Sub Branch Museum Feature Story

“I never used to want to talk about my war experiences at all. Over the past few years though, when many young people have come to me to ask questions that will help them write their essays and such, I have started to talk of my experiences more. I feel that it is very important to share my story with young people”. - Bill Edwards

Bill Edwards was a prisoner of war (POW) in Changi, Singapore during the course of World War II. As we sat and listened to Bill recall some of his experiences to us in the Club’s Museum recently, it became apparent that it was only through sheer luck that he ended up in a horrifying prisoner of war camp in the first place. The meaning of ‘luck’ in the context of Bill’s story as he continued on, however, was something far removed from how we would normally define it.

Prior to entering into his POW circumstances, Bill had been injured during battle and had been hospitalised for some time. Japanese soldiers came upon the hospital one day and took it completely … almost completely. In every hospital ward – with the exception of Bill’s ward – every doctor, nurse and patient in that hospital was shot on sight. Bill and the few other remaining patients who were ‘lucky to still be alive’ were rounded up and promptly placed in a prisoner of war camp at Changi. He was only 20 years of age.

As they entered the camp, each prisoner was handed one shirt, one pair of shorts, a knife, a fork and a spoon. Visitors to the Club’s Museum can view Bill’s spoon - the one that he actually used throughout his entire time at the camp - as this was to be the only souvenir that Bill took away from the camp at the end of the war. It has served as a useful reminder to him as to how ‘lucky’ he was to be able to endure and survive such experiences. At the time of these events, however, Bill stressed “When you’d been through that much, you only lived from minute to minute”.

Bill and his fellow prisoners were also sent away from the camp for a time. They were sent to the infamous Hellfire Pass on the Burma Railway where they worked for nine months. The Club’s Museum also houses a spike from the Burma Railway. The men began work on the railway at sunlight and worked through the day into the night, receiving only “half a pint of rice and sweet potato leaves” for their efforts. At age 21, Bill weighed only “four stone, eight pounds”, and he was “just skin and bone” when the war ended.

Bill chuckled as he recounted a couple of memories that related to the prisoners attempts to source more food. He outlined that there would sometimes be around 300 – 400 goats huddled close to the railway line. The Japanese soldiers would allow Bill and his mates to hide in the bushes and tall grass (at least 4 metres high) near to where the goats were grazing. When the time was right, they would rush out of the bushes and grab hold of a couple of the goats. “We were able to keep some of the goat meat for ourselves as long as we supplied the soldiers with ample quantities. We were safe when involved in such activity if we were looking after them also”.

Another memory that is still quite colourfully vivid for Bill was when he and other prisoners were descending from a long train ride through Thailand …

We’d travelled for six nights and five days – 36 of us all crammed into one small box carriage on the train …

We arrived early in the night and one of the first things we saw were two chaps holding some mugs that obviously contained some form of liquid. When we enquired as to what it was, the reply came that it was “Sago, Sago”. Feeling a tad thirsty, we were intent on investigating as to whether we could secure some of this and thus asked to be taken to the “Sago, Sago”. Behind the building where the chaps had been, we were to discover that “Sago, Sago” was, in fact, mother’s milk! There stood a Thai lady with a babe drinking busily from one side of her chest. This then became quite a common sight for us in our travels following our initial surprising find!

On behalf of all at Ballina RSL Club Ltd, we extend our appreciation and vast gratitude to Bill Edwards for sharing ‘his story’ with us. And it was us who felt incredibly ‘lucky’ that he did so.

(Special Note: Bill Edwards joined the Ballina RSL Club in 1957. From the early 60’s, Bill was involved with other war veterans - Noel Hampden being one – in organising reunions for other prisoner of war camp survivors. In the earlier post-war years, as many as 600 veterans from all over Australia would travel to Ballina in order to attend these reunions at the Club. The numbers have become fewer and fewer over the years.)

We encourage all members, guests and visitors to pop into the Club’s Museum to view Bill’s spoon, the spike from the Burma Railway, and a special text containing photos and more stories on the Changi prisoner of war camp episode. There is so much to be gained from spending some quiet, reflective time in our museum.