Burma Railway Man: Secret Letters From a Japanese Pow Page 14

  It is true! Oh God he praised, this time it is true!

  Major Chida announced the end of the Greater East Asia War on Roll Call tonight. He didn’t say who had won, but we know, we know. He was very dignified and pathetic. At the concert, which was due to take place afterwards, everyone was terribly excited. Then at the end – the inevitable happened. We stood and sang ‘God Save the King’. You can have no idea how it felt to sing the familiar words, which have been forbidden with the threat of death for over three years. Then came the Dutch National Anthem. People were moved to tears. The singing sounded more like a fervent hymn than anything else.

  So, my dear, at last it is over. There is every possibility now of you reading these letter very soon. I see that I managed my object of one per week – 3½ years, that is 182 – and you have two over. At times, I was behind my average, at times in front …

  Our link with each other has not been broken. Tomorrow, I shall write you my first letter as a free man. Soon I shall be writing you daily letters again … Soon our letters won’t be necessary. Soon we shall be together again … Soon we shall be laying in the darkness once again, my arm around you, your shoulder tucked under my arm … Soon we shall be happy beyond all measure.

  For Colonel Toosey and the other officers at Nakhon Nayok, the news of the war’s end was broken on the 17th. Peter Fane was present when Toosey was told and recalled the exchange between Toosey and Captain Suzuki.

  ‘Do I understand that the war has ended?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘That’s excellent. Who won?’

  ‘Nobody, it was a draw.’

  ‘Fine, draw or not, we shall do no more work and we demand treble rations as from tomorrow. Tell your guards to keep away and clear out of the camp.’

  (Peter Fane IWM 99/43/1)

  After the parade that Toosey called to announce the news, the officers also spontaneously sang the National Anthem, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and ‘Jerusalem’. The confusion and chaos caused by the surrender meant that there was a lengthy delay before the officers were able to reach the camps housing their men. Toosey journeyed to Bangkok and met up with Boon Pong and Peter Heath, who had been running the clandestine organisation that had been supplying drugs to the prisoners.

  After an understandably emotional celebration, Heath was able to organise a one carriage train to take Toosey the 300 miles to Ubon to be reunited with his command. Charles began to write what he called ‘Weekly Dailies’ to Louise.

  No.1 Ubon 19 Aug. ’45

  My Darling,

  An aeroplane passed over the Camp today and dropped some leaflets at Ubon. Last night, after the concert, I was called to the Nip office and was there until about 2am setting up the Canteen arrangements. I asked for the profits paid to the IJA to be returned. As we owe the IJA more for purchases made than they hold in profits, there is no doubt that we shall not be the losers. I also asked that I should be allowed to go to Ubon myself in future for purchasing.

  This morning I went down to the Nip lorries to find ht. Oda to get permission to go out. After a while, all the Nip officers arrived back from the brothel, where they had spent the night. They were in foul tempers and – to put it mildly – I was not successful in getting to Ubon!!. Nor were the MOs, who have now come out of hiding.

  The senior MO has now claimed to be Camp Commander instead of RSM MacTavish. A Dutch Lt. has replaced Udg. Scoptabaum (sic. S.J. Slotboom), who has done good service. The people, who were scared to put their fingers in the pie, when it was hot, are now attempting to wade in up to their knees.

  Although the war was ended, the Japanese were still present and Charles could not shake off the suspicion that things could still go wrong. Typically, he still kept his own counsel.

  Weekly No.2 21st Aug.

  Two men were allowed to go to Ubon today – the Cookhouse WO and a Dutchman. While they were there negotiating for credit in order to get increased food for the cookhouse, a Thai officer came up to them with a note, which said that two British officers were nearby. We are not passing this on to the Troops, because it is our experience that, sooner or later, some benighted private tells the Nips.

  Cryptically, he added;

  There are going to be some interesting revelations very shortly.

