ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL

What Knots, Volume 3, Issue 3, 17 December 1945, Page 5

ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL

" During the secondyear occupation of hong Kong a local doctor who was assisting military intelligence at Chungking and other Allied centres was unfortunate in that he' had a difference with his Chinese chauffeur who betrayed him to the Japanese. ’ . . At the time, the Japanese were holding what might be termed a "purge”, end a prosecutor had been sent from Tokio with orders to obtain as many capital sentences as possible. A large number of civilians had been executed and military officers shot for alleged communication with Chungking, and the doctor’s life was undoubtedly forfeit. However, a large Chinese dinner cum gambling party was arranged. Here, the Chief of the Japanese Gendarmerie after becoming hopelessly intoxicated was inveigled into heavy gambling. After he had lost everything of value to the various Chinese guests, one notable* Chinaman challenged him to play for the life of the doctor; The challenge was accepted and the Chief of Gendarmerie lost. He honoured his debt and the doctor was released. . . 000 - Sgt C. Bland - 1 H.K.V.D.G.

Two Life Insurance Agents met and talked "shop”. One was an American representing a Lew York Life Office, the other British, of a Home Office. They boasted to each ocher how quickly their Company settled death claims. The Britisher . said one of their -policyholders died at 9 o’clock one morning and a cheque in settlement of the claim was paid to the widow at 9.30. The Ameiican Head Office was situated on the 17th floor of a 29 Storey Building. A. policy Holder who lived on the top floor of the building fell out of the window one day, and they handed him a cheque as he passed. - H.B.W. - Ward D -

. 1 m ® niber quite well an experience of mine which happened way back in 970 ? ana when I tell how it all came -.about ■ I’m sure that there will be no doubt a all regarding ohe authenticity of this narrative* I was steamin'- along in my 1 r t» sailing boat in that region of the world where the Indian Ocean boraers On the Arctic..' ibis in itself was a rather unique experience, and one which very few . people have enjoyed. The main beauty of it was, one could by steering two points off course either way, have a fair spell of sunbathin'", ana xien back again to real ice coffee on the other tach* However, this is beside the point. As we all know, at that time t re were still certain sects, in any case they were all imbeciles, who still knew’ nothing about how Jaoan discovered the Atomic bomb, and how. they refused from a humanitarian point of view to US ? it on Nev/ York. well, I was pondering deeply on this subject, and iane.d to loo.x \.nere the. wind was dragging me and suddenly right in the middle oi a large ice field I hit an. old tree stump which had been overlooked by the x local villagers . when they. were collecting fuel -for the annual Guy Fawkes displav. so3? p 01 tore a hole in things, and I decided to evacuate, which I did with? all possible speed, although owing to several encumbrances this took tie the nest part of six months. Finally after much skill and exertion I managed to make a nearby island, and being very tired I. immediately lay down and : in .a. few minutes was fast asleep, covering myseli ..elx with leaves to prevent excessive sunburn. Later on I was awakened by a howling blizzard .and was seriously thinking of hunting a couple oi bears co make, -myself a couple' of vests, when the sun broke through. It al- nappenad with such speed aid the sun was so hot, that it baked the snow a golden-brown before it had time to melt. , Alter a few uays of baked snow, I got a little fed up with this diet and determined to, return home which I did with all haste. Several years later I recurned and milt a skyscraper'on the island and took in paying guests. This 'wenc all very well, until one day a fire broke out in the ton floor , although che fire hoses could reach the fire, the ladder escapes wore miles too short. We 0.1 l setting worried aoout the people on the top floor, when, suddenly the weather cnanged again, and froze the water jets into solid ice. This allowed occupants to ■ slide down the frozen water jets and so to safety. Alter such , excitement on the.advice of my dentist, I decided to leave the island and join tne R.N.V.R. in the hones of having a culet time, but that is another story. " ,

R.i'.V.R. - Ward D -