We also heard that half the American fleet was sunk and as one little Jap explained to me mathematically, “ One Japanese plane never return, sink one American battleship. Lots more Japanese planes then battleships! Result, little while no American battleships.”
We called the Japanese Commandant of D3 Camp Charlie because he had a Charlie Chaplin moustache and he was a real smoothie. He owned a chain of hotels in Japan and as they were destroyed one after the other he had taken up his quarters at the camp with two young women companions and lived luxuriously on our Red Cross Supplies. He inaugurated the practice, which I have since found prevailed in some of the other camps, of not distributing Red Cross parcels. He would open them and turn over a small portion to our cooks for incorporation in our boiled rice issue. The remainder he kept for himself and friends. During the time of the bombing he gave us several lectures.
“You must all be prepared if this camp is struck. Look! I am always prepared My Hotels are burned down. What do I care! I have plenty of money. Do not be scared of what people may do to you. The Japanese Imperial Army will protect you. I am the Army! One Japanese soldier can protect you from everybody. The people respect the Army! Many great men in Japan are soldiers. I am soldier!”
I wish at this time to pay tribute to Captain Reid, Medical Officer, Sgt.-Major Shore of the Royal Rifles of Canada and Regimental Sergeant Major Keenan of the Grenadiers who were in charge. All were upright and honest in their handling of supplies and for this they were hated by the Japanese officials. This kind of talk went on for an hour or more in a high shrill voice. Few bothered to listen after the first few minutes.
There was a cement bathtub in the guards’ quarters and the water was heated in a nearby boiler and then poured into the tub. As fuel was scarce about the only time we could get hot water to wash our clothes or ourselves was when Charlie had a bath, which he did at fairly frequent intervals. Accompanied by his two Geishas he would disappear into the bathhouse and they would wash him and later themselves. Only after they were finished did a lucky few of us get to use the hot water.
Once in a while Charlie would give a party for the shipyard officials out of the Red Cross supplies. The food was washed down with Sake. To cover himself in case of future investigation he asked Sergeant Pollock to sign a document purporting to show that these goods went to our cookhouse. Pollock refused to sign saying that later he would have to account for those same supplies. Charlie did not mind, he signed the forms himself.
Our usefulness as a protection to the shipyards, and as workers, was pretty well at an end by the spring of 1945. The shipyard was at a standstill so we were addressed by a retired Japanese Admiral. His talk was entirely different to the one we had received from the Army big shot when we first arrived. Now we were told that we were the wards of the Emperor and that he would protect us. He went on to say that through out history many brave had been taken prisoner and for your own protection we were to be sent out into the beautiful country where the air was fresh and the grass green. We thought this sounded pretty good until he went on to say we were going to a coal mining camp where we must work diligently, safe and warm. He dismissed us almost benevolently. We thought it couldn’t be very bad and most were glad to go.
During the bombing we were visited by a group of twenty-five Dutch and other allied prisoners of war. They were in a terrible state and evidently had been much abused. They carried one of their number who had been bayoneted by their guards. I saw several of them being beaten. One particular big Dutchman was beaten terribly. They were not allowed to communicate with us. Apparently their camp had burned down and after an overnight stay they were hurried away.
Just before we were due to leave we were given a new suit of overalls, Red Cross boots, two good shirts, a uniform and an army overcoat. Most of this stuff had been held in storage and during our long stay denied to the prisoners. We were also given a little extra food ration, which was a great benefit as all were desperately under weight and riddled with disease.
