FREED FROM SINGAPORE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 214, 10 September 1945, Page 5

FREED FROM SINGAPORE

SEVERAL NEW ZEALANDERS STORIES OF THEIR CAPTIVITY (Official War Correspondent—N.Z.E.F.) Recd. 11.45 p.m. ' Singapore, Sept. 7. New Zealand prisoners o£ war in Changi (’amp, the largest Malayan prisoner ot‘ war camp, have come through 31 years of starvation and the grossest brutality, showing few signs of lhe treatment they received. All look thin after years of a diet which, up to a fortnight ago, was entirely inadequate, but their spirit is amazing. Their minds are alert and the traditional cheerfulness of New Zealand servicemen is very much in evidence.

Men who spoke of their experiences were:—

Squadron-Leader W. G. Clouston (Rotorua). Major A. R- Hughes (Auckland*. Flight-Lieut. R. Miller, Lieut. T. E. Mellor, Lieut. L. H. Herd, D. McGregor, and A. P. Campbell (all of Wellington). Gunner M Barrow, Warrant-Officer J. G. Gilbert, Staff-Sergeant K. S. Hanlin (all ot Auckland). Lieut. (lnvercargill). Lieut. Austin C. H. Howards (late of ralmerston North). Sergeant Bruce Andrew, Sergeant R. G. Ravenwood (both or Dunedin). L.A.C.I S. E. Sargent (Tiniroto), L.A.C. E. W. Dense (Kotuku). Staff-Sergeant Newton King (Bay of Plenty). Abie-Seaman D. A. Edwards (Wellington). Gunner R. L. Lilias (Rotorua). Regimental Sergeant-Major P. L. Cooper, Sergeant R. O. Williams (both of Christchurch). It is emphasised that this list is purely provisional, and that there are many more New Zealanders in other camps and approximately 60 civilian internees in one large Malayan camp alone. The greatest anxiety of the men at present is that their years of internment and ill use might have, in some ways, made them different from the men of the world outside. Except for obvious signs of continued undernourishment, there was never a more normal crowd of New Zealanders. WERE WELL INFORMED

There were surprisingly well informed on the aftairs ol the world outside, through an illicit radio organisation which equipped itself with sets, contrived from the most unlikely scrap, and functioned without interruption from the earliest nays. Although death was the penalty for discovery, news, they said, was the one thing which enabled them to carry on, but all admitted that strict discipline and good maintained by the prisoners themselves, was a very large factor. Ten days passed alter the Japanese surrender before the prisoners were told. In that time they had to avoid scrupulously giving any indication that they knew. Every man, of course, has his own story of tenseless brutality, or organised cruelty, but all insist that there was much in camp life which made them laugh, and that this is Lie side they prefer to remember. Changi was built as a civil gaol, to accommodate 600. The present population is 12,000. Forty cells, built to hold one convict each, have accommodated 200. In the last four months the average daily ration has been 49 ounces of rice, under an ounce each of oil and sugar, half an ounce of salt and a pinch of tea. Gardens, which were worked by those considered unfit for heavy labour, produced about 13 ounces of green stuff, which mostly was unpalatable, but it just kept them above the starvation level. On this diet the men were forced to work. The rice diet upset the men badly at first, but eventually they became used to it. The treatment of the sick was particularly bad. There were no medicines available, and the Japanese apparently assumed that a sick man did not require as much food as a well one, and cut down the rice to about five ounces. The camp diet was augmented to a small extent by food bought and smuggled in, but the rocketing prices outside steadily reduced this source, as the meagre pay was not increased. Hunger forced men to eat dogs, cats and snails, in which there was brisk trading. The traditional ability of the New Zealand soldier to scrounge, led to countless instances of successful hoodwinking of thr Japanese, and gave the men the greatest satisfaction. FORCED LABOUR

Work at Changi was mostly building a large airfield alongside the camp, where the only transport for spoil was the chassis oi tnree-ton lorries,, which required 30 men to drag. The guards kept the men at this work tin they dropped, some oi the guards were reasonable, but the others delighted to knock t.-.e men about. “But the hardest thing," said one, "was taking a slap on the face. You had to stand and take it, but it was hard to do, when you could feel your ears swelling, and could have killed most guards with one good smack. Those tew who tried it paid for it by starvation, and usually death." After the Japanese surrender a fortnight ago, the whole attitude oi the «iapanes»* changed. Food was issued liberally, and the Red Cross parcels, accumulated for three years, were handed out. More parcels were distributed in a fortnight than in the whole of the three previous years. The extra food has put the men in good heart. The average gain in weight of the New Zealanders has been 12ibs. in a fortnight, but some had lost several stone. All were extremely cheerful, and showed touching delight at getting first-hand news of home and at the prospect of seeing New Zealand very soon.