another-mans-war

THISSTORYTHATFOLLOWSISTHERESULTOFASERIESOFINTERVIEWSCARRIEDOUTBETWEENRADIOSHEFFIELDANDMYGRANDFATHERABOUT25YEARSAGOTHESERIESWASCALLED“ANOTHERMANSWAR”,ANDWASBROADCASTOVERASERIESOFWEEKSIN15MINUTEEPISODESIHAVEREWRITTENTHESTORYFROMTHETAPECOPIES,ANDAPARTFROMREWRITINGITINTHEFIRSTPERSONTHESTORYISASNEARASMYGRANDFATHERTOLDITANOTHERMANSWARNEWBEGINNINGSWELL,ISUPPOSEMYSTORYBEGANIN1935,IWASTWENTYSIX,LIVINGINAYORKSHIREMININGVILLAGE,ANDWORKINGASAFITTERINTHELOCALCOALMINE,ANDTHINKINGTHATTHEREWASMUCHMORETOLIFETHENONEDAY,ISAWANADVERTISEMENTINTHENEWSPAPERTHATTHEROYALAIRFORCEWASRECRUITINGFORSKILLEDMENSO,IAPPLIED,ANDPASSEDATRADETESTANDMEDICAL,ANDINNOTIMEATALL,IWASIN,IWASACTUALLYINTHEROYALAIRFORCEAFTEREIGHTWEEKSOFSQUAREBASHINGANDPHYSICALTRAINING,IPASSEDOUT,ANDWASPOSTEDTOTHEROYALAIRFORCESCHOOLOFTECHNICALTRAININGTHISWASATWELVEMONTHSCOURSE,WHICHENTAILEDALOTOFHARDWORK,BUTIQUICKLYGOTINTOTHESWINGOFTHINGS,ANDAFTERTWELVEMONTHS,IPASSEDOUT,ANDWASPOSTEDTOASQUADRONATMILDENHALLINSUFFOLKIWASPOSTEDTOTHEWORKSHOP,ANDTHATWASWHEREMYRAFCAREERBEGANISPENTTWOVERYHAPPYYEARSATMILDENHALL,IMADESOMEGREATFRIENDSTHERE,ANDWEWEREONEBIGHAPPYFAMILYTHENONEDAY,ISAWONTHEROUTINEORDERSBOARD,THATIWASGOINGTOBEPOSTEDTOSINGAPOREIFELTVERYPRIVILEGEDTOHAVEBEENCHOSENTOGOTOSELETARSINGAPORE,BECAUSEITWASWELLKNOWN,THATTHISWASABRILLIANTPOSTINGSO,AFTERSIXWEEKSEMBARKATIONLEAVE,IBOARDEDTHESHIPATBIRKENHEADITWASALONGVOYAGE,BUTVERYINTERESTINGFORAMANLIKEME,WHOHADNEVERREALLYSTEPPEDFOOTOUTOFYORKSHIREWEDISEMBARKEDATPORTSAID,ANDHERE,WEGOTOURFIRSTTASTEOFHOTWEATHERWEEVENTUALLYARRIVEDINSINGAPORE,ANDASWEARRIVEDATSELETAR,THEREWERESHOUTSFROMTHEAIRMEN,“GETYOURKNEESBROWN”SINGAPOREWASANOTHERWORLD,ILOVEDITINSTANTLY,WEHADEVERYTHING,GOODFOOD,PLENTYOFSPORTINGACTIVITIES,IPLAYEDINTHESQUADRONFOOTBALLANDCRICKETTEAMS,IPLAYEDTENNISIEXPLOREDTHESEWONDERFULPLACESOFSINGAPORE,THEBOTANICALGARDENS,THECHINESEKAMPONGS,ANDTHEHARBOURBYTHISTIME,WARHADBROKENOUTINEUROPE,ANDALTHOUGHIWORKEDVERYHARDATMYJOBOFSTRIPPINGDOWNAEROENGINES,ANDREPLACINGWORNPARTS,HEREIWAS,HAVINGTHETIMEOFMYLIFE,BUTATTHESAMETIMEWORRYINGABOUTMYFAMILYANDFRIENDS,ANDALLTHEPEOPLEBACKHOME,BUTWEWEREDOINGTHEJOBWHICHWEHADBEENSENTOUTTODOWERECEIVEDLETTERSFROMHOMETELLINGOFTHEHARDSHIPSOFWAR,ANDHEREWEWERE,LIVINGINREALGOODSTYLE,LITTLEKNOWINGWHATWASTOCOMEDARKCLOUDSEVERYTHINGWASGOINGONINSINGAPOREASNORMAL,ANDTHENWEHEARDTHETERRIBLENEWSABOUTPEARLHARBOURAFTERTHAT,THINGSBEGANTOHAPPENVERYQUICKLY,THEJAPANESEHADGOTINTOMALAYA,WEHEARDTHATTHEYHADLANDEDATKOTABAHARU,ANDTHATTHEYWEREMOVINGDOWNTHECOUNTRYLIKEWILDFIRETHENWEHEARDTHATTHEYHADMARCHEDINTOKUALALUMPURWITHOUTANYRESISTANCEATALLSINGAPOREBECAMECROWDEDWITHPEOPLEWHOHADMANAGEDTOGETOUTOFMALAYATHESEPEOPLEWOULDHAVELOSTEVERYTHINGEVERYBODYWASMAKINGFORTHEHARBOUR,WHERETHEREWERESOMEBIGSHIPSWAITINGTOTAKEWOMENANDCHILDRENABOARD,ANDIWASSENTDOWNTOTHEDOCKSTOHELP,ALLTHENATIVESHADVANISHEDBYTHISTIMETHENISAWTHEAMERICANLINER,“THEWESTPOINT”SAILINWITHHUNDREDSOFTROOPSONBOARDITWASCHAOS,PEOPLEWEREBEWILDERED,ANDTHEYWEREPANICKING,ANDTHENTHEAIRRAIDSBEGAN,SELETARWASBOMBED,ANDSINGAPOREWASPRACTICALLYDEFENSELESSBYTHEN,ANDEVENTUALLYFELLTOTHEJAPANESEHOWEVER,MYUNITHADMIRACULOUSLYCOMMANDEEREDASHIP,ANDWEMANAGEDTOGETALOTOFVALUABLEEQUIPMENTONBOARD,WEWEREGOINGTOJAVA,ANDTHEPLANWASTOSETUPAMAINTENANCEUNITWITHANAMERICANSQUADRONATDJOKJAKARTAWEREACHEDBATAVIAALLRIGHT,ANDTHENWENTBYTRAINTODJOKJAKARTATHEAMERICANSQUADRONWASWORKINGONFLYINGFORTRESSES,ANDOURJOBWASTOHELPTHEMINANYWAYWECOULDITWASARELIEFTOGETOUTOFSINGAPORE,ASTHEREWASALWAYSAFAINTHOPETHATWEWOULDBEABLETOESCAPEFROMTHEJAPANESE,BUTIWASNOTVERYOPTIMISTIC,ITHOUGHTTHATWEWOULDBETAKENPRISONERSTHEDUTCH,WHORULEDJAVA,DIDNOTCAPITULATEUNTILMARCH,SOWEWORKEDWITHTHEAMERICANSFORAFEWWEEKS,ANDTHENSUDDENLYTHEAMERICANSQUADRONWASORDEREDTOLEAVEFORAUSTRALIA,SO,WEWEREONOUROWNITHINKWECOULDHAVEGONEWITHTHEM,BUTITWOULDHAVEBEENDESERTION,IWASINTHEROYALAIRFORCE,ANDPROUDOFIT,NO,ICOULDNOTHAVEDESERTEDMYUNITTHEREWEREALOTOFDUTCHSOLDIERSINJAVA,BUTIDONTTHINKTHEYWEREEQUIPPEDFORWAR,ANDWHENTHEJAPANESEDIDARRIVE,THEREWASNOOPPOSITIONWHATSOEVERHOWEVER,THEYAPPLIEDTHESCORCHEDEARTHPOLICY,THEYBLEWUPBRIDGES,OILREFINERIES,SUGARREFINERIES,ANDTHEYBLEWEVERYTHINGUPINORDERTOMAKEITDIFFICULTFORTHEJAPANESEWHENTHEYEVENTUALLYARRIVEDWEDIDTRYTOESCAPE,THEDUTCHHADGIVENSOMEINFORMATIONTOOURCOMMANDINGOFFICER,THATTHEREWASASHIPLYINGATANCHORATTHEPORTOFCHERIBON,ANDWITHABITOFLUCK,IFWECOULDGETTHERE,WEMIGHTGETABOARDTHISSHIP,ANDAWAYTOSAFETYSO,WESETOFFBYRAIL,WITHALLOURHEAVYBAGGAGEAFTERABOUTTHREEHOURSONTHETRAIN,ITSUDDENLYCAMETOAHALTABRIDGETHATHADBEENSPANNINGARIVERHADBEENBLOWNUPPRESUMABLYBYTHEDUTCH,SOWEHADTOGETOFFTHETRAIN,ANDDECIDEWHATTODONEXTOURONLYHOPEWASTOGETACROSSTHERIVER,SOWELEFTOURHEAVYBAGGAGEONTHETRAIN,ANDJUSTTOOKWHATWECOULDCARRY,ANDTHENWEWEREFERRIEDACROSSTOTHEOTHERSIDEINSMALLBOATSAFTERTHAT,THEREWASNOOTHERALTERNATIVEBUTTOSTARTWALKING,ANDEVENWITHTHEBAGGAGETHATWECOULDCARRY,ITWASSTILLRATHERHEAVY,BECAUSEITCONTAINEDRATIONS,SUCHASTINNEDFOOD,ANDTHATCANBEVERYHEAVY,ESPECIALLYINTHEHEATOFTHETROPICALSUNANYWAY,WESETOFF,ANDAFTERSEVERALDAYSONTHEMARCH,ANDRESTINGINTHEKAMPONGSATNIGHT,WEEVENTUALLYREACHEDTHEPORTOFCHERIBON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