H.W.C Chapman

The Camps worked in were, Tamarakon, Wampo, Tanchan, Hintok, Kanum, Tomajao and Nikki. Other camps were, Kanchanabur, Wong Yai, Rintin and Namachon.

Although beaten by the guards with whatever was at hand, rifle buts, bamboo and fists and time spent in the coll box, it was a mental torture. The physical torture other prisoners and natives bore stayed in his terrible nightmares all his life. After his return, he would wake in the middle of the night and walk for miles before going to work. If anyone came up behind him without a noise he almost fainted. It was over a year and a half before he could unwrap a sweet and he still shook till the day he died.

He never spoke of his torment but suffered medically as a direct result of his time on the Death Railway. Chest and heart disease with episodes of malaria for which he attended the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Liverpool.

H.W.C Chapman

Gnr John Creighton Harrison

My brother, John was on the Empress of Asia, when it was bombed on Feb 5th, five miles off the coast of Japan. He was picked up with the other survivers and battled on till the fall of Singapore. Taken prisoner he was kept at Changi untill his journey to Thailand to build the Burma - Siam Railway.

He said the Korean guards were worse than the Japanese. If two prisoners were friends, a sport was to make them fight each other. If they tried to go easy on each other, the guards would beat them untill they were unconcious.

By agreement if a redcross parcel did get through, it was arranged to pick it up in rotation and share it. Previous to this a parcel would be thrown to the men to fight over.

My brother managed to get a pair of pants and when possible embroided his various friends names on them. They were greatly admired by all. One night the camp was bombed and he lost them, he was so upset he cried like a baby.

When John was repatriated, he was admitted to hospital suffering from malnutrition and hook worm.

John Creighton Harrison, 125 Anti Tank Reg R.A.

Keeping The Candle Burning

In Memory of FEPOW Family Loved Ones

Who Suffered in the Far East

Thanks for all the support

Designed by Ronnie Taylor

Ronnie.Taylor@fepow.family

© Copyright FEPOW Family