Korean Guards

[Lou Barron]

As some ofyou guys who had relations in that part of the war and they did not want to talk about it .Well the first thing was when we got liberated and later on we was given a good going over by the doctors and head shrinkers was to not let it pray on our minds talk and dont let it pray on your mind
I understand it affected some of the people in different ways i know of one guy who went from being a hard case to being religious .There were a lot of guys gave in to easy
Even in the pow camp there were some of them i would be ashamed to be called a friend the behaviour was not is what you would dream about
But a lot of these things are things of the past
i know that i am inclined to ramble on about pow days but it is something to let the younger generation know about what their past relations did so they good enjoy a good life

[j.sabourn]

In 1968 i was ch. Officer on a general cargo and passenger vessel (15 passengers only) called the Sunprincess, run by Alcoa and a subsidary of Saguenay shipping of Montreal. There was mention of these ships a couple of years ago on this site but for some reason dried up. One person asked if anyone had been on the Sun boats and when replied seemed to dry up. Anyhow there was one point in the 11 months I was there that a Ch. Stwd was transferred to us from one of the Bauxite carriers, he was from Liverpool like yourself, he was also an ex prisoner of the japs in Singapore and must have been about your age I should imagine. I used to drink with him and in his cups he used to describe some of his wartime experiences as a prisoner, always remember him saying when they were liberated some of them commandeered a jeep with the necessary armanents and went looking for certain people re the japanese guards. I only wish I could remember this mans name. If others who said they were with Saguenay shipping had carried on in their posts maybe some of them could have remembered. In 1968 I was 31 years of age and would have put him at about his late 40"s early 50"s so he may have been a little older than yourself. Best Regards John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

There is indeed a bridge over the river Kwai I saw it in a place called Kanchonbury in Northern Thailand.
If you want to get a feel of what it may have been like then visit the war grave cemetry there, I defy any one to go in there and come out dry eyed. There is also a reproduction POW camp there, not the eal thing but will give you some idea of the hell those guys went through. Then if you can walk the Hell Fire Pass and see what it was all about. Puts it all on perspective.

[Lou Barron]

In reply to your post 22 John its a pity that you cannot remember the mans name it is possible that he could have been i Changi Jail then on the other hand it is also possible that he was in another camp in Singapore
The survivors off the Empress of Asia most of them were in another camp
You mentioned that he and some of his mates when we got free they broke out of the camp i did hear that did happen but i dont think it was from Changi Jail as i have said in a previous post we was well confind in changi by our own people
we did have some guys off the Asia in with the restof the MN crowd in Block C floor 3regards Lou

[j.sabourn]

I sometimes get flashbacks of the past and hopefully I maybe able to remember his name. If I do will let you know. All the best John Sabourn

[leratty]

Happy daze John in Oz, mate that is not the actual bridge at all nor the site for same it is a cobbled togetehr reproduction. I have mentioned this before here I think? It is so innovative Thai too put this up & draw the tourists returnees etc. The Cut etc are still there for all to see pretty difficult walk so God knows what it was like working it way back then though & agree hard not to shed a tear. Even more so as far more Indians-Asians died than our men & they were even worse treated too. Richard

[Tony Wilding]

WAS THE ACTUAL BRIDGE BLOWN UP, then rebuilt after the War, its a bit of a Con to go to see it and its all Fake,

[Peter Trodden]

Always stuck in my mind, first trip 16yr old in a Bluey 1955,going ashore in Port Swettenham(now Port Klang) and on the Quay was various shrines Tamil,Chinese,and Malay dedicated to those people who suffered and died working for the Japs. There were photo's drawings and painting of Japs giving out punishment to the workers. I'll never forget that walk along the Quay. ttfn. Peter.

[leratty]

Tony re post 27, no but it was badly damaged then repaired again & again. I believe it was bowled over by a storm & the swollen river? Richard

[wilf stirling]

i wasthe empress of austrila there was two ass cooks who where on the asia one was wille harrison mike riley two gentleman this was about 1950