The Wilmington morning star., 1945-11-05

| LII. zen. n. T.. Z GIClVdl NlS1C,
erals Macarthur and Wainwright
Missouri in Tokyo Bay. In today
prisoners of war at the notorious +
been thoroughly picked over
Nevertheless, we were required Il
take it out to the parade group
and once again it underwent (
thorough picking. Finally, how
ever. we were handed our toile
articles and when given permission
we shuffled off to the water spigot!
in the rear of the barracks ana
brushed our teeth and shaved fol
the first time since leaving Manila
nearly a week before.
The first few days of our Ions
stay at Karenko were fretful ones
and the air was so tense it coule
be cut. We sat around talking
quietly and wondering what was il
store fo~ us.
Our months of half-rations or
Bataan and Corregidor and ther
the starvation diets of our i'm
prisonment were beginning tt
catch up with us. Aside from ou1
ever-more skeletonized appear
ance, the first sign of our physica.
deterioration was our feet anc
ankles. The Japs would not return
our shoes, and the strange clogs
aggravated our lower extremities
The feet and ankles of many Off
GERS and men began to swell
some to such an extent that the
skin cracked open. Major Gen
Edward P. King was hardly able
to walk.
Baggage Arrives
After perhaps week at Karenkc
we were led out to the parade
ground one afternoon and found all
of our heavier baggage in pile
We had to sort out our individual
gear and separate it. Then it was
minutely searched once again
What few bits of military equip
ment we had left to us by that
time were taken from us. Some
how a pair of my field glasses
presented to me on Corregido- by
one of my staff officers-had been
left untouched in one of my bags
These now were taken away by a
young Jap officer.
Our systematic starvation con
tinued without incident, one dreary
day upon another, until September
%, 1912, when there was a com
motion at the entrance to the pris'
on enclosure and we saw many
old friends being led in.
Among them were Maj. Gen
Sharp and other officers and en-
listed men from his surrendered
Visayan-Mindanao force. In the
group also were number Of
British, Dutch and Australian gen
eral officers, as well as Sir Shen'
ton Thomas, former Governor OF
Malaga; Sir Mark Young, former
Governor of Hong Kong; Sir Percy
McElwaine, Chief Justice of the
Straits Settlements, and Sir Harry
Trusted, formerly Chief Justice Of
the Federated Malay States.
The new prisoners also contained
the Governor General Of the Meth
erland East Indies, Tjarda var
Starkenbourgh, and the Governor
of Sumatra, A. I. Spits. Among
the British were Maj. Gen. Ian M
MacRae, retired, Red Cross direc
tor for Malaga; 1t. Gen. A. E
Percival, former COMMANDMENT
Chief of the British forces II
Malaga; 1t. Gen. Sir L. M. Heath
commander Of the Indian Thlre
Corps in Malaga.
In the Dutch contingent was my
good friend, 1t. Gen. Helm te--'
Porrten, Commander-in-Chief o
the Netherlands Indies forces.
had last seen terPorrten in thu
Philippines when he had toured ou
installations. He was my CUES
at Fort Mckinley about the tim
he was promoted to his new rank.
The new prisoners were place.
in the only barracks on the res
e~vation, resulting in great jam
ming. Our squads were reorgar
lied, and I yielded my role a
squad leader to Gen. King. l ha
been given the post by the Jap
because of my rank, but my ears
hurt on Corregidor, were givln
me trouble. 1t was hard to hea
instructions and I sensed that tn
Japs were just waiting for us !
make some blunder that woul
invite them to take it out on a
, of us.
Atrocions English
Instructions to the whole cam
of 4O5 men were given to an a
sembly of squad leaders. The II
terpreter spoke such atroclol
English that there was always col
siderable confusion over OF
duties, and resultant tension ths
we would do something wrong.
One of the best liked OF Tn
newcomers to Karenko was MA
Gen. Beckwith-Smith. This con
mander of the Eighteenth BIRTHS
Division in Malaga, and torm'
commander Of the crack COLI
stream Guards, was a first cla'
I gentleman and soldier.
He had been badly used, as hs
been the others, but his spirit WI
4 excellent and he was comfort
nc oil What foo1ipoc he had