John James' (WG) Story

Memories of a Japanese Prisoner of War: December 1941 – August 1945

John died in June 05, and his family has generously provided the story he wrote himself about his part in the Battle for Hong Kong and subsequent events. John completed the story in the summer of 2004.

By John Edward James H6912 – Winnipeg Grenadiers AKA Jesse James

I, John Edward James fought the Battle of Hong Kong for 17 days in December 1941. When we first arrived at we stayed at Sham Shui Po Barracks – a British Military Camp. I was in Company "A", Platoon 7. Others that were in this platoon included: Lieutenant Alexander W. Prendergast, Acting Sergeant Thomas "Tommy" Cuthill H6093, Acting L. Corporal Borge Agerbak H6326, Acting Corporal George A. Lowe H6078 (died as POW is Japan), Private Stanley "Stan" Kennedy H41766, Private Albert "Bert" Broadfoot H51857, Private Harry Orvis H6932 (killed in action). There were others of course but these are a few names I remember.

Most of the battle for me was spent in the Wong Nei Chong Gap in the centre of Hong Kong Island. "D" company began fighting December 8, 1941 on mainland.

There was fierce fighting in the area around December 18^th 1941. Stan Kennedy was wounded in battle December 18^th or 19^thtrying to fight through to where Acting CSM John R. Osborne H6008 was. I thought Stan’s head was blown off and he had died but during the night some Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Core soldiers brought Stan out of the battlefield and later I saw him in Queen Mary Hospital. He had a severe head wound and had a plate in his head after he returned to Canada. I was originally wounded slightly in this battle. I was with Bert Broadfoot at the time. Bert was shot in a lung and I had some shrapnel in the back of my leg. I dragged Bert down to a "gutter" to get out of firing range. Sergeant Cuthill ordered us to the First Aid Post at Aberdeen. Bert went to Queen Mary Hospital and I was patched up and sent back into battle.

Fighting continued and everyone was split up in the confusion. On the morning of December 24^th, Harry Orvis and I were out of 3" mortar shells so we attempted to get a mortar bomb from a truck that had been hit by the Japanese. We came across three chaps from the Indian Army and one was badly wounded in the arm above the elbow. I used my first aid kit and fixed up the guys arm and then pulled an overcoat off another man. We made a stretcher with the overcoat and helped carry the wounded down to the road to the Roadblock. Sergeant Broadfoot was there and Aberdeen was ½ mile away. One of the men dropped to his knees and kissed my hand for getting them safety down the hill and to help. We never did get the mortar shells and I didn’t have my first aid kit later when I was wounded.

Orvis was killed in action later that day on Bennett’s hill. I was wounded in the foot and eye by shrapnel later that day on Christmas Eve 1941 at Bennett’s Hill (Wong Nee Chung Gap). I was left alone to fend for myself so I decided to head towards Aberdeen. I was about 3 miles or so from Aberdeen and was up on the Bennett’s Hill. I crawled all night with my foot flopping and arrived at the road to Aberdeen by morning. I was being very cautious and hiding in the ditch as I crawled. A Middlesex Troop was going by on the road to Aberdeen. I realized they were not the enemy so let them know I needed help. Lance Corporal William M. Puddifoot, No. 6199800 of Middlesex carried me on his back and had on his arm, Agerbak (who was blinded) to the First Aid Station at Aberdeen. Two others from Middlesex walked backwards covering us in case of a Japanese attack. I was brought to Queen Mary Hospital by ambulance. We were fired on during the trip and some of the wounded were killed along the way. At Queen Mary Hospital an excellent surgeon (East Indian Chap – Dr. Mansing) removed shrapnel from my left eye (with no permanent damage) and Dr. MamSingh didn’t amputate my left foot. I was in surgery for some time in the evening on Christmas day. Puddifoot ended up at Queen Mary Hospital as well on Christmas day with injuries. He came to visit me and this was the last time we saw each other. I had to have my leg amputated two more times during my stay as POW due to infection below the knee. After the war, I had it amputated again below the knee because the bone was sticking out.

We surrendered to the Japanese and became Prisoners of War on Christmas Day, 1941 while I was at Queen Mary Hospital. Prisoners including myself were moved in Mid-January 1942 to Bowen Road Hospital. The nurses at the Queen Mary Hospital gave us a mosquito net, a heavy bathmat (towel) and a pillow to bring with us to Bowen Road, as they were not sure what was there. I was there until about January 1943, then moved to Sham Shui Po on the Kowloon side, which was now a POW Camp – formerly British Military Camp. It had been ransacked by the Chinese prior to Canadian POW’s here so there was no windows and wood from many of the buildings were gone (The Chinese needed the wood for heat). We used metal roofing material to make shutters to close the windows when raining and it rained quite a lot. There were lots of mosquitoes and lots of bed bugs. You could see them crawling on the net with any light.

