This story has been provided to me by Michael Nellis the son of Alfred E (Pop) Nellis WO11 RQMS 9 Coast Regiment Royal Artillery. It is his father’s story.

Hi Peter, I have looked at what might be the best way to tell Pop’s Story of their trip ‘Up Country’ and have decided it is HIS story, so I have just copied it out word for word as he wrote it. Some done at the time, some after his return to the UK. (If you add the 15 days to the 12th October it works out as the 27th October 1942, but that is for my dad to correct some day not for me! So here goes. This is written, not by me, but by 425123 WOII R.Q.M.S. Alfred E ‘POP’ Nellis 9th Coast Regiment Royal Artillery.
(He would be so proud that you could include it in your web site as he had some very good Aussie Mates, including Alex J Bushell from Murray Street, Barham, N.S.W. who had I think, 5 children the eldest Ailsa, I used to write to her back in 1952 when she would have been about 15 or so).

PART ONE ‘WAR!” - “FREEING THE DEMONS”

On Saturday, 7 th December 1941 at 21.15 hours, Japanese planes bombed the Naval Base and the City of Singapore, there had been no declaration of War, land Ack Ack and Ack Ack from the Royal Naval ships, including Prince of Wales and Repulse engaged the enemy.
British troops entered Thailand. Japanese troops were engaged and force our troops to withdraw. Prince of Wales and Repulse sail to prevent the Jap's from landing, they are engaged by torpedo carrying aircraft and sunk. The Jap's advance down Malaya towards Singapore very fast: mostly by infiltration by sea and jungle. Practically all the Allied aircraft have been shot down. Japanese land on Singapore at Kranzi and the Naval Base. The Coastal Defence guns at Changi and Blaki-mati are used as land guns: engaged Jap's at Johore, Puli-ubin, Bukit Timah, Kranzi and Seletar.
February 12 th, situation is critical, the Coastal Defence guns are demolished by explosives. Changi Garrison is ordered to evacuate: marched the 14 miles to Singapore where we arrived at the Indian Recreation Ground at 01.30 hours, 13th February 1942. The Unit is formed into an infantry Battalion: Companies used as support troops, the Battalion H.Q. being situated at Tek-Ho Hotel. The civilian casualties are very heavy; the water shortage has been caused by the reservoirs being in Jap hands. Singapore is being battered by aerial bombing, artillery fire, trench mortars and machine gun fire. The Medical Officer's are unable to cope with the increasing number of wounded. The dead lie unburied.
February 14th, Battalion H.Q. is moved to the White House Hotel. The Jap's enter Alexandra Military Hospital and under the pretence that Indian troops had used the Hospital and grounds as a strong point, shot or bayoneted most of the wounded, doctors and orderlies. They then paraded most of the remainder and throw hand-grenades amongst them. [It was later established that some 320 died in the attack including, I believe, five of their own, injured, Japanese soldiers who had been captured. Of these 230 were patients, the rest were Medical Officers and Nurses. The Murderers, for such they were, were of the Japanese Imperial Guard, taking retaliation for the losses incurred upon them by the Australian’s in the previous days].
At 16.30 hours, on the 15th February 1942, the Allied Troops are informed, that all fighting must cease, Singapore has capitulated to Japan. The Island Fortress was no more.
16th February 1942; Japanese troops enter Singapore. The Allied troops are granted one days rest.
17th February 1942, Allied Prisoners of War, including Civilian internees, [women and children], are marched from Singapore to Changi, a distance of 14 miles. The British go to Robert's and Kitchener Barracks area, Australians to Selerang Park area and the civilian internees to Changi Civil Prison - the women and children entered singing 'There'll always be an England'.
Roberts Barracks was to be used as the P.O.W. Hospital, the Japanese H.Q., ordering that the Officers would remain with their own units, and would be held responsible to the Imperial Japanese Army for Administration and Discipline of the P.O.W.'s in accordance with I.J.A. Regulations and Orders. The conditions here were quite favourable, but overcrowded with the wounded from Singapore being evacuated to Roberts Hospital.
All the Chinese who fought with or who were employed by the British, were rounded up by the Jap's, taken to Changi and Blaki-Mati beaches and machine-gunned.
My Unit was moved to "E Block", Kitchener Barracks, from the Searchlight Sheds, the total accommodated in one block 738, peacetime accommodation 80. The P.O.W.'s were ordered on to Jap Rations, 16 ounces of Rice, 2 ounces of Meat, 2 ounces of Flour Green Vegetables, Sugar, etc.
Dysentery is increasing, the deaths are mounting due in part to the shortage of water and fuel, and so parties were detailed for tree felling and the drawing of water. Because of this situation some of the Troops started to break the Bounds in search of food. Many were caught and after severe beatings, were forced to stay on open tennis courts for two to three days without food, or were made to act as servants to the newly formed 'Indian Nationalist Army".
In March 1942, three P.O.W.'s, Gunners Hunter, Jefferies and McCann, broke camp, and proceeded to Singapore in search of food. They managed to enter Singapore, but found that they could not get out again, so they changed from uniform into civilian clothes and hid up for four days. They were eventually caught and lodged in Changi Jail, Court Martialled by the I.J.A. and sentenced to be shot, for "Escaping from a P.O.W. Camp with the purpose of Espionage". Appeals against this sentence were made, but were rejected by the I.J.A. The three condemned men were made to dig their own graves and they were then shot. [Their average age was 21 years]. After this the I.J.A. issued an order to the effect 'That if the breaking out of camp did not cease, severe reprisals would be taken".
