The Return To Allied Care

Heroes Remember

The Return To Allied Care

About four days after this announcement was made to us by the Commandant, Prison Commandant, we were taken and put on a train and taken back to Hong Kong. And we were hospitalized in Hong Kong, as a matter of fact, for, for quite a while. Interviewer: When you came back to Hong Kong, did you, were you then in the custody of Allied servicemen? Yes, we were. We were turned over by the Japanese to, very formally, by the Japanese to the British Army, well, British Officer in charge. Interviewer: When that happened, were you then convinced that you were going to survive after all? I think so, yes. Yes. Interviewer: What was your reaction when you finally went out of Japanese custody into Allied custody? Do you remember your feelings? It was, it was very difficult, quite, very difficult to realize the drastic difference, again, and coming back to, to life. Very, very different and it was a real pleasure. Interviewer: Tell me, Mr. Routledge, if the war had have lasted another winter, could you have survived at Canton Prison? Well, that's very difficult for me to answer that question, honestly. I think it would have been a struggle, a real struggle. But I, to be absolutely honest and for, well, I can't say surely. Interviewer: At the, after you were returned to the Allied side, word of your exploits and your deeds became known to the authorities and in fact, you were awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for your efforts. That's correct. Interviewer: And the Distinguished Conduct Medal is for conspicuous gallantry in the face of the enemy and is the second highest award for gallantry in the British empire. So I'm told.

Freedom from the nightmare of Japanese captivity comes as the prisoners-of-war are formally handed over to the British.

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.