Escape to Pagan

by Brian Devereux

  Back on the Gin Drinkers’ Line, hand to hand fighting had begun as the enemy got into the Scots positions. Though shocked by the suddenness and ferocity of the Japanese attack, the brave Royal Scots managed to repulse the initial onslaughts.

  While evicting the enemy dead from their trenches, the Scots noticed that their foes were not “small-boned myopic dwarfs”, but fine examples of muscle and bone, despite being short in stature. And to the defenders’ surprise not a single pair of pebble spectacles or buck-teeth were to be seen.

  Then, adding to the trauma of battle, the young inexperienced recruits were subjected to heavy and accurate artillery fire from British guns at the rear. This was the last straw for some soldiers. Men had to be restrained from retreating by their officers and NCOs. This however did not stop some soldiers deserting their posts in the confusion. The experienced soldiers just cursed the gunners and their ancestors, the British artillery had months to range their guns.

  Another shock awaited D Company. While tending their dead they found the body of one of the new arrivals from Maryhill Barracks (the best piper in the Regiment): he had been decapitated. Nearby, his pale severed head stared up at the sky, his blue eyes wide open; his face had a surprised expression according to two of dad’s comrades. The reality of seeing the headless body of a comrade confirmed they were fighting a savage Asiatic enemy a long way from home.

  It was during a brief lull in the battle that Captain Pinkerton observed a large body of enemy troops with field artillery ascending Golden Hill. Once in place, the enemy artillery could fire down on their positions. Lieutenant Ford and Sergeant Devereux of D Company were ordered to attack the enemy and eliminate this danger.

  The men of D Company, approximately 120 soldiers, began their steep climb. The soldiers were exhausted; no rations had reached the Royal Scots during the last 24 hours. Water for drinking and cooling the Vickers machine guns was in short supply. Added to this many of the soldiers were still suffering from the strength sapping after effects of malaria. So exhausted were these men that they were forced to crawl up Golden Hill on their hands and knees dragging heavy equipment and arms behind them.

  Gaining the high ground, D Company attacked the Japanese and cleared them from the summit only to be counter attacked by superior numbers.

  “Jack remembered a group of Japanese struggling to pull a big gun uphill with ropes. D Company attacked these enemy soldiers but despite their losses, the enemy did not let the big gun roll back down the hill. It was there near the summit that Jack was suddenly shot, he did not realize that the bullet had passed straight through his head, all he felt was a blow to his temple. Jack desperately tried to remain lucid at this vital moment but lost consciousness. The men believed Jack was dead because of his terrible head wound. D Company was ordered to retreat.

  “The remnants of D Company fell back to their ill prepared positions on The Gin Drinkers’ Line. They arrived just before the enemy appeared in strength. The attacks lasted most of the night. The Gin Drinkers’ Line fell sometime during the next morning.

  “Luckily, after several days and nights of slipping in and out of consciousness Jack was found by some Royal Scots and a British medical doctor, who missed the withdrawal. By now the battle for Hong Kong was raging.

  “The group of men, who had found Jack, carried him to a large multi-storeyed building in Nathan Road. The soldiers knew this area well. Here, the wound at the back of Jack’s neck was cleaned of maggots and the rotting flesh was cut away with an old razor blade. Ointment was applied and the gaping wound at the back of his neck was filled with gauze and stitched with needle and cotton. He was given all the remaining painkillers. Jack was then given a cigarette; he could not live without tobacco and often said if it was not for me and nicotine, he would not have survived.

  These men of the Royal Scots were hoping to escape into China. Once his wounds were tended, Jack was taken to another block of flats where other soldiers were hiding. These men had collected a liberal supply of alcohol and tinned food, but water was always difficult to find. The only safe available water came from draining the taps. Several of the soldiers were constantly drunk.