  Unbeknown to the prisoners, the Allies had parachuted a group of secret agents into the area six months previously. They were part of a SOE Special Unit called Force 136 (Siam Country Section) and their mission was to contact the local units of the Thai Army. Between them, they had trained a guerrilla unit, as well as providing intelligence and pinpointing targets for the RAF. There were a total of seventeen SOE agents in Thailand, as well as units of the American OSS, who trained an underground army of 10,000 Thais. In the event it was just as well that this force was not used, as the British could not have backed them up with their own stretched forces and the Japanese would have crushed them.

  With no Allied forces in the country, these secret agents proved invaluable in getting food, drugs and supplies quickly into the camps. Initially, they were the only authority who could negotiate with the Japanese and persuade them to keep clear of the prisoners.

  Weekly No.3 23 Aug.

  My Darling,

  I have the whole story, but am sworn to secrecy until the Nips clear off. It is almost impossible to believe, but nevertheless true.

  Listen:-

  Down at Ubon – 9 kilos from here – are – and have been two British Officers and two British Sjts for the last six months! They parachuted into Thailand six months ago and have been living, unknown to the Japs, in the Thai Military HQ, with a radio in direct contact with Calcutta and Ceylon! This is breathtaking. One is a Major of the Royal Horse Guards (Lt.Col.David Smiley MC) and the other a Parachute Major (actually Major Griswold of the OSS/USAF). Their mission was to train Thai guerrillas for a revolt, which was to coincide with the invasion of Thailand, Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies on 9 September. We were to be armed … They actually operated landing strips in the jungle in the north of Thailand, where Dakotas landed and took Thai troops to India for training!

  Charles rather wistfully adds;

  I wonder what a Dakota looks like?

  Charles and his fellow prisoners were going to have to get to know about many changes that had taken place during the past three and a half years, including new equipment used by the Allies. Amongst these were the three standard workhorses, the Douglas DC-3 Dakota and the Willys Knight Jeep and the Sten gun.

  To look back over the last six months in camp and to mention things, which I could not, while we were prisoners.

  We were aware of a local organisation that intended to revolt against the Nips. Several times we received notes from nondescript Thais, which said, ‘Do not act now – wait’, and others, which could hardly be read. Once we had a request for the numbers in the Camp. On another occasion, we were asked for conditions in the Camp. This note the RSM answered in the Canteen, while I stood guard outside the door. We now hear that this note got to Lord Louis Mountbatten’s HQ in Ceylon, where it was said to be an attempt on the part of the Japanese Secret Service to spread false information about conditions on POW Camps…!

  We did not realise, however, that the revolt was going to be nationwide and led by British Officers. We knew it would be dangerous for us – especially if the Nips got wind of it and attempted to kill us off, before we got arms from the Thais or RAF.

  For this reason, everyone was ordered to dig shallow pits under their bamboo platforms, so that the Nips couldn’t sweep the huts with machine gun fire. We told the Nips it was in case of air raids.

  We have been very lucky in missing this spot of trouble.

  Weekly No.4 25 Aug

  My Dear,

  Several things have happened in the last few days. There has, of course, been no work. A small party is allowed by the Nips to go to Ubon to collect rations, which the Thais have allowed us to have on the credit of the British Govt.


  I have issued a statement with reference to the winding up of the Canteen. A news service has been started with news from a radio set in Ubon. We can’t understand half the abbreviations – SEAC, Pluto Pipeline etc. The RAF have dropped some fairly recent newspapers and a summary of the six years of war. I am very worried over the possible damage done by the V1 & V2. Food is now much better.

  I shall never feel free until I am out of Thailand: but best of all:-the parachutists in Ubon broadcast my name to Calcutta with the RSM’s and others on the Camp staff. I do hope you hear about it.

  Nearly a week after hearing of the surrender, Charles was overjoyed to receive his Commanding Officer back.

  Weekly No.5 Sunday 26 Aug

  My Dear,

  We are overwhelmed today, when Lt.Col.Toosey – who has done more for POWs than any other officer, came into Camp. He had commandeered a special train in Bangkok to get to us. He had with him several officers. We, who have been running the Camp for the last seven months, feel a great load of responsibility lifted from our shoulders. It is good to have real officers, at last.