The cases of dysentery and cases of Beriberi, [caused through the lack of vitamins] were by now much more acute, the death roll was increasing.
Working parties were detailed for Singapore, i.e.: - Kranzi, River Valley, Havelock Road and Bukit Timah, the work entailed: loading and unloading ships, clearing bomb damage, the building of store-houses, barracks and the building on Bukit Timah Heights a Shrine to commemorate the capitulation of the British Forces at Singapore and in the memory of the 5,000 Japanese who lost their lives in the occupation of Malaya and Singapore.
Atrocities committed against the Chinese whilst we were there included, beheading and the placing of these heads on the tops of railings, the bodies being left and placarded. Many Chinese being publicly flogged, this included women and children.
All the Officers, Colonel's and above were separated from the other P.O.W.'s and were sent to Formosa.
In May 1942 we arrived at Havelock Road, [The Civilian Evacuation Camp. The camp was in a filthy state, no water, no cookhouse or cooking utensils, disease was rampant, Dysentery, Beriberi, Diphtheritic Testicles and Ulcerated limbs. We pulled down the old Latrines the material being used in the erection of cookhouses, stores, Medical Inspection Rooms, etc.
During June several incidents occurred: -
1 A British P.O.W. caught outside the Camp was sentenced to ten days rigorous imprisonment, on rice and water, severely beaten openly every evening. Each morning he was forced to dig a grave in the vicinity of the Guard Room, and made to fill it in again each evening.
2 During the erection of the huts at River Valley, the Japanese Guard in charge, inclined to be friendly and used to spar with a certain P.O.W. One morning the P.O.W. hit too hard and laid the Nip out for the count. The Guard duly arrived and took the P.O.W. to the Guard House were he was mercilessly beaten, Court Marshalled, taken to a tree and tied by his neck, hands and feet so that he was standing on his toes, not on the flat of his feet. He was left there for seven days, without food and only small quantities of water; he had to pass both motion and urinated in this position, during the day out in the sun, with no shade of any kind. On the seventh day he was released and immediately admitted to Hospital in a pitiful condition.
3 Boots or footwear of any kind became worn out, consequently men could not go to work bare-footed, [although some repair work was carried out]. This meant that working parties decreased in size, the Nips tried to enforce them to be sent to work, but after two or three days, men fell sick and were unable to walk. Twice during one week the Nips turned all sick and bootless out and made them double about seven miles round and round the Camp until men dropped out either through pain or physical exhaustion.
Through hard work, camps were made habitable, water both for cooking and for washing, etc, was laid on. Food was fairly good, meat and fish being issued, also 40 cigarettes every ten days, football was allowed and inside Hut Concerts were held.
In September 1942, the I.J.A. P.O.W. Commander at Changi, ordered that all P.O.W's accommodated there, would sign a declaration to the effect as follows:-
"That I 4525123 R.Q.M.S. NELLIS A.E., do hereby agree that I will not escape or try to escape and will obey all I.J.A. Rules and Regulations" [or words similar to that effect]. Signed A.E. Nellis, RQMS. Date."
The British Commandant refused to allow anyone to sign, as it was illegal to the Laws of War.
The I.J.A. immediately ordered that all P.O.W's in the Changi Area will move in to Selerang Park, [less the personnel in Roberts Barracks Hospital].
15,019 Officers and men were herded into a space 250 yards by 150 yards, this space in peace time accommodated 800 officers and men, having seven barrack blocks with the parade square. The Parade Square was used for cooking, latrines, etc, the blocks for sleeping, ranks sleeping in three hour shifts, even using the roof, no rations were allowed, ranks feeding on the small amounts they had managed to bring with them. Water was very limited only a very few taps were available, and then only for cookhouse use. The Japanese posted guards with machine guns, which encircled the whole area. Conditions became vile, insufficient latrines, no water, very little food, chances of the outbreaks of dysentery or plague became very great, but the P.O.W's spirit was wonderful.
After three days the I.J.A. Commander stated that if the P.O.W's did not sign he would move into the same area, 3 to 4,000 sick, wounded and dying men from the Roberts Barracks. To stop this happening, and to save unnecessary loss of life, the order was given for ranks to sign the declaration, but only under duress. After signing the PO.W's were returned to their original quarters.
Late in September 1942, the first Red Cross supply boat arrived in Singapore. On the 10th October 1942 the following Red Cross supplies were issued as follows: -
To Cook-houses - Malbela Porridge, Flour, Sugar, Milk, Bacon, Dehydrated Soup, Jam, Tinned Fruit, Tinned Vegetables etc.
Per Person - One pair of boots, Socks, Handkerchief, Shirt, Vest, Shorts, Towel, Shorts Drawers [Underpants], 75 cigarettes, 4 Tins of Milk, 4 Tins of Meat and Veg, 3 Tins of Corned Beef, Vitamin Toffees, Biscuits and 1 Tin of Jam or Fruit.
On the 11th October my Battalion was ordered to stand by to move to an unknown destination, only personal kit would be allowed to be taken, [carried]. Each man volunteered to carry extra Red Cross rations and Medical Supplies. The remainder had to be left behind, so most of the Red Cross issue of supplies were of no use or benefit to any of us.

