The Nightmare Begins

Heroes Remember

The Nightmare Begins

Housing, billets that we were assigned to were in filthy condition and well, it was just generally not a good sight. The buildings were in poor repair, very poor repair. There was insects and vermin. There was one quite small hut that was made into a small hospital sort of thing for, we had a couple of doctors there, names I can't remember, I'm sorry. But, it was a very small place and there no medications permitted. It was a pretty meagre diet. Some people had some names for it but it was not only a meagre diet of rice, in particular, but it seemed like there were, there were insects of some type and that sort of thing. A lot of garbage food. Interviewer: Given those circumstances that you've just described, the filth and the vermin in the camp, the crowding, the lack of medical facilities or medications, and the poor diet, what effect did that have on the men? Well, it certainly had a very ill effect on the men and it certainly it was the result, I'm sure, of a, lot of the diseases: pellagra, malaria, electric feet, and that sort of thing. I'm sure it was, it had influenced some of those diseases to come on. Interviewer: Was dysentery one of the first diseases? Yes, I'm sorry. Dysentery was a bad one, too. A very bad one. Interviewer: During your stay at North Point, did you develop any of those diseases? I developed the dysentery, the malaria, and one other. I'm sorry, I've forgotten it. Interviewer: Beriberi? Beriberi, yes. Yes. Interviewer: Did you receive any medical treatment for any of those diseases? The medical treatment, they attempted to give me whatever they could, which was nothing, or you know, the doctors did what they could to try to make one better, but they only had so much they could use too. So, I was fortunately transferred to Bowen Road Hospital again. Interviewer: And what treatment did you receive at Bowen Road Hospital? Excellent treatment at Bowen Road Hospital. Interviewer: What were you sick with to take you to Bowen Road Hospital? It was beriberi, I think it was. I think that's the one. Interviewer: How long did you stay at Bowen Road Hospital? Again, I think I was there about a week or ten days. Interviewer: And when you came back, where did you go? Shamshuipo. Interviewer: So in the mean time, during the time you were at Bowen Road Hospital, the Canadians were moved from their camp at North Point to Shamshuipo? That's correct.

Mr. Routledge and those on Stanley Peninsula were marched to a prisoner camp at North Point. He describes the camp's deplorable conditions.

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.