Japanese Who could speak English

[Lou Barron]

It was to our amazement thata number of Japs who could speak and understand the English Language it was mostly the officers but on one occasion we found out in a not so happy occasion
It was while we was working on the landing air strips that we had the misfortune to find this out we had already found out that a few of them could under stand English but this time we was not so attentive .
There four of us empting a skip full of soil and the quickerwe did this we could have a rest with the guards roaming up and down shouting those familar words Speedo Speedo and now and again giving you a wallop with the bamboo canes the had .
Well anyhow as usual we would curse the guards and this time we was calling this guard all the F*****g B*****d under the sun then this guard walk round the other side of the skip and said he heard what we called him (he was a NCO)and said he had a mother and father so he lined us up and gave us three wallops across the rump and believe me it was painful.It sure was a good way to find out who could understand English

[Lou Barron]

Yes that a large number of the Japanese could speak and understand the English language ...it was most of the officers .
Our first time we had that they could speak our language was when we first landed in Seletar was when a Jap Navy officer got up on a stand (that was another thing they had that a senior officers always looked down on the lower ratings they had to be higher ).
This guy said in very good English that we were under the control of the Imperail Japanese Navy and if we disobade we would be punished and if we tried to escape we would be executed there is a few times i could tell when we found this out

[Jack Jenkins]

The sparks and I were on a bus going to the town centre of Novorrissk,a lady and a little boy were sitting in front of us,the sparks said ''I feel sorry for the poor little ******* growing up in a s******* like this,we got off the bus and were walking up the street when a voice behind us said,''I`d be very carefull what you say in public if I were you,''the guy who spoke had been in London during the war and spoke perfect English !!

[Richard Quartermaine]

Moving back to Singapore in 1979 after three years in Indonesia where survival was learning the lingo fast I walked into the empty lift to go up to my office. following me in were five well groomed Indonesian Chinese businessmen and some Caucasians. This meant I was behind and as we went up they discussed the b... s... that they were going to present to the manager of a certain Scandinavian bank. Little did they think that the bunch of gwiloes would know what they were saying. Arriving at my level I coughed, smiled and said "Ma'af" (excuse me). They looked up, courteously moved aside, smiled and as it dawned on them looked as though I'd punched them in the guts.
It didn't tell my neighbour but I often wondered if he was the right man for his job.
Richard

[DeepSea]

if we tried to escape we would be executed

Two crewmembers the Blue Funnel ship Tantalus and one Australian civilian were tortured and executed by the Japanese in February 1942 at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp, Manila after a failed escape attempt. After being beaten half to death the three men were dragged to a shallow dug grave and shot thirteen times between them and buried whilst still alive. After the war the bodies were exhumed by US forces and the two Merchant Seamen were eventually interned in the Sai Wan War Cemetery and both were awarded a posthumous King's Commendation for Brave Conduct.

FLETCHER, Third Officer, THOMAS HENRY (HARRY), M.V. Tantalus (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 15th February 1942. Age 28. King's Commendation for Brave Conduct. Son of John Caleb and Isabella Fletcher, of Maryport, Cumberland.

WEEKS, Able Seaman, HENRY EDWARD, M.V. Tantalus (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 15th February 1942. Age 28.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Apparently last evening, Aug 3, on Chanel 89. There was a good documentary on the Merchant Navy in WWIIDid any of my Canadian collages happen to catch it?

[Keith Moody]

Dennis, did not see it here, it could have been on but we were out last evening, what was it called?
Winnipeg
keith moody
R635978

[Dennis McGuckin]

Hi Keith,
Believe it was called.
Merchant Navy at war.
Pal of mine got it on Shaw cable.
He really enjoyed it.

[Keith Moody]

thanks, will look out for it.
keith

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Lou.
I know people say you must forgive and forget, and I was not quite old enough to be at sea during the war, but for me the Japs will never be forgiven for what happened during the war, I was so wild when our PM said how wonderful the Jap training and attention to duty was during the war, what a ****!
Cheers Des

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