PART TWO – ‘UP COUNTRY’

On the 12th October 1942, 2 Battalions, each of 650 men [a total of 1,300], marched from Havelock Road and River Valley to Singapore Station. Here we were entrained in steel covered trucks, un-swept, 32 men with their kit to a truck, only allowing 15 men to lay down at any one time, therefore one train carrying 1,300 P.O.W's moved out of Singapore Station for an unknown destination. This was to be our last sight of Singapore and principal civilization for a very long time.
The journey lasted for five days and four nights, only having one meal a day issued by the Jap's, this consisted of: - Boiled rice, thin watery vegetable stew and a bucket of water. The ranks slept in shifts, one side for four hours, then the other side, no one was allowed out of the trucks, washing was an impossibility, and we urinated and passed motion out of the truck doorway. The heat inside the truck became unbearable owing to the heat of the sun making the steel covering of the trucks untouchable. Anyone attempting to get out of the trucks whilst the train was stationary was beaten by the Nip guards.
After five days and four nights of unbelievable hell, the train stopped at Bang-Pong, Thailand. We detrained and paraded outside the station, where the Jap P.O.W Commander 'Colonel Ishie', gave us a lecture. He informed us that we had come to Thailand to construct a Railway from Thailand to Burma, if we worked well and obeyed the I.J.A. orders and regulations to the letter, we would be well treated, if we did not, we would be severely treated. After this nice talk, we were marched three miles to the Transit Camp. Just try to imagine what it felt like, to march that distance, after being cooped up for 5 days and 4 nights in a truck, and with a large kit bag and valise, it was just sheer grit and will-power, aided on by Jap threats.
The Transit Camp was just a collection of tumble down huts with no latrines and no water. If you wanted a wash, you first reported to the Nip Guard Room, where you bowed and scraped to get permission to go out, and then only in 30's. The next lot leaving when the first lot had returned. Then you had to walk two miles for your wash, food had to be drawn the same way, some neither got food or a wash.
The condition of the huts was terrible; the Hospital Hut was so bad that Doctors and Orderlies had to wade through a foot of water to attend to the sick.
After one days rest, we were ordered to march, all heavy kit to be left behind. These the Nips promised would be sent on later. We marched that day for 28 kilometers, don't think that was easy, Thailand is not England nor are the roads. It was scorching hot, men became exhausted and collapsed, or became lame through foot sores, but still they were made to carry on, we finally arrived at the next Transit Camp, but to find it was to be for one night only. No meal had been prepared, volunteers had to be asked for, to prepare and cook a meal, and to stay up all night and get the breakfast ready - and then to march again. Conditions in this Camp were good, including food and water supplies; Ranks having their first good wash down for 8 days.
At 7.00am, 21st October 1942, Battalions commenced the next step, 29 kilometers, to the main P.O.W. H.Q. Camp, Kan-Chan-Buri. This march was hellish; ranks fell out and lay down on the roadside to exhausted or to foot sore to move. The Jap's then allowed one lorry to pick up these men and bring them to the Camp. The last man being brought in at 8.00 am the next morning. On arrival in Camp, ranks were accommodated either in tents or in huts. Before getting a meal, volunteer cooks had to be found, the food was good but wasted, owing to the fact that ranks were too exhausted to eat, they just lay down and slept. We were allowed one-day rest, most of the day the Doctor's and orderlies spent in dressing sores and blistered feet, treating diarrhoea, etc.
At 7.00 am 23 rd October 1942, the Battalion paraded for Roll call ready to commence marching the third stretch, this was not to be by the roadway, but through the jungle and along a newly, partly constructed railway banking which the Thai's had started, but which they had refused to finish. After marching 23 kilometers, we arrived at the first jungle Transit Camp, Sajah, there was only one large hut in which 1,000 P.O.W's were ordered to sleep. This was impossible so ranks bedded down outside the hut and in a small Buddhist Temple which was situated in the close proximity, [permission to do this had been granted by the priests]. In this camp we got our first taste of Jap discipline, the food was vile, the meal given to us after marching was just slightly cooked rice and watery tea. This we got both for supper and for breakfast. During the night, the Jap guards finding men sleeping outside the hut started kicking and striking the sleeping men, forcing them into the overcrowded hut. Consequently very little sleep was got, four times at approx. two hour intervals, all ranks were ordered to parade for a Roll call. This was not a Roll call, but a beating up parade, for nothing at all, ranks were slapped or struck with rifle butts or the flat of swords, all ranks were pleased to see 7.00 am arrive and the next stage of marching commence. This next section was in single file, through thick jungle, through rice paddy fields, feet deep in mud, through and along streams, over rotting jungle bridges to a camp without any cover. Fires were allowed to be lit, then it started raining, torrential tropical rain, it was grand! After four days marching, tired, foot sore and now wet through and without any food down came more rain. Rice and tea were issued, and the final stage of the march commenced, 32 kilometers, the conditions were the same as the previous day, jungle, but raining. At times up to the knees in mud, our boots just collapsed, ranks finished the last part of the march bootless, we finally arrived at Tarso, HQ of IV Group. Of course in effect only half of us, the remainder just straggling in and arriving in small groups. At 4.00 am a meal was issued, rice, thin watery stew with tea an hour later. After this a large search party was organized, carrying stretchers made of two bamboo poles and rice sacks, to bring in the men who had fallen by the wayside. Here we were accommodated in newly erected huts, given one days rest and then moved by barge to Wampo P.O.W Camp, our home until May 1943. So finished a journey by truck for five days and four nights, and five days march of 136 kilometers or About 85 miles}, a period never to be forgotten, the journey commenced on 12th October 1942 and ended 15 days later on the 26th October 1942.

