed for an extra year as I wanted to go abroad. (Plus you got paid a bit more!) National Service was £1. 6 shillings a week. I got £2.10 shillings. I have posted several anecdotes from those days on here, but could almost write a book.

Not much left at Devizes now. Hopton Barracks is an industrial estate and Le Merchant Barracks is mostly housing.