Frank Watson's War

<p dir="ltr">Frank and (Lucy) May Watson married on 18 July 1938 at Rye Lane Chapel, Peckham, holding their reception in the first-floor flat that became their home. After a honeymoon in Newquay, Cornwall, they returned to Peckham. When war was declared on 3 September 1939, they were preparing to move to 45 Cloonmore Avenue, Orpington, but the declaration delayed their plans until October. Strict blackout rules left them without light after dark for a week until curtain rails and wooden shutters were installed.</p><p dir="ltr">During the 'phoney war,' life retained some normality, despite growing food shortages, but Frank's commute to the city was chaotic and dangerous, marked by "selfishness and self-preservation" among fellow travellers and the constant threat of air raids, including a German fighter attacking his train. That Christmas, Frank and May sought respite from the bombings by visiting May's family in Blockley, Gloucestershire. However, air raids remained a constant danger; May recalled German planes machine-gunning a hospital near their garden in Orpington, forcing them to lie in their hallway as chaos unfolded.</p><p dir="ltr">Frank felt relieved when his call-up papers arrived in December 1940. He joined the RAF in January 1941, training at Bridgnorth before being posted to Hampstead to work on barrage balloons. This allowed him to see May frequently; Frank later wrote that he had "the time of my life, comparatively speaking." Frank was promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) and, in July 1941, departed England from West Kirby, near Liverpool, aboard HMS Stirling Castle. He would not see May again for nearly four and a half years.</p><p dir="ltr">The ship went via Glasgow and was part of a convoy constantly threatened by U-boats. Aboard the Stirling Castle, Frank felt relatively safe, due to its speed but recalled taking the fastest bath of his life below the waterline, fearing their vulnerable position. The monotonous journey to Singapore, spanning two weeks along Africa's coastline, emphasised the ocean's vastness. Arriving in early October 1941, Frank enjoyed a brief three-month respite with plentiful food and uninterrupted nights. In his first letter to May, he described Singapore's hot, damp climate and reassured her that he was taking health precautions, including frequent bathing, powdering, and washing clothes – a skill that he proudly told her he was mastering.</p><p dir="ltr">In his letters to May, Frank described his surroundings, daily life, and prayer routine, reflecting on the local people, their roles, and the lush environment filled with crickets, heavy rain, and fragrant greenery. His duties involved guarding RAF stores, mainly aircraft parts, and patrolling to prevent thefts, while his accommodation, with spring beds and mosquito nets, was relatively comfortable. Despite the challenges, he remained hopeful, ending his letters with prayers and plans for longer correspondence. He also praised May's letters, admiring their humour, and expressed his hope and prayer that her confidence in his early return was right. However, by January 1942, Frank's tone had changed; he apologised for writing in pencil due to a lack of ink and described the "repressive" times as a period of "chastisement," reflecting on past struggles. Later, he linked the war and his separation from May to repentance and their childlessness. Yet, his faith remained firm, and in his final letter before capture, he urged May to "keep up a constant prayer barrage" for his return.</p><p dir="ltr">The Japanese invasion of Singapore began on 8 February 1942, forcing Frank to flee aboard the Ipoh, a battered tramp steamer, three days later. The journey was fraught with danger, as Japanese fighter planes attacked nearby ships and the Ipoh faced constant risk of capsizing. After three sleepless days and nights, and surviving a tornado en route, the passengers finally reached Java, where Frank and his comrades were billeted at King William III School in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). On 17 February, Frank sent a telegram to May, reassuring her that he was safe and well but advising her not to send further parcels or letters. A second telegram followed on 20 February with the brief message: "Safe. Watson." Despite May's continued efforts, Frank would not receive another letter or message from her for more than three years.</p><p dir="ltr">Frank was sent into the hills of Java for what he described as a 'death or glory' stand. As an RAF ground staff member with minimal combat experience, he feared ambushes as they moved through the mountains, narrowly avoiding disaster when a lorry ahead of them broke its axle on a viaduct and nearly plunged into a ravine. Soon after, Allied resistance in Java collapsed, and in early March 1942, they were ordered to surrender, laying down their arms, wearing white armbands, and staying put. Frank later believed that surrendering in large groups likely spared them from execution. There was a brief period of time before the Japanese returned to march them off and so they scavenged for food in the mountains. Eventually, they were packed into train carriages, humiliated at every stop, and marched on arrival to Boei Glodok prison in Batavia on 25 March 1942.