PART THREE – WAMPO [WANG PHO]

Conditions here were appalling, no huts, no latrines, no hospital, no cookhouses - only for the Nip Railway Branch and the Korean Guards. So POW's had to sleep, eat and stay out in the open, the open being jungle land. This had to be cleared, huts erected, latrines dug, cook-houses built, rice bags weighing 220lbs to be carried from the river to store houses already erected, and by men already tired, very few who were not suffering from sore and blistered feet, small ulcers, acute diarrhoea or dysentery and malaria, treatment for the above was negligible, medical supplies being only what the ranks had carried. Supplies issued by the Nips were insufficient, men tore up clothing for dressings, putties used for bandages, Epsom Salts and charcoaled rice for diarrhoea and dysentery, Anti-Malaria and Anti-Gas ointment as ointments, Saline, Potassium permanganate and Lysol for dressing.
Two days after arrival, we suffered our first death, cause: - acute diarrhoea, the life could have been saved if proper medical attention had been available. The food was insufficient, consisting of half grained, dirty rice and tea for breakfast with a level dessertspoon of sugar if available, dinner was boiled rice, tea and salt. Tea was boiled rice, thin watery, vegetable stew made of 8 marrows and 5 musk marrows, and tea. The total feeding in the camp, at one cookhouse was 1,584 men.
Japanese Basic Rations, per person were as follows: -
Rice - 750 grams, Tea - 5 grams, Sugar - 3 grams*, Salt 5 grams, Oil - 4 grams*, Vegetables - 500 grams, Meat 3 grams*. The items marked '*' were rarely available for the first two months.
After two weeks, conditions regarding accommodation became better, huts; latrines, drains, cookhouses and one hospital hut had been built. Work then commenced on the Railway, this meant the clearing of a path 10 meters wide through the thick virgin jungle, intermingled with clumps of bamboo, distance to be cleared, eight miles north and south of the camp. An embankment to be made for a single railway track, all the work was by hand labour, the work commenced at eight in the morning and ended at six in the evening, with a break for "dinner" of one hour. We were given one days rest every ten days, during which time, ranks erected a concert stage and a bathing beach. Concerts were allowed once a week on our day of rest. Concerts were of the variety type, being accompanied by a cornet and an accordion.
The issue of rations by the I.J.A. was very poor, as at this time the only method of bringing rations to the camps was by the river, there being no roads or rail. This conveyance was by barge, but owing to the river not being deep enough during the dry months and too fast flowing during the wet months, consequently, rations were received after long periods. When they did arrive they were partly rotten and in large quantities, therefore when issued to ration scale, it may last eight or twelve days, so that being partly rotten when it arrived, within four days of arrival it was too rotten to use, but still it was issued, so for a number of days no rations, such as vegetables, could be used.
Vegetables issued in most cases were 90% water, such as marrow, mush marrow, cucumber and Chinese radish, or starchy such as sweet potato and other tropical vegetables, so very little vitamin value was obtained from the veg or the rice, and this was the men's main source of living.
No meat or oil was issued until the 20th December 1942, then only a ten stone pig, which had to last two days and feed 1,584 men, and only then after the Guards had taken 1/5th of it.
At this time I was carrying out the duties of the Camp R.Q.M.S., [Wampo], issuing Rations at the I.J.A. Basic Rate, in accordance with orders from a Korean Q.M. also issuing clothing, etc [if any!]. Each week I had to report to him and report how much rations I had issued, and how much I had remaining. He told me that the commodities weighed as follows: - 1 Bag of Sugar - 120 Kilos, Flour - 150 Kilos, Salt 150 Kilos, Vegetables - Marrow, Cucumber, etc. 120 Kilos, Sweet Potatoes etc. - 150 Kilos. After a bag was finished I was always 2 days short of the time allowed, I could not fathom how this could possibly happen, I had issued correctly, this was serious, as it meant that for two days 1,584 P.O.W.'s were short of some commodity.
After two months of this, I was sent for by the Korean Q.M. to check, in front of him was a ration sheet in Japanese, but figures in English, as he called out the rations by name, he would point to a certain line and say in broken English "4 bags Sugar @ 100 Kilos" and so on. When we had completed checking, I asked him what the figures stood for; he replied "the weight of the bag or basket of veg". Then I realized why I was always two days short, every item issued had had its weight increased by 20 to 30%. I immediately reported it to the British Camp Commandant, who reported it to the Nip Commandant, who rectified the matter and relieved the Korean of his responsibility. This was not all, the Korean in question, was placed in charge of a subsidiary camp, where he controlled the rations issued through me, one day, he arrived at the P.O.W. Ration Store and ordered me to issue Vegetable Rations to subsidiary Camps at 500 grams and at 200 grams to Wampo Main Camp, [which I am sorry to say was not a working camp, but a sick camp, (the sick only receiving half rations), approximately 100 of the 1,584 men being sick and unable to do heavy work].
I argued with him, and finally he went to the Korean Cook-house fuming. A matter of minutes had elapsed when he called me, I was met by flaying hands being smote heavily on each cheek at least twenty times, he then informed me that he had found a Thai Barge-man with Vegetable rations, and seeing that I was responsible for them, I must have sold them to him. Without being able to explain I was ordered to kneel down and again I was smote heavily on both sides of my face. Then seeing that he did not seem to hurt me, he made me stand up again and strictly at attention, whilst he beat me about the legs with a piece of bamboo, he then made me stand to attention for four hours, without head gear and facing the sun, after this I was released. After four months, I still had black and blue marks on my leg.

