Hell At Stanley Prison

Heroes Remember

Hell At Stanley Prison

During the time that we were on these rations, as you said, it was something like about two weeks we were confined to the quarters with these Chinese or in the Chinese section and at that time, or during that time, a Major Charles Boxer of the Lincolnshire Regiment and a Commander Craven with the Royal Navy became imprisoned for having been caught with a radio while they were in their, presiding in their camps. And Charles Boxer not only spoke seven different languages, but spoke Japanese very, very fluently, and with the Japanese and speaking it to the Japanese, he never really stopped being a Major, a senior officer, and they began to pay attention to him. So he had us, fortunately, transferred from the Chinese area to the Japanese, where the Japanese prisoners were interned, and the food improved a lot. Interviewer: During that period of time, were you and the other men still suffering from diseases? Not at that particular time. Not that it was noted at that particular time, but after we were transferred over to the Japanese, the Japanese side of the prison, the, Sergeant Hardy took very ill and at that particular time also, there happened to be a, a Dr. Solomon Clark who was imprisoned, and, for what, I don't recall what the reasons were that he was imprisoned but some of the better Japanese guards and so on allowed Dr. Solomon Clark to see us periodically and certainly when Sergeant Hardy took sick, they allowed Dr. Solomon Clark to, to see him quite frequently. And even with Dr. Solomon Clark's coaxing, they allowed me to go into and join Hardy in his cell to help to feed him and look after him sort of thing, which I did, and fortunately, he, he recovered.

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.

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.