We Pulled the Bolts and Threw Them Away

Well, we got in there at night and in the morning, the Japs was all around so our officers surrendered and we surrendered with them. And our rifles was all piled there but no bolts in it, no shells or no bolts, we pulled the bolts, throw them away. There were just the rifles. Anyway, the Japanese, there were two lines of them, one like that and one like that, and they had their rifles. One was like there, and the other fellow like there and then another one like there - behind. They were all ready to give us the works. And then that old, what they call Tojo there, the old Japanese head fellow, he come and he spoke to them in their language and they put their rifles down and he said, “You boys,” he talked to us in English, “you boys, we got a lot of work to do and we’re gonna keep you to work for us.” So there they brought us down from there. They walked us right down to Hong Kong.

Mr. Hunt describes being taken prisoner and becoming a slave labourer.

Hector Hunt

Hector Hunt was born in Pabos Mills, Quebec, on December 9, 1911. His father was the local river guardian. Mr. Hunt was the second oldest of 16 children. He had little schooling, having gone to the woods at the age of ten to cut pulp with his father. He also transported supplies to his father when he was busy on the river. At sixteen, Mr. Hunt started work at the Chandler pulp mill for twenty-five cents and hour. When the opportunity to enlist occurred, he signed up anticipating better wages and lifestyle. He had very little basic training and no live ammunition weapons training. Mr. Hunt served in Newfoundland before eventually being shipped overseas toHong Kong. He was a POW in both Hong Kong and Japan, where he worked in the coal mines near Niigata. Mr. Hunt credits his strong faith for helping him to endure his time in captivity. After completing his service, Mr. Hunt returned home to work in the local mill.