I AM a 70 year old pensioner. When I was a teenager living in Emneth, I used to walk home most nights, along the old tram lines that used to go from Wisbech to the Outwell area. I would often meet up with an old ex-prisoner of war. I will call him George
I AM a 70 year old pensioner. When I was a teenager living in Emneth, I used to walk home most nights, along the old tram lines that used to go from Wisbech to the Outwell area.
I would often meet up with an old ex-prisoner of war. I will call him George.
We would walk along the tram lines and I knew he had been a Japanese prisoner, so whatever his thoughts were I do not know, as he had worked on the so-called railway of death.
One night while going home I said 'George tell me something about the prison camp you were in'.
He did not answer straight away, then he said: "I will tell you one little story' - 'it was one Christmas and I was working in the prison cook house. We had to learn bits of Japanese to make it easier for the guards. This day an officer said to me would you like a bit of chicken. But I did not understand him. So he hit me and beat me with a bamboo cane, so I ended up all Christmas, in the so called hospital."
I asked George if we met that man now, what would he do to him - he said 'nothing'. There was no thought of revenge or malice.
So this year when you wear your poppy, wear it with pride, and wherever you are now George, God bless you.
JASON MASON
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