  “Jack was given water and some hot food but chewing was excruciating; he could feel and hear the torn cartilage and bones in his head making strange crunching noises. The food made him feel stronger but his deep head wound was throbbing as the painkillers began to wear off: the pain was unbearable. Luckily new arrivals brought medical equipment and painkillers allowing him some relief and rest. Jack was still very weak from the loss of blood. But now it must have been a comfort and blessing to him that he was back among men he knew.”

  In the streets below, drunken Japanese troops celebrated their victories with looting and rape. Executions of Chinese civilians became commonplace. All these indulgences were collectively referred to as “the fruits of victory.” If Sergeant Devereux believed that his worst problems were over, he was greatly mistaken. The Lisbon Maru, the sharks of the South China Sea, the coal mines of Nagasaki and the atom bomb still awaited his presence.

  The Royal Scots suffered the highest losses of officers and men during the battle on mainland China defending the Gin Drinkers’ Line. General Maltby wanted them to hold out for seven days while the islands defences were improved. Yet months had been wasted.

  After the mainland fell so rapidly, the defenders of Hong Kong Island braced themselves for the coming attack. Confusion reigned, troops were scattered in penny packets; the most obvious crossing point was only lightly defended. The two commanding officers entered their deep bomb-proof bunkers and stayed put. They remained out of touch when the battle above began. On the 15th December before attacking Hong Kong, the Japanese began a heavy bombardment of the islands north shore. Demands for surrender were made on December 13th and December 17th. When these demands were refused, the Japanese successfully forced a crossing from the mainland, suffering few casualties.

  During that night the Japanese massacred 22 gunners who had surrendered. Soon after this there was another massacre of medical staff at an aid station. At the hospital, patients were bayoneted in their beds, doctors and surgeons shot out of hand and the nurses repeatedly raped.

  The poorly trained and equipped Canadians gave a good account of themselves, one of their numbers receiving a VC. The Japanese had cut the water supply after capturing the islands reservoirs. Hong Kong surrendered: shades of Singapore.

  Before the fall of Hong Kong, Tam and Willie (two of dads’ fellow NCOs and lifelong friends) had safely crossed the bay. The Royal Scots were now in a position above and not far from the harbour at North Point. Their view of the enemy landings and their lines of fire were blocked by high buildings, making it a simple task for the enemy to come ashore in small boats undetected. Very soon they were being attacked by Japanese infiltrators from the rear; while malarial mosquitoes harassed them from all directions (their position was a malarial hot spot). This was an ill prepared and poorly chosen defensive line; the orders being received were confused and often contradictory.

  With the danger of being surrounded and cut off, the two friends, along with other defenders, left their positions and headed in the direction of the town. Such was the commercial drive in the Crown Colony that Tam and Willie found a Chinese noodle bar still open; it would be their last decent meal for several years. They then came across a group of soldiers who had found a liquor store. Helping themselves to booze and cigarettes, they took refuge in some tall buildings and began sniping at the enemy below. Because of the amount of indiscriminate small arms fire, their actions went unnoticed. Many of the Japanese troops by now were also drunk.

  Tam and Willie took pleasure in emptying as many bottles as they could. Years later when visiting dad, they happily reminisced about all the types of expensive alcohol sampled, alcohol they had never tasted before; they found all to their liking with only one exception: Crème de Menthe.

  The orgy of violence over, the victorious soldiers began plundering
the rich European homes. Their superiors concentrated on the many bank vaults and gold reserves therein. Amazingly, some of the bars were still open and customers were being served by drunken soldiers from different regiments. The battle was lost; drinks were on the house. Only the Japanese bars and businesses were shuttered and closed, their owners had discreetly left the island. This evacuation it seems went unnoticed by the British Intelligence.

  Back on Mainland China, Sergeant Devereux and other Royal Scots soldiers, continued to conceal themselves in a ruined block of flats for several days on the outskirts of town. Many of these soldiers were still armed.

