I like listening to my uncle's story telling session, which happens during family get together. Once he foretold a reminiscence of my late grandfather's God-forsaken experience during the Japanese occupational period in Malaysia (previously Malaya). He make it sounds so realistic (to the listener) with his exaggerated talks & spirited emotions. My uncle started, in one fine day, while my grandpa was doing his common teenage routine, he was suddenly became captive by the Japanese to built the "Death Railway". Remember the story of River Kwai? That was it. The objective was to build a strategic railway built between Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar) to improve communications to support large Japanese army in Burma. Stretching 415 km covering 60 stations connecting Tha Rua Noi (Thailand) to Thanbyuzayat (Burma), the construction has taken more than 200,000 forced labour during the WW2. Most of then died due to disease and starvation. My grandpa was around 14 of age then. He was sent to Siam, and the misery begins.
I don't know exact details during his capture. But he was gone for 3 years. Continuing his session, my uncle said, my grandpa saw sickly people worked to their bones building the railway. Labours don't have enough food to eat and there were limited medical supplies. The route was untouched forest and dangerous with wild fauna, and being in Equator, it always rains, hence making the construction more excruciating. The scene of seeing live people but too sick to work being thrown into a big dig hole, was common... eventually will be buried together with the dead ones... scary.. But my grandpa was not a faint heart. He planned an escape. His first attempt was half success. He seek help in one of the houses in nearby village, but finally the owner turned him off to the Japanese soldiers. Being more cautious the second time, he looked for a Malay family. This time, his instinct doesn't fails him. His second attempt was a success. Sorry though, I forgot exactly what escape scheme he did back then. It has been quite some time since I heard this story from my uncle. But faintly, I think he mentioned about my grandpa disguising as dead and being thrown into the dig hole and at night, he crawl out from the hole and escape.
He was infected by malaria disease, dehydration, and fatigue. But he was cured by the house owner using traditional remedies. Amazingly his health was restored just by the use of plants and roots from the forest and the malaria was gone. He managed to continue his escape to a fishing village. He doesn't even know he is still in Siam or already passed the border. But my best guess, he must already reached Kelantan. For 2 years, he stayed there working as fisherman until one day he dreamt about his mother calling for him while sleeping by the boat and he had a big feeling that he must head home. Coincidently, the Malayan started the search for "forced labour" survivors and founded my grandpa. They are finally gathered and sent back to their hometown. It was then my grandpa met his new baby brother. Maybe his dream was a revelation from God. After few years, he joined the United Malay Army, we called as Askar Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. He even joined the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in London, because as one of the Commonwealth countries, we were invited for the grand parade during the event. He took a long 3 months journey by ship just to reach there.
While I was reading some article about the "Death Railway", I came across a website (Reff) noting the 3 must see places if you ever visit Kanchanaburi province in Thailand, that is, 1st : JEARTH War Museum, 2nd : "The River Kwai Bridge" and 3rd: ‘The Hellfire Pass’ which one of the last stretch of an amazing railway, bordering the Burma.
My grandpa was seen as an excellent candidate for son-in-law because he was in the army. I can imagine that also as I looked into his old pictures. He has a very fair complexion, clean-shaved face, with army hair cut, broad shoulders and with good height, he was looking so grand in his army uniform, any young girls will definitely fall for him. The match was an arranged marriage of course back then with my grandmother. She was a pretty petite girl, very fair, and was the talk of the village boys. So the match was set between them. My grandma, being a family of a sub-royalty (suku Biduanda of Negeri Sembilan), hence the marriage took place for 7 days, 7 nights. Wow... nobody did that nowadays, I think. Well, my grandma was 16 when she got married, and they are blessed with 7 children (the 2nd one died from yellow fever). My grandpa died about 4/5 years back. But he was loved much by family members. Although he's gone senile the last year, we had fun though, because he asked for bizzare things. For example, he wants to send letters to the Agong. Hmm.. so confused. Neway, we had good laugh then!
Reff;
http://ikandugong.multiply.com/photos/album/23/Landasan_Keretapi_Maut-Kanchanaburi-13_Sept_07
http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Cemeteries/Thanbyuzayat_War_Cemetery/html/thailand_-_burma_railway.htm
