Description
Mr. Harrison expresses his shame at allowing a note to the parents of his friend Johnny Payne to fall into the hands of the wrong person.
George Harrison
George Harrison was born on April 4, 1920 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and was youngest of three children. His father died shortly after his birth, forcing his mother to place him and his siblings in an orphanage, where he was at times badly beaten. Learning this, his mother took her children back home. After completing grade 9, Mr. Harrison went to work to help support his family. Eventually, he gained employment with CPR Telegraph. On September 13, 1939, Mr. Harrison enlisted with Winnipeg Grenadiers, becoming a specialist on the Vickers machine gun. During the battle of Hong Kong, Mr. Harrison was made a sergeant, and was involved in deadly fighting. Along with the general misery and persecution suffered by all of the POWs, Mr. Harrison faced down both blindness and potential amputation of his toes.
Transcript
I did something I’m still, I’m still hurt about it myself. I should have known better because Johnny Payne, the night that they were leaving, he came over, gave me a note that I was supposed to give to his parents and I should have given it to George LeBlanc or Nixon, or something like that, until the war was over. Instead of that I called Sergeant (inaudible) and I gave it to him and that’s the sorriest thing I ever did. I saw him coming back and I asked for it two or three times on the ship that we were coming back on. He’d say, “Ya, I’ll give it to you, I’ll give it to ya!” He never did and Johnny Payne’s mother and sisters saw it in the paper because he was a glory hunting “son of a…” pardon my language. And that’s hurt me ever since. I’m sorry I had to bring that into it but I had to get it out. I’ve been keeping this in for all these years.