  He is in grand form and gave us much heartening news. I think we shall all be away in 14 days. I believe the Red Cross boasted that all the POWs in Italy were home in three weeks. We’ll judge them on their form out here, having seen nothing of them for 3½ years.

  The Nips here have given us the Red Cross goods, which they have left. We see little of them (the Japanese) now. The four Americans in the Camp leave for Bangkok on Tuesday. The Nips say that they expect we shall be flown out of here. I hope so – the quicker the better.

  One fly in the ointment. A large party of men with one MO left Nong Pladuk shortly before we did. They went to Nakom Paton to dig ditches. We now hear that they were sent down to Mengui. At the finish, of the whole 1,000, 250 were dead and 250 seriously ill. We had a number in that party and I should have gone myself, if I had not been earmarked to take over the PRI. A narrow escape at the end!

  Toosey’s arrival was marked by a parade organized by RSM MacTavish. The Special Service men were guests of honour and Colonel Smiley was invited to inspect the assembled ranks of ragged and emaciated men.

  Weekly No.6 27 Aug

  A great day! This morning the Secret Service people, both Thais and British and Americans came out of hiding. They rode up to the Camp (armed with the new Sten guns!!) and came on parade, where we were all assembled. The Union Jack, the Australian flag and the Dutch Tri-colour were run up. These brave men were introduced to the POWs, who promptly broke ranks and mobbed them! They could not be rescued for hours.

  At lunchtime, I fitted up a table and boxes in the Canteen and the RSM, Cookhouse S/Sjt, the WO acting as Adjutant and myself entertained the two Sjts to the best dinner ever seen at Ubon POW Camp! They must have thought we were completely mad by the questions we asked.

  For instance, we had been told that Queen Mary had met with an accident and had died. This apparently is not true. Checking up the dates, we learnt that the liner ‘Queen Mary’ bad had a collision off South America about then. And so on.

  England sounds a very hungry place, peopled by poorly dressed civilians and much be-medalled servicemen. The girls seem to have made themselves cheap by throwing themselves at the Americans. One Sjt said that there is more VD in England now, than in any other country. Also, that illegitimate children are soaring in numbers. He said that 24% of the unmarried women are pregnant or have had offspring. This is rather unpleasant, if his figures are true.

  The RAF have promised to drop papers and a food supply, but we haven’t seen anything of them yet. A number of men have broken out of camp and got drunk in Ubon.

  Weekly No.7 29 Aug

  One of the parachutists yesterday told us that we must lose that ‘glassy stare’, which he says we all have.

  We have got a radio from Ubon and it is operated at the Canteen every evening. This is the first radio I have heard for 4 years. The girls’ voices, I’m afraid, give one naughty thoughts. There is a special every evening for released POWs from Delhi.

  At last, Charles felt it was completely safe to reveal the true nature of his activities.

  Weekly No.8

  My Dearest,

  Louise I intend to tell you in this letter what I have not dared tell you in the ones I wrote in captivity.

  During the last seven months I have been doing a double job. Officially – from the IJA point of view, I was running the Canteen. Unofficially, and in disobedience of IJA orders, I was making money for the Camp.

  The Japanese viewpoint toward the sick is different to ours. The Japs say that a sick man is non-effective. Whether in their army or to us PO Ws they do not pay him and give him a lower ration scale. He doesn’t work, so he doesn’t need feeding so much. Now the British view is different. We aim at getting the man better, even at the expense of the community.

  Up till the IJA took over the Canteens in Sept’43, the profits were devoted to the Hospital in almost all Camps. When the IJA took over the Canteens, they said that no profits must be made. Then the fun started.

  While the officers were at Nong Pladuk, Mr.Fullerton ‘cooked’ the accounts and he and I looked after the Camp Funds, which were buried in a tin can about 18 inches below the surface. We used to ‘operate’ after dark with the Canteen staff round the Canteen at strategic points. We also had 200,000 dollars worth of illegal drugs and medicines hidden. These were invaluable during the air raids, when morphia smuggled in from the Chinese helped many a poor fellow out. The Nips never found us out.

