Jap Brutality

Life of Riley Our first meeting was privileged to meet Dennis Riley after reading an article about him in the Nottingham I Evening Post sometime in 1999. The article gave details of him being a prisoner of war of the Japanese in Borneo, and as my dad had died as a prisoner in Borneo, I rang him and hopefully asked if he had known him. To my surprise, he said he had and had even made the cross for his grave when he died. As you can imagine, I was excited and immediately made arrangements to see Dennis that evening. I arrived at his home in record time and spent a few hours with him and his wife, Edna, listening to the experiences he suffered. At last I had some information about my dad. I now knew what camp he was incarcerated in, what ship he had sailed to Singapore on, and between Dennis and another ex p.o.w. I met, named Sam Barker, dates and places he journeyed to when trying to escape from the fallen Singapore. Unfortunately, both Dennis and Sam did not know my dad personally, but they did know who he was as they were all in the same regiment, the 78/35th LAA. Royal Artillery. Sam and Dennis had been in the same hut (No.10) but my dad was in the hut opposite (no.11). I visited Dennis again the following week to return photographs I had copied and sadly, I didn’t see him again. It was the same with Sam Barker. Five years later with information gleaned from the Far East Prisoners Of War web site (FEPOW), I entered my dad’s name on the Roll Of Honour to the P.O.W.’s. It was when I saw this roll of honour that I thought of Dennis and Sam. Their names should be there too. Upon realising that five years had passed, I was a bit wary of phoning them in case they had died. Dennis would be 89 and Sam, 95. As it happened I’m happy to say, both were still active though both had been poorly. A visit was arranged and once again I met up with Dennis at his home. I told him that his experiences should be written down for the record. He said he had wanted to, but with arthritis in his fingers he could no longer use his typewriter. This is why I took it upon myself to write down his story. I only hope I can do him justice and finish the sad story. 1 .The early days ennis was born on the 26th November 1917 to Elsie and Frederick Riley of 38, D Collington Street, Beeston, Nottingham. He had two older brothers and two younger sisters. Unfortunately, his upbringing is remembered as being very unhappy due to his father’s cruelty not only to himself but his mother too. Happier days were spent at the Chilwell School on Meadow Lane from 1922 – 1932. He enjoyed subjects ranging from geography, history and woodwork, but he excelled at drawing. His hobbies included reading the flying magazine “Flight”, rebuilding engines, camping and cycling. After the war, he enjoyed riding his new BSA A7 motor cycle all over England. Leaving school at fourteen, he applied for a job in the saw-mill at Ericsons the telephone company in Beeston. As there was not yet a vacancy, he refused an offer of a job in another department and was adamant he wanted to work in the saw-mill. The manager was impressed with the youngster’s determination and knowledge of woodworking tools and noted his name and address, telling him that he would send for him when a vacancy arose. Dennis’ uncles, cousins and his father all worked in the woodworking trade at a firm called Hofton’s. He could have easily obtained employment at this firm but he wanted to be well away from his domineering father and refused to apply for an interview. A friend helped Dennis to secure employment at the Raleigh Cycle Works in Radford where he worked at a variety of lathes. This was not his chosen occupation but he knuckled down to the work involved and gave his best. Three months later to his delight, the postman delivered a post card to him informing him of a vacancy at Ericsons. After a successful interview he was offered the job of making telephone, radio and speaker cabinets. Walter French, a departmental manager, was to be his mentor and teach him his trade. He was to start work the following week. Dennis left Raleigh with the foreman shouting after him that the youngster didn’t realise how lucky he was to be working. But he was happy now that he was in his chosen occupation. It would be sometime in 1939 that a foreman, Tommy Clark, approached Dennis who was working at his band saw and pulled him to one side. He told him that the work situation was slowing down and he was to be laid off work for two weeks. Walter French got to hear of the foreman’s decision and immediately came to Dennis’ machine. He was to tell him that as he was such a good worker he was going to overrule the foreman’s decision and he was to stay in work. The dark days of 1939 ended with Britain now at war with Germany and Dennis joining the Home Guard. The postman was to call again, this time with a card telling him he was to be conscripted into the army. The card was shown to his foreman, Jack Adams, who told him that he was in a reserved occupation on war work and he did not have to go in the forces. But Dennis refused the offer, as he was sick of the cruel treatment he still received from his father at home. This was to be a way out for him. On the 26th November 1939, standing a little less than 5’ 7” and weighing in at 119 lb Dennis passed his medical examination as A1. The medical officer asked him where he would like to serve. “As far away as possible”, he replied, happy at the prospect of finally leaving home. Little did he know he would get his wish, and of what was to come. 2 78th/35th LAA Royal Artillery Gnr Riley Army No. 1700095 n the 30th September 1940, Dennis caught the train at Beeston station to Swindon in O Wiltshire. From there he would travel a few miles to Ashton Keynes where he would be enlisted into the 78th Battery/35th Light Anti Aircraft (or Ack Ack) Regiment of the Royal Artillery. The 35th Regiment was a special TA Regiment formed at Oxford on the 2nd Sept 1939 for the defence of RAF airfields in the area against air attack. Initially recruiting older men between the ages of 25 to 50, it comprised of five batteries with Headquarters at Abingdon, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Oxford and Reading early in 1940. By mid 1940 this regiment reverted to a normal LAA Regiment and reduced to three batteries, 78, 89 and 144. RHQ was located at Oxford. Here he would be put through weeks of basic training with all the other recruits before his ‘passing out’ parade and being issued his first assignment. My dad and Sam Barker were amongst these men but the three of them were never together. As yet, they never met one another. Colonel Fiennes greeted the new recruits with the friendly greeting from all regular army ranks above private, “I’ve never seen such a lot of pasty faced buggers in my life. What a complete shower…..But we’ll soon sort you out.” 3 Basic training at ‘Cove House,’ Ashton Keynes, Wilts. nother Colonel had a couple of dogs that accompanied him on his rounds of the camp. A Later when he visited a group of recruits Dennis was told, one of the men, Gnr Croft, bent down and stroked and made a fuss of the dogs. The Colonel finished his talk and carried on about his duties around the camp. Later Gnr Croft who had stroked the dogs was summoned to his office. Returning to his group, smiling Gnr Croft told them of his meeting with the Colonel. The colonel had said to him, “Gunner Croft?” “Yes sir.” “I understand you are fond of my dogs” “Yes sir” “Do you have a dog, do you have dog at home Gnr Croft?” “Yes sir.” “Right then. From now on you are my dog handler” That was all Gnr Croft had to do at camp, walk the colonels dogs. He’d landed the cushiest job going. ‘COVE HOUSE’ 4 Among the men Dennis was billeted with was a religious chap named Johnny Adkin. He would write the longest of letters home and on Sunday mornings, talked his superiors into letting him take services. Also among the gun crew in the billet was a ‘cat burglar’ who would tell them stories of his capers and prison time. But to the man’s credit, if money was left about the billet he never touched it. When Johnny Adkin went to bed, he said his prayers and the rest of the lads would take the ‘mickey’ out of him. But by the time they were trained, Johnny Adkin had converted the crew. Even the cat burglar had asked for prayers before turning in. A Bofor gun site His first assignment found Dennis on the gun sight of a mobile Bofor gun under the command of Bombardier Hatwell.

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