For about four months, conditions were favourable, although the food was bad; the work was hard but not killing. P.O.W.'s according to rank were paid: - Officer's 50 to 30 dollars a month [scaled down on rank], W.O's 30 cents, N.C.O's [Corporals and above] 25 cents, others 20 cents per day paid every 10 days, with reductions according to Rank for Medical supplies, Sick and Messing. [No sick received pay and only got half rations], no money was paid to Ranks, less Officers, it went into a canteen fund, to buy extra sugar, oil, meat (Report on the next page), salt, peanuts, eggs, etc., to supplement I.J.A. Rations. With the remainder, Ranks were paid in kind, cigarettes, tobacco, eggs, etc.; therefore the sick were allowed eggs, some cigarettes and tobacco. The serious sick got the organs of pig and cattle, [this was not so at all camps, camps higher up the river were unable to buy any of these commodities, and very little I.J.A supplies]. As regards meat: - In late December, the British Camp Commandant, asked the Nips for more rations, especially meat, the sick were increasing, and the Nips continually shouting for men for work. If better and more food and medical supplies were issued then the sick would decrease, therefore more workingmen would become available. The Nips stated that this was impossible, but more men must be made available for work. The British Camp Commandant then asked, if he could buy cattle from the Canteen funds, this the Nip agreed to, so for the next four months we had meat, not a lot but enough to give us nourishment.

PART FOUR – WAMPO SOUTH AND NORTH

In February 1943, two subsidiary camps were opened, three miles from the main camp, one North one South. All good times ceased, the railway was being made too slowly, it must be speeded up, more men must go out to work, cook-house and administrative staff were reduced, sick were sorted out, the least sick were made to go out to work. Work became much harder, at each camp, a rail track had to be made and cut by hand with chisel and hammer around cliff faces and bridges made. Men commenced work at seven am until their task was completed, completed until two am the next morning. Dinner was taken out to them, consisting of boiled rice and dried salted fish, a piece 6 inches long by 2 inches wide and thick and full of unchewable bones. Sometimes a pint of tea, not often, the only drink they got was what they took out with them in their water bottles, [if they had one]. A meal was provided when they returned to camp after work had ceased. Boots were becoming things of the past, P.O.W.s working barefooted or working with a piece of wood held by a piece of cloth around the toes on the feet. Clothing also became worn out or had been cut up for dressings; men had no shorts or shirts, but wore only a loincloth or shorts made from rice sacks. Sickness increased, but men still had to work.
In March, thousands of P.O.W's from camps further down the river, where the railway had been completed began to arrive, food became worse, these P.O.W's were made to supplement work on the rock-faces, sleeping in the open, no accommodation being available, beatings increased, men being beaten by bamboo, spade, iron bars or anything the Nips could lay their hands on, the 'Speedo' had commenced.
During the period up to the end of April, the weather was very hot but fine, but the weather broke, torrential rain fell making the work very difficult, especially on the rock face. The weather did not cause the work to be stopped, rain or no rain the railway must be built, sickness and deaths increased.
On May the 10th, the railway reached Wampo, better rations began to arrive, but not for the benefit of the workers, orders were issued for them to move to camps higher up the river. Without a rest Battalions, less 150 very sick P.O.W's commenced marching to South Tonchan. On May the 17th, the 150 sick were moved by barge down river to Chungkai P.O.W. Base Hospital Camp. The rear party then moved by rail and road taking five days, during which time it rained increasingly, they slept in the open and marched, through mud and water a foot deep.