  “Jack told me that from their vantage point on the higher floors that they could see the victorious Japanese troops committing atrocities on military personnel and civilians who had surrendered in the streets below. The hiding soldiers began to take revenge on any drunken Japanese troops that entered the building on their own looking for loot. Some of these Japs were clubbed to death, shot or bayoneted. There was no sense of fair play in these killings. The final number of enemy killed was over a dozen. The men decided to move to another deserted building further back from the main road, in case the dead Japanese were discovered by an enemy patrol.

  “By the time of the planned escape, the group of soldiers had accumulated plenty of tinned food, but clean water was still a problem. Two men set out to find more water for their escape. Jack was now on his feet, God knows how and he intended to go with the escape party. The two men who went out to find water did not return.

  “The escape party moved out that night. While passing the large garden of a big white house they heard groans and muffled pleas for help. To their horror they had stumbled on a group of British prisoners and civilians who had been tied up and used for bayonet practise, some pleaded for water, others begged to be shot. Once untied, several joined the escape party; two Royal Scots remained with the badly wounded. The escape party heard a few shots; later the two men rejoined the group and carried on in silence.

  “Jack’s wounds soon began to bleed with the extra exertion. The doctor was worried about his deteriorating condition, it soon became obvious that Jack could not continue as he was becoming dizzy and was having difficulty standing upright. Making their farewells and leaving him some tin food, water, cigarettes and his revolver, his comrades left him. They were sure he was dying.”

  Sergeant Devereux must have watched his disappearing comrades with deep sadness; he was now on his own again.

  “Jack managed to eat some of the food despite the pain of chewing and drank all the water before lapsing into unconsciousness. This was just as well for again his thoughts were focused on his loaded revolver … it would release him from his suffering and his hopeless situation. When he awoke it was around midday. He was lying in the open. The flies began swarming around his wounds again. Jack moved towards cover out of the hot sun. Despite his wounds his memory was not affected and he wondered how far the escape party had travelled during the night. In the shade of the undergrowth he slept.

  “When he awoke the next day his revolver was missing, so were the tins of food, cigarettes and empty water bottle. He no longer cared for the loss except for his cigarettes; he desperately craved a last smoke. Jack was sure he would die soon from the loss of blood or infection. The deep sword cut at the back of his neck was freely bleeding again; he could smell and taste the stench of his festering head wound. The cotton stitching had rotted and the bandages had come away. His only wish was for a cigarette before dying. He waited for death: death did not come. He recognized a road nearby and crawled up the bank and staggered along it. A Chinaman suddenly appeared; he was holding Jack’s revolver. The Chinaman shouted aggressively and began to threaten him with the revolver. Jack began to stagger towards Kowloon closely followed by the persistent Chinaman. He wished he had a weapon to shoot him. Both Jack and the Chinaman stopped when they heard the approach of a lorry full of Japanese soldiers. The lorry stopped, a Jap Sergeant holding a sword accompanied by two soldiers with fixed bayonets, surrounded Jack. Even though he was no longer afraid of dying he did not wish to be bayoneted to death or beheaded. The Japs were drunk.

  “The Chinaman began speaking rapidly to the Jap Sergeant and kept pointing at Jack. The Sergeant took the revolver from the Chinaman and shot him in the stomach, the two soldiers then bayoneted the squirming and screaming man as he lay on the road. Jack thought his turn was next but the Japanese are a strange race; when you expect cruelty they can be almost kind or vice versa. Jack did not even bother putting his hands up in surrender.

  “The Japanese Sergeant still holding his sword began walking around Jack studying his terrible head and neck wounds with much sucking of teeth and hissing. It must have been obvious to the Japanese Sergeant that the deep wound on the back of Jack’s neck was made by a Japanese sword during an attempted beheading. Not knowing the true circumstances of the event, they must have marvelled at Jack’s survival. The Japanese NCO then motioned Jack to kneel, which Jack just about managed to do. He expected the worst. The Jap then with his naked sword began to give his men a demonstration of how he would have struck a clean blow. At that moment, the Jap Sergeant noticed through Jacks blood stained uniform that he too was a Sergeant. He was helped to his feet and gently patted on the back and grinned at; this earned him a packet of twenty players and a box of matches which he gratefully accepted.

  “The Jap Sergeant then gave him a drink of water from his own canteen and cheerfully explained in sign language that Jack would soon be dead. He was then carefully helped onto the lorry by the enemy soldiers and the truck continued its journey. In the lorry Jack was asked to turn his head so that they could all have a better look at his wounds, then he was given more cigarettes by the rest of the troops. They were very amused when they observed living maggots falling from the hole in his head. These were front line veterans and many were wounded themselves. All the soldiers were heavily loaded down with loot. Jack was surprised they had not relieved him of all his valuables; his watch and wedding ring were in plain sight, but at the time he did not care, he had finally got his smoke.

  “Due to long periods of unconsciousness, Jack was never sure how or when he was re-united with many of his Army pals; his wounds were re-cleaned of maggots and dressed by Army surgeons as best as circumstances would allow. The Japanese Sergeant’s name was Yoshida. Jack would find this out later when the Jap Sergeant showed up at Sham Shui Po POW camp.”

  Later when slaving in the mines of Japan, the sword and bullet wounds on the back of his neck created much interest and gave the Sergeant and his men a few precious minutes’ respite from the back breaking work. It also earned him a cigarette or a small rice ball while the Japanese in charge inspected and mulled over his scars. A few minutes of rest could save a man’s life, especially a man who often exchanged his midday bowl of rice for cigarettes.

  Back in Hong Kong, on Christmas day 1941, General Maltby saw no other option but to surrender. Brigadier Wallis refused. The Japanese used this as an excuse for committing more atrocities. Some people are still unsure of Brigadier Wallis’ motives for refusing to surrender: perhaps self promotion?

  Initially the captured soldiers were not guarded adequately. This gave the prisoners time to slip away and wander around the ruins salvaging what they could. Some men went to visit their Chinese girlfriends. Very few soldiers escaped. In due course the front line enemy soldiers would be posted to the Pacific Islands and replaced by rear echelon troops and circumstances for the prisoners would change for the worst.

  The Japanese turned their attention to the Chinese population in Hong Kong. It was not long before streets were running with blood from the beheadings. Many captured Royal Scots in working parties nearby were forced to watch; Tam and Willie included. Initially the soldiers were physically sick as they watched the spray of blood when the carotid artery was severed cleanly; the executioners took pride in avoiding the spray by positioning themselves correctly. Every time the sword fell, a s
oft audible sigh of admiration from the many watching Japanese soldiers could be heard. After witnessing a dozen or so beheadings, the act became almost surreal to the prisoners; many men were surprised how heavy a human head was by the sound it made as it hit the road.

  Tightly bound Chinese victims waited with typical oriental fatalism, they knew by now that no amount of pleading and wailing would save them. The only consolation for them was that they would soon be meeting their ancestors; suffering and hunger would be a thing of the past. A short distance away the First- and Second-class Nipponese Privates practiced using their bayonets on kneeling live Chinese peasants, the objective was not to kill quickly but to explore the human anatomy; these victims did not die quietly. After the executions, the prisoners were forced to remove the headless bodies and bury them. While doing this, some prisoners witnessed the Japanese forcing tightly bound Chinese civilians both young and old into deep pits and burying them alive.

  All over Hong Kong the killing continued. After the war Brigadier Wallis claimed the Royal Scots had folded too quickly. As a result, the regiment were denied the battle honour “Hong Kong” to add to their long list of battle honours. From then on the “First of Foot” gained another nick-name: “The First to Foot it.” Even though the RSM and his comrades smiled about this new nick-name when relating the story after the war in Singapore, the soldiers of the Royal Scots inwardly resented the implication. This slur on the regiment’s reputation is considered unjust by many.