Significance of the POW Tag

This is my prisoner of war number which is 2207. Now in a prison camp everybody gotta have a number. On this particular number this Japanese characters here tells the Japanese where I should be working in the dockyard. I was working on “nanabang group”. Now if I’m found anywhere clear from the guillotine during working hours they can tell by this. I’m not supposed to be there and they politely march me back to where I should be as well as take a good, probably a couple of baseball bats across the rear end. I’m not supposed to move. And if you had to go to the “benjo”, the benjo is latrines, you had to ask permission for a guard to go with you. Everybody had a prisoner of war number and you’re known by that prisoner number in all the camps, say if there’s any other prisoner camp I suppose in civilian life you go by a number.

Mr. Ford displays and explains in detail the purpose of wearing the POW tag and the ramifications if caught without it.

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.