Help Blinded Ww2 Japanese Labour Camp Survivors

Help Blinded WW2 Japanese Labour Camp Survivors

by

Charity Faith Hope

Every person alive today owes a debt of gratitude to the brave men and women, who served in World War Two. Many sacrificed their lives, others were maimed and injured in battle, or on the home front. St Dunstans is a charity founded in 1915, to help blind and visually impaired ex-servicemen to re-build their lives. Below is the life experience of Stan Grimsey. One of the many ex-servicemen and women,who have benefited from the kind generosity of the people who support St Dunstans.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbHS4YJOMc[/youtube]

Stan joined the infantry in 1939. For two years, his first duty was as chauffeur to the brigadier of the 54th infantry brigade. Stan eventually left his station at Hereford in April 1941 for the Andes, stopping to train – and fight – at Rio, Capetown, Bombay and Singapore. “I lost a lot of my friends defending Singapore. It was an awful scene there, unbelievable carnage.” Stan was captured in Singapore, and made to work – in the quarry, building a railway – while staying in tents in the jungle. He was kept prisoner for over a year. “The conditions in the camps were awful. We did 18 hours or more a day sometimes. All we would eat was horrible rice, and maggots. There were so many of them in the rice, that you couldn’t even pick them out.” Though he sometimes finds it difficult to bring himself to talk about the traumatic experiences of being kept prisoner, Stan feels that it is important that people know what happened and history is remembered as it was. “These men knew exactly what they were doing to the lads, it was an evil scene.” When Japan surrendered, Stan was building an airstrip: “A parachutist walked into the camp and said, ‘you are free’. He told us a bomber would do a trial run over the camp and not to be afraid. When it dropped supplies we just couldn’t believe it! There was tinned food, paper and pencils, and toilet paper. We were so happy when we walked out of the camp.” He eventually got back to England in November 1945. He received a letter while he was on the Suez Canal, telling him what life was like back at home. Stan’s sight had begun to deteriorate while working on the railways: “I was a PoW for three years and eight months. We were denied proper food and medicine and given just rice so I suffered from a lack of vitamin B and lost my sight.” He first became a St Dunstaner in 1977 and has been a permanent resident since 1979. “I enjoy life. I call St Dunstan’s my heaven. I’ve got so many friends here and everyone has been very kind to me. I’ve got everything I need here. I’m very happy here.” Stan still keeps very active. He did the Hastings half-marathon aged 86 and still enjoys ballroom dancing. He says: “I’m so grateful to St Dunstan’s – they’ve done a great deal for me. I have my own room here at Ovingdean and the staff are so friendly – it really feels like home.” After reading about Stan Grimsey`s life. Don`t you feel proud that our country had such brave and courageous men during it`s darkest day`s. I know I felt a little ashamed of my own petty credit crunch worries and problems in life. Because they don`t seem so bad after all, compared to the struggles of Stan. If you want to help people like Stan. There is a link to the St Dunstan`s donation web-page below. Please give generously. I thank you in advance for your kind generosity

http://www.st-dunstans.org.uk/support_us/make_a_donation/

About the Author Charity Faith Hope supports numerous charitable causes by publishing their good works and contact link details in article directories. Hopefully this will raise awareness and support for their cause.

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Help Blinded WW2 Japanese Labour Camp Survivors