</p><p dir="ltr">Frank later likened the conditions in the prison to a modern-day "Black Hole of Calcutta." Hundreds of men were crammed into spaces meant for far fewer, forced to share minimal water supplies for drinking, washing, and sanitation. Sleep was nearly impossible due to relentless infestations of bugs. Death became a constant presence, with men succumbing to starvation, illness, and the psychological toll of their circumstances. Meals, when they came, were barely edible, often consisting of glutinous rice and rotting fish. Nevertheless, amid the bleakness, dark humour surfaced when prisoners, promised 'presents' for Emperor Hirohito's birthday, speculated about a rare decent meal, only to receive five third-rate cigarettes.</p><p dir="ltr">Frank remained at Boei Glodok until 19 January 1943, when he was transferred to Tandjong Priok, a camp near the Batavia docks. On 16 April 1943, he was moved to Surabaya in East Java, then transferred again to the infamous Bicycle Camp in Batavia on 27 April. Further transfers followed, including returns to Boei Glodok in May 1943 and the Bicycle Camp in July. On 14 September 1943, Frank was moved to Changi Jail, Singapore, before being transported to Japan. He arrived at Fukuoka Camp 8 on 13 October 1943.</p><p dir="ltr">In Japan, Frank worked in coal mines under the watchful eyes of guards armed with sticks. Life as a POW in Japan was fraught with danger, where even minor mistakes could be fatal. Towards the end of the war, Frank was forced to dig makeshift air raid shelters. One day, he accidentally struck his overseer's finger with a pick. Summoned by a feared officer, Frank held his nerve, explained that it was an accident, and apologised. After a tense pause, the officer let it go. Later, the injured man berated Frank and beat him round the head with his boot. Frank later reflected that unwavering eye contact might sometimes be enough to escape the worst.</p><p dir="ltr">Despite the dire conditions, Frank's faith became a source of resilience. As there were no ordained ministers to provide spiritual guidance, he took it upon himself to organise services. Reflecting on the makeshift gatherings, Frank admitted that the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time might have been shocked by what was done in the name of faith, but he firmly believed that they had the Lord's support. Prisoners gathered in a dimly lit room for prayer and Bible readings, but one evening, the lone bulb was missing. After failed requests for a replacement, Frank suggested that they pray for one. Within a week, a Japanese foreman unexpectedly handed him a new bulb.</p><p dir="ltr">The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 precipitated Japan's surrender, and Frank was liberated on 17 August 1945. Records show that Frank was evacuated from Nagasaki Harbour on 21 September aboard the USS Cofer, stopping at Okinawa and Manila before continuing to Melbourne, Australia. Frank sent a message on 3 October 1945, reassuring May that he was in "safe Australian hands." Frank's journey home took him across the Pacific Ocean aboard an aircraft carrier, where for two weeks the only land sighted was Pearl Harbor. He passed through Honolulu on 23 October before reaching Canada. Frank became very ill in Victoria and was struck by the kindness of the population and especially the hospital staff; he subsequently wrote to the Prime Minister of Canada to express his thanks. The vastness of Canada became apparent to him as he spent five days travelling across the country by train, prior to the final leg of the journey home.</p><p dir="ltr">Frank arrived in Southampton on 26 November 1945 and was reunited with May on 30 November. Returning to Orpington, Frank found that his wife had faithfully written to him every day during his absence, and their home had suffered only minor damage. By this time (3 months after the celebrations marking the end of the war in Europe), the once-enthusiastic welcomes for returning POWs had begun to diminish. Society was eager to move on, leaving veterans like Frank to navigate their trauma in silence. Suffering from malnutrition and illnesses such as amoebic dysentery, he required long-term treatment, with May carefully managing his recovery while maintaining their home. Demobilised at Hednesford and issued civilian clothes, he struggled with emotional scars, often withdrawn and battling what May called his "Japanese attacks."</p><p dir="ltr">Reconnecting after years apart was difficult, but Frank and May worked to restore normalcy, spending Christmas with family and resuming church life. In May 1946, Frank returned to part-time work at the Bank of New South Wales but struggled with questions about his captivity, later transitioning to full-time work despite ongoing health issues. The couple shifted their faith focus to Christ Church, Orpington, where Frank became a Lay Reader. Their family grew with the birth of Dorothy in 1947 and Andrew in 1950, and Frank later documented his experiences as a prisoner of war while also working to share the Christian gospel in the region where he had been held, aided by a Japanese Christian professor.</p>