PART FIVE – SOUTH TONCHAN

At South Tonchan, conditions were terrible, food was scarce, just rice, rice and still more rice. Vegetables were dried sweet potatoes and lily roots, with perhaps a little dried meat or dried salt fish for workers only. Sanitary arrangements? Well, there were none! Approximately 8,000 men were camped here, with only three Asiatic Latrines to sit three at a time; [These latrines were holes about 8 feet long, 2 feet wide and 4 foot deep with bamboos, so that men could squat Asiatic fashion]. Latrine paper was unobtainable, leaves or dried grass was used instead. These latrines were just a breeding place for flies, being open to the air and the deposit uncovered. Consequently the camp, cook-hose and food were just black with flies, millions of them. To illustrate this point, if you used a fly swat, you would kill approximately 200 flies with each swat. In the huts, there being no Hospital, men too ill to help themselves, or men dying with their mouths open, either they were covered with flies or the inside of their mouths were just black with them. Owing to most men suffering from acute diarrhoea or dysentery, and there being insufficient latrine accommodation, men being unable to wait, just did their business all over the camp, inside or outside huts or tents.
Accommodation was tents or huts, so bad and leaky, that it rained just as much inside as out.
The camp was situated about five miles from the river, in a hollow below high mountains, which meant that when it rained, the water was held there. The camp was just feet of black slimy mud, sometimes inside the huts and tents. The water used for washing clothes, if any? Bathing and cooking was from a small stream running through the centre of the camp. Ranks were unable to drink this water, it must be boiled, and owing to scarcity of wood and cooking utensils, a quarter pint of tea was allowed each meal and a pint of water for workers. Sickness was very bad, for example, out of three Battalions, 450 strong, a total of 1,350 men; there were only 30 fit men that were fit enough to work on the railway, were found. In six days, 159 men died, mainly through acute diarrhoea and dysentery. Others suffered from debility, Beriberi, Vitamin diseases, ulcers, and chronic Malaria.
The number of sick caused the railway work to temporarily cease; more men arrived at the camp, including Dutch, Australian, Tamil's and Chinese. Thousands more were passing on foot, [including women and small children], through the camp on their way to camps higher up the river. This did not improve matters, as fast as they came, so they fell sick; so the Nips ordered that all sick, however bad, would parade at eight o'clock in the morning, each morning for inspection, so that they could be sorted out for work on the railway, or to relieve fit men working in the cook-houses or other jobs in the camp. It is impossible to tell anybody what this parade looked like; just a parade of human skeletons with skin but no flesh, no boots or clothing; holding one another up; made to stand for one hour sometimes more in torrential rain and black slimy mud, beaten up by the Nips for not standing up all the time. I was suffering from internal Phlebitis of the right leg, acute diarrhoea and malaria and had to be carried on parade. I was made to stand for this length of time, in agony; even after having been operated on and I was not the worst on parade. At some camps, all the sick, however bad, had to go to work on the railway; dying at work, or beaten insensible for being unable to work and dying two days later. At one camp, the Nips used to enter the huts, force the sick to stand up and then ask them if they were fit for work. If they said "No", they were beaten with the flat of the sword, or by a bamboo until they said” Yes", and that meant Death. Work was cruel, starting at 7 am in the dark, with only one pint of rice and a quarter pint of tea, until 2 am the next morning or later on when we got one pint of cold boiled rice and a little piece of dried meat or salt fish. Wet through, no washing, no boots or clothing, lousy, very little sleep, beaten up for the least provocation and then back to camp and more rice, mud and leaky huts or tents.
In June, Cholera broke out, in seven days 189 of our men died and unknown hundreds of Asiatic's. In one Asiatic camp of 800 only one person survived. There was very little treatment, saline injections and Condy's Pills with little or no disinfectants to help stop this scourge. Fit men could not be released from work on the railway or the camp isolated, so semi-sick men were ordered to dig graves or build pyres and bury or burn the dead and dying men. It was known for men in coma's to come to life when they felt themselves being buried or burnt; but the Nips made them stop there, THIS was the Railway, some camps being much worse than this, not only Cholera, but Typhus, Bubonic, and other scourges. This was "The Railway of Death".
The Nips stated, "The Railway would go ahead and be finished by October 1943; even if every man died". Bridges had to be built, trees forty to fifty feet high had to be felled and shaped and carried distances of two to three hundred yards. Elephants were employed to do this carrying for a short time, but they did not work fast enough. So P.O.W's had to do it; they used to say "Eight men or one Elephant", it was heartbreaking work, especially on the food we received and also because most men were sick. If they stopped or tried to stop for a rest, they were beaten, everything was just: - "SPEEDO, SPEEDO'.
At the end of June 1943, the Railway had reached and passed South Tonchan, again Battalions were ordered to move further up the river. The sick were sorted out, the fittest to move with the main body; the remaining sick were to stay behind to do all the camp work. This included, cooking, sanitation, carrying of rations, which had been reduced because all the men were sick, to half rations, practically nothing.
Still raining, Battalions moved off, marching through mud, feet deep, without boots, without clothing to camps 30, 40 or 100 kilometers away.
Late July, the remaining sick were again sorted, the seriously sick were moved down river by barge to Tarso Base Hospital Camp, the lighter sick were moved back to Tonchan Main Camp.
At Tonchan Main Camp, conditions were much the same; the Grave-yard was full, all the men, about 4,000, were men who were not sick enough to be transferred to Tarso, but were unfit for movement or work on the railway.