  When the officers left, this underground organisation for welfare was handed over to me. I continued the same system, helped by two trusted Bombardiers, until we moved. I then distributed the many thousands of dollars to the men and told them I would collect it back at the other end. I got nearly all of it back. Here, determined not to get caught (as I heard the fellow at Tamwa had), I prepared a super ‘hidey-hole’, which would not be disclosed, even if the Canteen was dug up in a search.

  This was very satisfactory, until the rains came. The water level rose very rapidly and one night, I was horrified to find the bundles of notes saturated in water! I spent the whole of the next day ‘frying’ notes on a hotplate over a fire, while a guard kept watch around the Canteen. I then had a waterproof tin made at the tinsmiths and sunk this in water in a different place. That tin, now empty, is still dry.

  All accounts had to be kept in duplicate. The true account for ourselves, the ‘cooked’ ones for the Nips. At Nong Pladuk, we made roughly 60 dollars a day for the Hospital; here, about 50 dollars. Those clever little men didn’t find us out.

  We had a narrow escape once, though. The RCMS (Worth) came up one afternoon to check the cash. Unfortunately, the day’s profit had not been removed. I honestly thought it was CWS for Bangkok Jail, toute suite. By a lucky chance, I remembered he had a sweet tooth and turned him away from the office for some new toffees. By the time I got back, the money was dead correct.

  Thank goodness all that is over. It is apt to be rather wearing at times.

  Now he was free to reveal his secret hiding places, Charles described the ingenious methods he used to hide his considerable correspondence to Louise and other forbidden materials.

  While I am on the subject of deceit, I may as well mention some of the ‘hidey-holes’ I found invaluable.

  I bought a broken gold Waltham watch some months ago from a hard up officer. This I kept underground, but carried it in a false-bottomed sugar tin during moves. My pen, I carried in a rubber pillow, which I slit and scooped out, sticking the hole up again. My pencil, I carried in a secret pocket in the back of a jacket.

  Money was carried in a variety of places. The Nips never found out the following places:-The shoulder straps (of a shirt, split open and sewn up again.

  The bottom of a haversack, split and sewn up again.

  Notes rolled into the centres of home-made cigarettes.

  My precious letters to you, my love, came through the move
safely with the Japanese accounts! I guess the laugh is on the little yellow boys! Incidentally, I hear that when the officers moved, they packed their highly dangerous wireless set in with a jap officer’s kit and the set was transported by the IJA!!

  When the Japs find out about these things, and how the Thai army, officially at war with us, but actually in league with us and was going to revolt, I guess they’ll commit hari-kari in mortification.

  One of these Special Force sergeants named John Hedley later wrote about his impressions of the British prisoners at Ubon:

  There were … 1,200 UK, 300 Australian and 1,500 Dutch POWs. Naturally I saw mostly those from the UK, and I have never seen men in finer physical condition. It was a question of the survival of the fittest, and many died. They had a splendid CO in Lt-Col. Toosey DSO, and their discipline, smartness (in spite of the state of their clothes), general bearing and saluting were as good as any I have ever seen. It was obviously his, and bis junior officer’s leadership and the discipline of the men that had brought them through not only alive but in such superb physical condition …

  He also made the interesting observation;

  …that many of them said was that for all the suffering they endured they would not have missed it. I can understand the attitude: to he able to recount experiences few can have gone through, and to have the satisfaction of having overcome such tremendous hardships and difficulties must be a source of pride, and justifiable pride. Another thing which must give a feeling of curious pleasure is to be ‘legitimately on the wrong side of the law’.

  Charles certainly felt this satisfaction of having ‘cooked the books’ and got away with cheating the Japanese out of a small fortune. Most prisoners had become skilful thieves and devised ingenious methods of hiding their booty. Forbidden articles like radios, for which men risked beatings and sometimes death, were kept in specially modified objects like water bottles and broom-heads. With liberation came a sense of pride.