[ Home ] [ Free At Last ]

2/20th Battalion

A.I.F.

RUMOURS CONFIRMED

August I945, brought many rumours from many sources, especially from the Thais, as we marched through the streets to work - giving us the "V" for victory signs and all looking elated and rather pleased. The Greater East Asia Company Prosperity Sphere, promised by the Japs, hadn't worked out so well for them and they were glad to see the outcome.

I had always been very dubious of many of the rumours we had heard. This time I believed. Why? I can't say. I said: -

 "Yes, this is it!'

And, I actually won a bet or two.

Finally, the Japs admitted that all was finished but really there was no change until after about a week. Then, they said they were to take us back to Bangkok by rail.

P. 0. W. s HEAD NORTH BY TRAIN

Eventually, we left Chumphon by train heading supposedly for Bangkok.

We were in steel box cars as usual, not quite as cramped. There was one truck of Jap guards, whom we told to get lost. They claimed they had to deliver us to Bangkok.

It was very hot travelling and finally,  despite guards' protests, we all ended up riding on the roofs of the trucks - and everyone was almost nude.

Late in the afternoon, we pulled into the station of a fairly large town - the station was adjacent to coast in Gulf of Siam.

EUROPEAN WOMEN!

Approaching the platform, to our amazement, we saw that the platform was crowded with Europeans and yes, mostly women. Have never seen men dress so fast, as respectfully as possible, with what they had. The first European women we had seen for some three years!

The train stopped at the platform where we were given a warm welcome and informed that they were civilian internees and had been here since Japan entered war 6 December 1941. They were mostly English and some Yanks. They had heard that a train-load of British troops were coming through - I guess from Thai rail staff.

We, of course, wanted news of the outside world and were sorry to disappoint them by not being fighting troops. Yet, they were very pleased to meet and talk.

RATBURI

Eventually, in the late afternoon, the Japs moved train out and said we would be going a short distance before stopping for the night - which we did at a place called Ratburi.

I can't remember if we had food. As dark descended, quickly as it does in these latitudes, the Japs told us we could leave the hot and hard trucks and sleep on the rail line. This we did, using one rail as a pillow and the sleepers as mattresses. The gravel of the rail bed was a bit hard.

Copyright © 2002, Elliott McMaster, "Glen Ora", Nabiac, New South Wales, Australia, 2428.  Original content in these Web pages is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be produced by any process or any other exclusive right exercised without written permission from the copyright holder.