PART SIX – TARSO [THA SOA] & CHUNGKAI

After two weeks I was passed as unfit and with about two hundred more men, evacuated to Tarso. Oh NO! Not by lorry or railway, but by marching. It was not a march, it was a nightmare! It was only about 9 miles, we started marching with what kit we had got at 8 am, still raining, through mud and pools of water and arrived at Tarso at 2 am the next morning. No food, and we had to sleep in the open. It was no joke, when you are sick, with such things as acute Diarrhoea, that is passing motions or should I truthfully say blood, 30 to 50 times a day. Or Beriberi, legs the thickness of the thighs, from groin to toes, Testicles like footballs, Ulcers on the legs, from knee to ankle with the shinbone showing and Acute Malaria. These were the sick that did that march; the Hospital contained about 10,000 P.O.W's, all in the same state, or worse than the above. The treatment received was nothing to speak of, for example, pieces of blanket used as hot ferments, boiled and used over and over again. After two days, I was evacuated by barge to Chungkia Base Hospital Camp at the point where two rivers met. Nearly where the Railway commenced. Here the conditions were worse, but the food was better, meat and fresh fish were issued, a good canteen was in operation if you had any money. To obtain money, men sold to the Black Market, watches, rings, cigarette cases, etc. at prices ranging from 5 to 60 dollars, [the dollar being worth approximately 350 to the pound], or gave 2 dollars to the pound for a cheque. The camp was situated on an island at the fork of the two rivers, and being very flat, when the river was in flood, half of the huts were a foot deep in water. Between 12,000 and 15,000 sick men were based here in about 60 huts. 300 men to a hut, the largest hut contained 530 men.
The Camp was subdivided into two portions, Hospital and Convalescent huts. The Hospital consisted of 2 Surgical Wards, 8 Ulcer Wards, 2 Acute Dysentery Wards, 2 Anti-Vitamin Huts, 2 Malaria Huts and 4 Amoebic Dysentery Bath Huts; the sleeping space allocated was about 2 feet.
In these Huts conditions were terrible, most men were unable to move through weakness, they were without clothing, bedding consisted of perhaps a rice sack, millions of flies and bed-bugs, and running with human lice. Whilst at night they were eaten to death with Malaria breeding mosquitoes. In all the Huts, P.O.W's were just skeletons, the Malaria patients having relapse after relapse. In the Ulcer Wards, the stench of decaying and rotten flesh and bone made it practically impossible to walk through them. Amputations were being done every day, 24 legs were taken off in one day, either above or below the knee. The Surgeon used a knife for the flesh and a hacksaw for the bones. Treatment was very poor, dressings insufficient, only able to be dressed every two days. Wounds were scraped every two days without anesthetic with a spoon, or blue bottles were allowed to settle on the wound, maggots were allowed to breed and to eat away the decaying flesh and then pulled out by tweezers. To illustrate any one of this kind of sick, all men had an ulcerated leg, or both legs, stretching from thigh to knee, from knee to the ankle, also having Malaria or Acute Diarrhoea.
The Dysentery Wards, here the conditions were the same, men passing motions as high as 70 times a day.
The worst Wards were the Anti-Vitamin Wards; if you went in here you only came out feet first, through lack of food. [Vitamin containing food], and hard work and harsh treatment. Men contracted Beriberi, Vitamin diseases of the skin, acute debility, and consequently became just bags of bones, unable to feed, wash or sit up, or even to move. These wards contained only men like bags of skin and bone. You would visit the ward today and see men just like skeletons, tomorrow they would be blown up like balloons, arms, legs, body, face and private parts, by night they would be dead.
From June 1943 to May 1944, 1600 of these men died, 28 in one day, 400 in one month and just through the lack of food and medical supplies. The Nips used to laugh as a funeral procession went past them and say "Another one to Paradise".
Parties of such sick were arriving in the camp every day, either by barge or rail in parties of 50 to 100; they had been traveling, 8, 9, 10 or more days, with very little food and no treatment. Ulcer cases on arrival had to have their dressings and bandages cut out of their wounds. Men died on the way down and were buried at the side of the track in unknown graves.
The men in this Camp belonged to 1 Group, 2 Group, 3,4,5 and 6 Groups, Australian, Dutch, British and American, from Malaya, Thailand and Burma.
The Convalescent Part of the Camp were divided into Battalion by Groups, each hut housing one Battalion. These Battalions were men recovering from serious illnesses. In England they would be called serious sicknesses, the Nips called them light sick and forced them to work.
Various incidents happened during my stay at Chungkia, which I would like to illustrate: -
1 One of the Cookhouses caught fire and was destroyed through a quantity of oil catching fire. The Nips severely beat up all the men employed there. The Nips took the Messing Officer to the Guard Room and forced him to stand to attention for seven hours, he was tried by the Nip Commandant and awarded beatings and twenty days in solitary confinement, dismissed and ordered to report back at 8 pm. On reporting, he was set upon by four Korean Guards, thrown to the ground, kicked in the face, body and private parts, beaten with bamboo's then taken without medical attention to a small bamboo cell, where he could not stand up or lie down, always in a huddled up position. He had to urinate and pass his motions in the same position, fed on rice, water and salt only and beaten up every night, as above, for twenty days.
2 A Dutch soldier was caught at the Boundary wire by a Korean sentry. He was in possession of a basket containing approximately 30 pounds of small tomatoes, which he had illegally purchased from a Thai vendor. His purpose was to resell the tomatoes in 5 cents lots in the camp. He was taken to the Guardroom, and compelled to stand to attention whilst holding the basket, he was made to eat the entire 30 pounds of tomatoes before being dismissed.
3 A British Soldier was caught at the Boundary wire in possession of a hank of tobacco, which weighed approximately twelve ounces. He was taken to the Guardroom, made to roll the entire twelve ounces of tobacco into a huge cigarette and to smoke the lot before being dismissed. [Good smoke, poor chap!]
4 Three soldiers who had managed to provide themselves with a couple of bottles of Thai Whiskey, were caught by the Nips not in a fit state of health. They were taken to the Guardroom, beaten-up until sober, which took about one hour, they were then lodged in the 'No-good House'. Next day, they paraded wearing placards, bearing the words, "I am a drunkard", underneath this was written, 'P.O.W's take notice, drunkenness will be treated very severely'. They were accompanied by a Korean sentry and two other P.O.W's playing 'Colonel Bogey', on a cornet and accordion. They were paraded around the camp for six hours, for all and sundry to see. This tune created much amusement to the watching P.O.W's, [Old Soldiers will know what the tune means in soldiers language!] After this episode, they were again beaten-up and lodged in the 'No-good House', for another ten days.
5 At Chungkia, concerts were allowed twice a week, Friday and Saturday. A stage was built and a band formed. The Nips ordered the Band to go to Kan-Chan-Buri, to entertain the Nip troops there. After the Band concert, one of the Korean Guards, the worst for drink, caused a disturbance and tried to pick a fight with a Nip Officer and the Band Leader, who was a P.O.W. Officer weighing about 17 stone. The Nip Officer ordered the Korean guard to stop, he would not. So the Nip ordered the Band Leader to knock the Korean down, which he did, nothing pleased him better. The Korean, insensible, was carried on to the barge and for three hours, the Band Leader sat on him. He was carried off the barge to his quarters. Next morning, the Band Leader received from the Korean guard, - 'Oh no! Not a bashing this time!' but a letter with twenty dollars, thanking the Band Leader very much for saving him from getting into trouble!
