Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search veterans.gc.ca

Escape

Heroes Remember

Escape

Transcript
When we were taken prisoners of war, Sergeant John Payne and myself were quite good friends, and John had made a calendar, we put a hundred days on it, and he said that when a hundred days were up, he'd go over the fence he'd try to escape. My intentions were fully to go with him, but while in North Point I took sick with dysentery and malaria at the same time and ended up at Bowan Road Hospital for seven weeks. In the meantime, John had started, one hundred days were up, he started contacting Chinese on the outside, and he had lined up three men to go with him, and in August of 1942 they made their escape. We were kept out on, when the escape was discovered we were kept out on the parade square, I'd returned to, to North Point camp in the meantime of course, and when the escape was discovered, we were lined up and for roll call, it was discovered four people were missing, and there was all hell to pray, to pay. We stayed out there all night, weren't allowed to go to the Benjo, which was the bathroom. Weren't allowed anything to eat or drink, or to sleep. The next day we were finally dismissed and, each day after that for a couple a days, we could see the guards all armed to the teeth and leaving camp, they were supposedly out searching for these four people who had escaped. Eventually of course we, when I heard after that they had been captured a couple of days after and they were executed and buried on the mainland.
Description

Mr. Peterson tells about the now famous incident of four Winnipeg Grenadiers escaping from North Point POW Camp, and how he was supposed to be amoung them.

George N Peterson

Mr. Peterson was born in Winnipeg February 8, 1921. His family moved to Saint Watell, where he now considers home, when he was five years old. His father was a Veteran of the First World War, having served as a sergeant in Artillery. Having participated in Sea Cadets and the Cameron Cadets previously, with written permission from his father, Mr. Peterson joined the Winnipeg Grenadier Militia as a drummer in the bugle band in January 1938, at the age of 16. Mr. Peterson signed on for active service with the Winnipeg Grenadiers on September 6, 1939, - his twin brother also joined the Grenadiers September 7th, and their father joined the Winnipeg Light Infantry September 12th. Soon after signing on, Mr. Peterson was promoted to Lance Corporal and was made a Mark 4 Vickers machine gun instructor. After Basic Training, his unit was shipped to Jamaica as POW camp reinforcements, but returned to Canada soon after On October 27, 1941, his unit boarded the Awatea in Vancouver, bound for Hong Kong. Captured after capitulating to the Japanese, Mr. Peterson was interned in North Point and Shamshuipo POW camps. While at Shamshuipo he was put to work as slave labour at Kai Tac Airport. Eventually he was sent to Japan to work in a coal mine 120 miles north of Tokyo. After three years and eight months of internment, Japan surrendered to the Americans. Mr. Peterson was reunited with his family soon after.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
02:37
Person Interviewed:
George N Peterson
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Location/Theatre:
Asia
Branch:
Army
Units/Ship:
Winnipeg Grenadiers
Rank:
Lance-Corporal

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Youtube

Related Videos

Near Mutiny on the Awatea

Near Mutiny on the Awatea

Mr Peterson describes the tight quarters onboard the, Awatea and the near mutiny that occurred before leaving the port of Vancouver.

Poor Preparation, Poor Procedure

Poor Preparation, Poor Procedure

Mr Peterson recalls how the Canadians were trained following their arrival in Hong Kong.

Reunited

Reunited

Mr. Peterson recalls the night he was reunited with his twin brother during the Battle of Hong Kong.

"I'd rather shoot myself"

"I'd rather shoot myself"

Mr Peterson recalls what he said he’d do if he was to be captured, and what happened when the time came.

Diseases

Diseases

Mr Peterson recalls the toll disease took on the POWs in Shamshuipo POW Camp: diphtheria, beri-beri, dysentery, malaria, and hot feet.

Slave Labour Selection

Slave Labour Selection

Mr Peterson recalls the selection process of the slave Labour drafts.

Christmas Propaganda

Christmas Propaganda

Mr Peterson recalls the Christmas of 1944, and how their day of relief was nothing more than a propaganda exercise.

Unfathomable Destruction

Unfathomable Destruction

Mr. Peterson remembers not being able to fathom the destruction done by the atomic bombs dropped on Japan while he was interned.

Japan Capitulates

Japan Capitulates

Mr. Peterson remembers discovering that Japan had surrendered to the Americans.

Saving Face

Saving Face

Mr. Peterson recalls the reaction of some young local boys when their playmate was accidentally killed by air dropped supplies.

Looking Back

Looking Back

Mr. Peterson looks back at how his service and internment affected him later in life.

Date modified: