Previous Chapter
From Camp to Camp
We met up with a
few Wun Lung lads we knew who were working on a
stretch of embankment nearby. After spending just one night there, we had our
early morning rice and watery vegetable soup, and lined up to be counted. When
the Japs were satisfied that everyone was on parade,
we moved off with our treasured small possessions. The jungle track took us to
the next camp about ten miles up country, called Wun-Tu-Kin.
Arriving there, we were allowed the rest of the day to ourselves, which was
spent clearing up the place, and ourselves.
Next morning, back
to work on the railway, but this time collecting saws, axes, heavy hammers and
steel chisels. It became obvious that the party in which I was selected was to
be given work to do, different from embankment constructing. We were to cut
down selected trees, then manhandle them to the spot where the railway was to
cross a stream, culvert or dip in the track. To cut through a large tree with a
cross cut saw, pushed and pulled by two men is not easy, especially in the weak
condition most men were in by this time. But this turned out to be the easy
part. When the trees were cut down, everyone lined up in twos on each side of
the tree, placing a bamboo pole every two feet or more apart. After the tree
trunk was rolled onto the poles, the command was given to take the strain and
lift. Sometimes it came up evenly and without difficulty, other times, when
someone didn't make much effort, down it went again
with maybe pinched fingers or damaged feet or backs. This resulted in bangs
across the face, arms or body, from the guards for anyone handy. Some trees had
to be carried quite a distance to the track. Sometimes elephants were used to
pull the tree trunks, but occasionally they refused even though they were
chopped on the forehead with a machete (axe). We would then have to move it in
the usual way.
Some trunks were
sawn off to length, then we stripped off the bark, and
axed a slow tapered point on one end. These were the piles, and depending on
the job to do, could be quite long. The piles were then driven into position by
a primitively constructed on the spot timber frame, maybe twenty or more feet
high, pyramid fashion, and a heavy weight roped over a pulley at the top.
Heavier weights would have two ropes and pulleys extending in opposite
directions. All men were called to pull on the ropes to bring up the weights
slowly to the top. Then a sudden dash forward to slacken the
rope and drop the weight with an abrupt thud. Two men generally guided
the pile from a perched situation near the top. This was a slow punishing job,
jolting your whole body when the weight suddenly dropped and the pile sank
lower.
When all piles were
positioned, the other trunks were barked, then axed all round into a straight
square baulk, to be used as beams. This was extremely tiring work, standing astride
the tree trunk and swinging the adge axe up and
accurately down with both arms, gradually chipping away the wood to form a flat
straight face. Some men would then secure them in position on the piles, as
instructed, to form the main frame of the bridge; finishing off with main
bracings.
I was involved with
this kind of work until
Each move from one
camp to another meant losing friends. Therefore many men from the same unit
were parted. Although Australian and Dutch prisoners occupied the same camps it
was rare to work together.
So it was time to
move and I remember the bad impression I got of Rintin
Camp on arrival. This may have been due to the fact that I wasn't feeling very
well. I had a pain in my lower right side. This developed into an agonising
pain during the night. It made me groan and shout, which kept myself and others
awake. Whatever it was, I had to endure it until next morning, when the medical
orderly in the hut called the camp doctor. He diagnosed appendicitis, and made
a request to the Nips that I should be evacuated. After a long delay I found
myself on a stretcher, with another prisoner ready on another stretcher, ready
to be moved down to a base camp. Standing over us was a Nip soldier, holding a
rifle with bayonet fixed. This, I thought, was my end, being so vulnerable
lying there, and with the lingering thought that at the very least I was going
to need an operation in this primitive place.
I was glad when at
last we were carried down to the riverside to be put on a boat to be evacuated.
When, in due course, we were taken off the boat and stretchered
into the camp, it was a relief to find the camp was Chunkai.
I was examined by the medical officer who told me I had Renal Colic, much to my
relief. He gave me instructions and permission to go to the cookhouse and
obtain six pints of boiled water a day, to drink, besides drinks served up with
meals. This was my treatment for ten days, until I was discharged. During those
ten days I was able to take a well earned rest from work, which helped me to
regain strength. At this time I somehow made good friends with the Thai
assistants at the Thai canteen. Although I could not talk to them, they seemed
to like me, and chat to one another about me. It emerged quite quickly that I
was being called Sing. So whenever I caught the word, I became
attentive.
Chunkai was a base camp
with the huts for the many different complaints set away from the rest of the
prisoners. Already in this large camp many men had died, and each day funeral
parties were seen. They were replaced by more sick men brought in from the
tortuous work and conditions of the Thai jungle camps. Apart from camp duties
to make the camp clean, collect wood for the cookhouses, cookhouse duties,
fetch water from the river, and look after the sick, there was no other work. At least no hard work for the Nips. But everyone able to do
something was given a job. It was a very industrious camp. After daily duties
were performed, many rackets were started, making cigarettes with home made gadgets, clog making, and coffee and tea making. These were
hawked around for sale to anyone with some money. The coffee was made by
burning rice, but it was a change from cookhouse tea, which had no sugar or
milk, just a weak looking grey liquid.
I made for myself
one of the simple gadgets for rolling my own cigarettes. It consisted of two pieces
of wood and a piece of canvas or cloth. We used book pages or writing paper to
roll the cigarettes in. The writing paper was split into two thin sheets by
lightly cutting across with a razor and peeling back.
My visits to the
canteen nearly always resulted in being called to one side behind the counter
to be given hot cooked food. By cookhouse standards it was tasty and
nourishing, which enabled me to build up my stamina again. The only thing was, I had to make sure the Nips didn't see me. One of the Thai
assistants, a lad of about twenty, asked me to wash his shorts and shirt out.
He gave me soap for this, and maybe a little money. I can't remember exactly,
but it was the extra food and friendship which I appreciated. The soap came in
handy too, to wash my own few clothes. The river was the washing machine; the
garments were bashed on the rocks to get the sweat and dirt out.
Great efforts were
made to keep the morale of the camp at a good level. Occasionally a concert was
put on, or a musical, or a play. The titles of a few spring
to mind: "Wonderbar", "Bonnie
Scotland", and "Night Must Fall". I helped to make the props for
these. Some of the scripts were written to make fun of the Nips, and sometimes
led to bashings when some Nips attending realised they were the victims of
ridicule.