6 The Nips had a particular habit of issuing orders to the Koreans and not to P.O.W Headquarters, or vice versa, consequently only one side knew about the order issued. On this particular occasion an incident occurred in which six officers were involved.
The Nips issued an order, only to the Nips themselves, that certain river landing stages were Out of Bounds for any purpose than that of unloading ration barges.
Two Officers went to one of these stages, without any idea of the order having been issued, to draw water for Hospital use. They were shouted at and sent away. Shortly after, two more officers arrived with the same intent. They were shouted at, slapped and sent away. Shortly afterwards the final two Officers arrived, but this time the Nip did not shout or slap, but without warning, picked up a large, thick bamboo and started to beat the Officers with it. One Officer being struck across the face had his jaw fractured in three places. When the Nips were approached, they say, "They were sorry that the incident occurred" - and that meant nothing.
7 NIPPON PROPAGANDA. To show to the World how well they were treating P.O.W's this is the way the Nips adopted: -
About September 1943, about one hundred P.O.W's based at Kan-Chan-Buri, were picked out by the Nips, chiefly because they looked fit and well. They were given British K.D. clothing and boots, which they had to get dressed in. They were taken to a clean hut, here the Nips had placed tables and chairs, tablecloths on the tables, vases of flowers, fruit of all Tropical description and laid out with knives, forks, spoons, cups and saucers. The P.O.W's were told to sit down, but not to touch anything, Nippon orderlies then brought in plates laden with European food and placed them on the table in front of each P.O.W. A series of photographs were then taken, when this had been done, the P.O.W's were taken away, ordered to undress and return the clothes they had been issued with back to the stores. They were then sent back to work without even having partaking of one small scrap of food, only just having the chance of a good smell.
8 The Korean Guards in this camp were always trying to find some excuse to slap you whenever possible. Especially through you failing to salute them. What P.O.W's were ordered to do, was to salute all Nips, irrespective of rank at all times as follows: -
a) WITH HEADGEAR. When a Nip approached, you halted, turned and faced him, stood to attention, saluted, when he had passed, walk away.
b) WITHOUT HEADGEAR. When a Nip approached, you halted, turned and faced him, stood to attention, but did not salute, but bowed to waist level.
c) INSIDE HUTS. If a Nip entered the hut, the nearest P.O.W. would immediately shout, "Koiski" or "Keiri", meaning "Attention". The remaining P.O.W's would get off their beds like lightning and stand rigidly to attention, until the Nip left the hut.
P.O.W's hated doing this, and did everything in their power possible to avoid doing it. The Nips knew this, and beat-up all who failed to salute or whom they thought did not salute properly. [At all Base Camps, saluting was strictly enforced].
The worst Korean for this was called "Moon Face", his total of P.O.W's he beat every time he was on guard was twenty, and he was on guard every three days. Word used to be passed through the huts -"Don't forget, 'Moon Face' is on guard". His main craze was to visit huts three or four times in as many minutes, using a different entrance each time. If you failed immediately to call the hut to attention, or if someone was too slow to get off his bed, or if he found a cigarette end on the floor, well it was just too bad. He would pick out the ten men nearest to him and give them a few quick, hard slaps across the face. Or if someone failed to salute him outside properly, he would slap him, take him to the Guardroom and stand him to attention for a couple of hours. Nice Chap!
10 At Tamakan P.O.W Camp. about three miles from Chungkia, several P.O.W's managed to break into the Nip Food Store and take away, about 200 chunkels, a digging tool, these they sold to the Thai's. They were not satisfied with doing it once, but tried again. But the Nips had got the wire of this, and several but not all were caught. They were taken to the Guardroom and severely beaten; their screams could be heard in every corner of the camp. They were ordered to disclose the names of the other P.O.W's involved. This they would not do. They were beaten insensible and thrown into the 'No-Good House' for a number of days, then handed over to the Gestapo, [Kempi Tia], who beat them, placed water hoses into their mouths and filled them with water. The then forced the water out of them by standing on them, they proceeded to carry out this form of torture several times. After this sort of treatment they were sent to Changi Jail to undergo a sentence of six months solitary confinement.
11 In October 1943, the Thai-Burma Railway, built by the blood and suffering of Allied Prisoners of War and the Asiatic's, through mud and virgin jungle, across deep gorges and mountainous country, in hot and cold weather, torrential rains, without food, boots or clothing or medical supplies, was completed.
Apart from ballast and minor work, the first train had completed the journey from Bang-Pong, Thailand to Moulmien, Burma, a distance of approximately 500 miles. Completed at the cost of approximately 20,000 Allied P.O.W's and an unknown number of Asiatic lives by deaths, murder and accidents.
It is said "That every sleeper laid on this railway represents a dead man", the railway was known as "THE RAILWAY OF DEATH", and more lives would be and were lost before we were free.
The Nips had a ceremonial opening of the place where the two lines joined, and struck a medal to commemorate its completion. [See hand drawn diagram]. This medal was made at the Nip Workshops at Non-Produk by P.O.W's. Made of cast brass the exact size being 3 inches across, the undersurface being unsmoothed and about three eighths of an inch thick.
This was given it is surmised to High Ranking Nip Officers at the opening ceremony.
A Shrine was also erected at Tamakan in memory of Japanese, Thai's, Burmese, Chinese, Tamils and Allied P.O.W's who had laid down their lives on this railway for the cause of the Imperial Nipponese Empire.

Staff Sergeant Alfred Nellis with his children Muriel and Michael

Peter, hope this is what you were looking for, it is from his 'Book' in which he tried to come to terms with getting back into a 'normal' life again! I Called it “Freeing the Demons”.

Note. The friend of Pop Nellis mentioned in the opening could possibly be Alexander Joseph Bushell VX54410 Mobile Bath Platoon?. The march commencing on 23 October is said to follow the “partly constructed railway banking”. This banking may have been at the start, but, it seems clear that the party marched up the Mae Khluang River to Sajah (or Rajah). They then crossed the Mae Khluang at Tardan and proceeded to Tarsao. Peter Winstanley

It is with pleasure that I place the story of WO11 Alfred E (Pop) Nellis on my website. My thanks to Michael Nellis for his patience and assistance. Note- Name places in the article are as recorded by “Pop” Nellis at the time when he was on the ‘line. Where “Pop” mentions Chungkai being on an island, don’t rush to say he is wrong. That was his perception at the time. An explanation may be as follows- in the monsoon season, the Kwai Noi would be in flood and the Mai Kluang would flood across the low lying land to the north of the camp giving the impression that the camp was surrounded by water. Lt Col Peter Winstanley OAM RFD (JP).