Working in the Dockyard

Interviewer: Mr. Ford, what was the purpose of the Japanese in taking you and these other men to Nagasaki? What was your job to be? Nothing only slave labour to relieve the Japanese civilians so they could go in the army, and the navy and the air force. The idea that they work us in the dockyard, salt mines, coal mines, wherever they felt there were use for us. In my case I worked in the dockyard building ships and we would put a ship in the water, 7000 ton ships, one every 7 weeks. Now that's not completed mind you that's only the hull; super structure would be put on it after by the side of the dock. And we did that for years, cold, miserable, we did rivetting, caulking, every kind of hard work that you could do.

Mr. Ford describes the work he did at the dockyard during his time in camp.

John Ford

Mr. John Ford was born March 25, 1919 in Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland. Both parents were previously married and Mr. Ford was raised in a family of 14 children, him being one of the younger children. As a child he attended school at the United School Academy graduating in Grade 11. After school he worked with the Newfoundland railway as a machinist for three years. In May of 1940, Mr. Ford decided to join the Royal Air Force. In August he went overseas onboard the Nova Scotia and landed in Liverpool, England. During his service, he was captured as a POW in Japan experiencing horrible conditions. He has dedicated much of his time to the Legion and volunteered as a board member for over 13 years. Mr. Ford is an active participant in visiting local schools and educating the youth of what life was really like as a solider and as a prisoner of war while serving with the Royal Air Force.