NX70435 - ANDERSON, Roderic Henry (Rod), Maj. - A Company,
O/C
"....was
not much with the Battalion in POW days as shortly after the
8 Div. went out to Selerang Barracks he had been sent in to
River Valley Road on his own, by that he meant with no 2/30
Bn. He was on "F" Force, but when it returned to
Changi he was sent out to Woodlands Road to the Hospital
there."
(Source: Rod Anderson - Makan
No. 257, Nov/Dec, 1980)
NX50244 - BRADLEY, Ralph Graeme (Brad), Pte. - A Company, 8
Platoon
Read in the Sunday Mirror of McDougal's Island - don't know
anything about it, but it does sound sort of appropriate. I
do associate McDougal with duck eggs and goola, mallaca,
etc., don't doubt that about black markets, and for the most
part ethics went to the wind, but no more so than any body
of men in a like predicament. All I know is I had 2 duck
eggs as P.O.W., one presento, one I bought when I sold my
watch, price was $5, otherwise the menu was very mediocre.
No feasts on the railroad. You were much worse off when you
fellows went north.
I was at Woodlands, you remember the big oil tanks sunk in
the ground. Well, we were putting in piles around them where
they had caved in, ropes on the pile driver just like church
bells; the Nips were always primitive, like giving you a
pick to chop wood, shovels made out of petrol drums - was
never sure whether it was their sense of humour, or just
meanness - I never hated them like you blokes. We must have
exasperated them, given an inch we would always have taken a
yard. Me, I see both sides. You listen to a debate - both
sides can be equally convincing. War's a dirty thing and I
don't think any race of people is all good or all bad. I
feel more bitter over the Depression, didn't expect any
sympathy from my enemies.
(Source: Ralph Bradley - Makan
No. 170a, June, 1966)
