Life at Sham Shui Po
Heroes Remember
Life at Sham Shui Po
Transcript
Description
While many Canadian prisoners at Sham Shui Po are sent off to work in the shipyards and coal mines in Japan, Mr. Routledge remains at the Hong Kong camp and is appointed to the position of second-in-charge of the Rations Party. He explains.
Ronald John Routledge
Mr. Routledge was born September 1, 1920. His father, a decorator by trade, was a member of the Regina Rifles and served in the First World War. Mr. Routledge came from a family of four children. He had three sisters, one older and two younger. His father encouraged him to join the Regina Rifles Regiment cadet program when he was 14. After completing high school, shortly before Canada declared war on Germany, he enlisted with the Regina Rifles. He enlisted with the artillery but soon switched to the Canadian Corps of Signals and trained as a wireless operator. In October, 1941, he and 32 other members of the Signals Corp were told they were headed overseas. They boarded a vessel in Vancouver, not knowing until they were near the Philippines that they were heading for Hong Kong. They eventually arrived in Hong Kong and were assigned to barracks at Shamshuipo. Mr. Routledge was wounded when the Japanese made their first attack on Shamshuipo in December, 1942. After spending time in hospital, he returned to continue his service as a wireless operator. He was taken POW on Boxing Day after the commanding officer of the troops on the Stanley Peninsula surrendered to the Japanese. Following his release at the end of the war, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), the second highest award for bravery in the British Empire. Mr. Routledge remained in the army as a career soldier.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 02:12
- Person Interviewed:
- Ronald John Routledge
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Location/Theatre:
- Hong Kong
- Battle/Campaign:
- Hong Kong
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- Canadian Signals Corps
- Rank:
- Sergeant
- Occupation:
- Wireless Operator
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The Japanese Attack Shamshuipo
Hong Kong is under attack by the Japanese and Mr. Routledge recalls advice his father, a veteran of the First World War, had given him.
Hong Kong Falls
Recovered from his wounds, Mr. Routledge is assigned wireless operator to the brigadier in charge of the forces at Stanley. Japanese shelling of the town forces the troops to move to the Stanley Peninsula. Then, on Christmas Day, 1942, the order comes for all Allied forces to surrender to Japan. The commander of the forces on the Stanley Peninsula had other thoughts.
The Nightmare Begins
Mr. Routledge and those on Stanley Peninsula were marched to a prisoner camp at North Point. He describes the camp's deplorable conditions.
Tough Japanese Guards
Back at Shamshuipo, now a prisoner-of-war camp, Mr. Routledge recalls the frightening treatments he and other prisoners received at the hands of the Japanese guards.
Caught and tortured
Mr. Routledge later took on a new and life-threatening duty of moving messages from the camp to contacts outside Sham Shui Po... and back again. He eventually is discovered by his Japanese captors. The consequences are terrifying.
The Torture Continued
The treatment he received from his Japanese captors when his activities of passing messages in and out of the camp were discovered was the stuff of nightmares.
Moved To Stanley Prison
Mr. Routledge and three other Canadian prisoners were moved to the Stanley prison.
Charges of Espionage - Court Martial Pending
Mr. Routledge and his comrades were again transferred, this time to the Gendarmes to be held for a Japanese Court Martial, which took place December 1, 1943. The outcome was staggering.
Hell At Stanley Prison
Back at Stanley Prison, Mr. Routledge and his comrades were placed in the section with the Chinese prisoners. Their rations were meagre. After several weeks there, two new arrivals at the prison, both British officers, eventually brought improvements to their living conditions.
Canton Prison - Worse
In May, 1945, Mr. Routledge was transferred to Canton Prison. He describes this prison in one word.
Little Food Results in Rapid, Large Weight Loss
Mr. Routledge remains at Canton prison for the rest of the war. During his imprisonment there, his weight dropped dramatically.
It’s Finally Over!
The war ends with Mr. Routledge and his comrades at Canton prison. He explains how they guessed the war had ended, days before they were told.
The Return To Allied Care
Freedom from the nightmare of Japanese captivity comes as the prisoners-of-war are formally handed over to the British.
Reunion With The Family
Home at last...alive!
Dealing With The Experience
Mr. Routledge made what some may feel were surprising decisions for his life in an effort to put the prison camp experiences behind him. He also expresses his deep feelings that Canadians need to understand what he and his comrades experienced in Hong Kong.
His Thoughts About The People Of Japan
Most people, given the experiences of Canadian prisoners-of-war in Japan, would have predictable and understandable feelings about the Japanese people of that time - and of today. Most people - but not everyone, including Mr. Routledge.
His Thoughts About The Government of Canada That Sent Them
Unlike his feelings about the Japanese people, Mr. Routledge expresses disappointment with the Canadian Government of the time that sent the troops to Hong Kong.
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