When we first got to Sham Shui Po POW Camp, we were all in a big hut and then moved to a row of huts. I was in the row that looked over the North Seawall – a ways back from the wall – My roommates were Private John K. Patterson L13304, F.W. Herity H6577 "Ted", Private Clifford "Cliff" Matthews H6282, and Private Steward "Stu" Ganton K62090. We were together the whole time at Sham Shui Po. Many soldiers died due to poor living conditions and lack of decent food. I was one of the lucky ones because I was wounded during the initial battle. I worked as a clerk for Dr. Colonel Crawford keeping records in the POW camp.

The beds we slept on were old British Army Beds. They were metal beds split in the centre. The top had 4 legs and bottom had two so you could flip it up like a chair in the daytime. We never did flip it up as POW’s. The mattresses were originally 3 biscuits. It was like cushions made of canvas bags and coconut coya and stuffing. We tried to get a hold of a rice sacks and sew over top to have a mattress more comfortable. Somewhere along the line I traded my pillow for a bolster, which was canvas like a tube stuffed with coya off coconuts so I was more comfortable. I also used the heavy bathmat from Queen Mary Hospital as a towel for the whole time and kept my mosquito net the whole time. Our diet consisted of rice and whatever insects we could catch for protein.

About ¾ a mile across the harbour we watched the Japanese cover and camouflage oil tanks and tankers. We had full view when the tanks were bombed by the British/American/ &/or Chinese. There was a huge explosion. The tops would blow off and go as high as you could see. It burned for at least 3 days. The Canadian POW’s had to respond that we were happy or amused OR ELSE. Or Else meant that you could be beaten, bayoneted or killed. The Japanese took no mercy. They believed that it was dishonourable to be taken prisoner.

We moved in May 1945 to the Industrial School (East and South of the Kai Tak Airport). It was back to hospital beds. They moved all the amputees and people from Bowen Road here. We were here until August 1945 when the Japanese surrendered.

My job at the Industrial School was to work with Colonel Crawford. American’s dropped supplies after the surrender including chocolates and cigarettes. After that one of the POW’s I cared for was up in a hammock so fluids could drip from the infections. I brought him some chocolate and helped him to a taste. He said, "It never tasted sweeter". I left him a pack of smokes too. The next morning my friend was dead but he knew the taste of freedom.

Private Hyacinthe "Chester" Page H6391 – A Grenadier from Red Lake was a big man with a black moustache. He kept busy knitting as POW. He knitted sock for me for my amputated knee with Bamboo needle. He took apart machine knitted stuff. He used to knit for POW’s – socks and stuff.

After surrender, Ronnie and I were on leave for the afternoon and went out to visit a Chinese friend in town. On our way back we saw the British Hospital Ship "Prince Robert" dock. We met soldiers from the ship and told them we were Canadian POW’s. They said they were there to get us. We were taken on board the ship and they were very welcoming. I gave directions and map of how to get to the Industrial School where the rest of Canadian POW’s were. I had a kit bag I think I still have that had white figures on it. I kept my "stuff" in there. There weren’t much, some wooden sandals and clothes. I left my mosquito net and mattress behind. I was at ship again when a truck pulled up with a gang from the Industrial school. An orderly from the British Hospital Ship "Prince Robert – Oxfordshire" said "Don’t worry Jim, I have your bag" but by then my bolster (mattress) was gone. I didn’t figure I needed it anymore anyway.

Some Canadian POW’s on hospital ship, including myself, were ready to riot. Thirty or so of them were upset because they didn’t want to go all the way around the Cape to get home. So then Major Crawford and Colonel Kivia (sp) from Kowloon said he would get the "important" people for them. Major Crawford said NO; he wanted to talk to these boys (Canadian POW’s) here. Major Crawford had been our Senior Medical Officer and Colonel Kivia was with us before as well and had gone with Chinese Army with staff. Crawford let us know we were only going as far as Manila and after medical inspection, we would be flown home or other way. We came home on the aircraft carrier, "Glory". The Army had pretty much converted it to a hospital ship for the Canadian POW area.

In Manila on September 8, 1945 I was part of 1^st group of POW’s to arrive at 248^th General Hospital – US Army. I met my wife Lt. Elinor Marcine Hefner in Manila. "I had to go for physio."

Dr. John N. Crawford worked with the orderlies and helped with the sick POW’s in Hong Kong – I say he really worked hard for the sick and dying. He eventually died of diphtheria himself. He never did but should get a special commemorative for all his hard work.

Hong Kong Canadians aboard the "Glory" arrived home October 27^th, 1945.