Escape to Pagan Read Online Free PDF Page B

full of Japanese soldiers. The lorry stopped, a Jap Sergeant holding a sword accompanied by two soldiers with fixed bayonets, surrounded Jack. Even though he was no longer afraid of dying he did not wish to be bayoneted to death or beheaded. The Japs were drunk.
    â€œThe Chinaman began speaking rapidly to the Jap Sergeant and kept pointing at Jack. The Sergeant took the revolver from the Chinaman and shot him in the stomach, the two soldiers then bayoneted the squirming and screaming man as he lay on the road. Jack thought his turn was next but the Japanese are a strange race; when you expect cruelty they can be almost kind or vice versa. Jack did not even bother putting his hands up in surrender.
    â€œThe Japanese Sergeant still holding his sword began walking around Jack studying his terrible head and neck wounds with much sucking of teeth and hissing. It must have been obvious to the Japanese Sergeant that the deep wound on the back of Jack’s neck was made by a Japanese sword during an attempted beheading. Not knowing the true circumstances of the event, they must have marvelled at Jack’s survival. The JapaneseNCO then motioned Jack to kneel, which Jack just about managed to do. He expected the worst. The Jap then with his naked sword began to give his men a demonstration of how he would have struck a clean blow. At that moment, the Jap Sergeant noticed through Jacks blood stained uniform that he too was a Sergeant. He was helped to his feet and gently patted on the back and grinned at; this earned him a packet of twenty players and a box of matches which he gratefully accepted.
    â€œThe Jap Sergeant then gave him a drink of water from his own canteen and cheerfully explained in sign language that Jack would soon be dead. He was then carefully helped onto the lorry by the enemy soldiers and the truck continued its journey. In the lorry Jack was asked to turn his head so that they could all have a better look at his wounds, then he was given more cigarettes by the rest of the troops. They were very amused when they observed living maggots falling from the hole in his head. These were front line veterans and many were wounded themselves. All the soldiers were heavily loaded down with loot. Jack was surprised they had not relieved him of all his valuables; his watch and wedding ring were in plain sight, but at the time he did not care, he had finally got his smoke.
    â€œDue to long periods of unconsciousness, Jack was never sure how or when he was re-united with many of his Army pals; his wounds were re-cleaned of maggots and dressed by Army surgeons as best as circumstances would allow. The Japanese Sergeant’s name was Yoshida. Jack would find this out later when the Jap Sergeant showed up at Sham Shui Po POW camp.”

    Later when slaving in the mines of Japan, the sword and bullet wounds on the back of his neck created much interest and gave the Sergeant and his men a few precious minutes’ respite from the back breaking work. It also earned him a cigarette or a small rice ball while the Japanese in charge inspected and mulled over his scars. A few minutes of rest could save a man’s life, especially a man who often exchanged his midday bowl of rice for cigarettes.
    Back in Hong Kong, on Christmas day 1941, General Maltby saw no other option but to surrender. Brigadier Wallis refused. The Japanese used this as an excuse for committing more atrocities. Some people are still unsure of Brigadier Wallis’ motives for refusing to surrender: perhaps self promotion?
    Initially the captured soldiers were not guarded adequately. This gave the prisoners time to slip away and wander around the ruins salvaging what they could. Some men went to visit their Chinese girlfriends. Very few soldiers escaped. In due course the front line enemy soldiers would be posted to the Pacific Islands and replaced by rear echelon troops and circumstances for the prisoners would change for the worst.
    The Japanese