This whole story and the thread would make a great read/film in its own right, there are so many aspects to it.
On the views of people who were there I remember being at a dinner in the mid-80s where there were a number of guys who had served in the war and one of them introduced me to a chap who had been a prisoner of war in the Far East. A lovely chap until the Japanese were mentioned and he went into one. It shocked me at the time, given the occasion where we were, as most people i’d met up until then Including family hadn't actually spoken about any bad experiences but I think he was the first that I was ever aware of that had fought the Japanese and 40years later this guy still wasn’t about to forgive and forget.
My Grandfather-in-Law had his own garage in Blackheath and had served with the Chindits in Burma and the far east. He had some fascinating stories to tell and had the greatest respect of the local Burmese - particularly the women, whom he thought were the toughest in the World.
However, he hated everything Japanese - so much so, that he categorically refused to service or repair Japanese vehicles or stock Japanese spare parts, even those that were universal.
When his son took over the garage in the early 1980s he reluctantly accepted that to keep the business going, those views had to change, though he steadfastly refused to even get in a Japanese car until the day he died.
This whole story and the thread would make a great read/film in its own right, there are so many aspects to it.
Agreed. I think the story of the escapees from Singapore who took a year to reach India by small boat, then overland would be an epic story in its own right.
My father worked at the Bank of England and when the Crown Prince of Japan visited in 1953 any ex servicemen who had been Pows were given extended leave.
If anybody want to read what it was like to fight out there, then get hold of any book on the battle of Kohima, it was one of the battle that turned defeat into victory, and explain what it was like. Obviously this was a victory, but still you get feeling of the shear guts and determination that it took to fight out there, often it’s not written solely from the British side, but often contains reports from the Japanese side and explain what state they were in, and the mistakes that there general made. You might also consider that this battle was known as the battle of the tennis courts. Another battle around the same time but without some of the our local interest is the battle of Imphal. After both of these battles the advance started to drive the Japanese out of Burma, not sure how to put this so it doesn’t sound wrong, but basically my father and his comrades never took a single prisoner until the war in Burma was ended, by the two A bombs dropped, he always said that two wasn’t anywhere near enough.
When I was sitting with him I asked him why his hatred was so deep of the Japanese, he said that he seen the prisoners being realised, he seen nurses being crucified, he seen injured soldiers murdered in there beds, he seen British soldiers being used as bayonet practice. He cried when he was trying to explain this hatred, but he was proud of what did, it was barbaric, it was indescribable even so he was trying. Bit upsetting remembering his words and I haven’t done them justice.
The normal British soldier was scared of the Japanese soldier until the two battle I listed above, when the British soldier realised that the Japanese could be beaten. He Japanese eventually became scared of the British and Australian soldiers, no doubt for good reason.
This is a remarkable thread, not just for the light cast on distant heroism brought back to our own familiar streets, but the astounding expertise in unearthing from a staggering archive and other materials these precious stories.
It is impossible to embellish such memoirs. However, concerning the Burma campaign there is a vivid fictional account which might further restore to worthy attention the imperishable deeds of the Forgotten Army. For this purpose I commend A Soldier Erect by Brian Aldiss, the second book of his Horatio Stubbs trilogy. As well as being a wonderfully gifted writer, chiefly of science fiction, Aldiss was a signaller in Burma and brings his experience of those momentous times jumping off the page. Read the Amazon reviews by all means but be assured that fiction or not this is a memorable book.
Just when I thought that the trail had gone cold, it seems quite appropriate during the week of our Football & War event, that out of the blue, I was yesterday contacted by Mark Smith, who is married to Val Jacob's (Vic's daughter) grand-daughter. Unfortunately, Val is currently in hospital having suffered quite a nasty fall but Mark has picked up the baton of finding us a photo of Vic Wilson, copies of which are now attached. So we now know what Vic looked like. Mark confirmed, via the family, that Vic was definitely a Charlton fan and used to attend matches at The Valley pre-war. As we now know, Vic died on 27 July 1943, having contracted Beri-Beri, whilst working on the Burma Railway. He is now buried a long way from Charlton at the Sonkrai War Cemetery in Thailand. If ever I find myself in that part of the world again, I shall be sure to go and say hello to our own "unprincipled rogue" - R.I.P. Vic.
Hope you don't mind me butting in, but what a wonderful thread to read. Great stuff
This kind of post is a prime example of all that's great about this forum. We will always remember those who mad the supreme sacrifice during WW2 - and WW1.
The photo above: the bomb blast damage to the house, with all the windows boarded up.
My mother was bombed out of her house in 1940 - she has told me the story as she remembers it. Harrowing.
The war was fought not only by the military, but by ordinary men, women and children at home. Anyway, it's a lovely pic of Wilson with his little one.
Yes, I wonder if this is when he’s on leave prior to embarking for the Far East, or possibly before mobilisation but with windows boarded up as part of the blackout or as a precaution. As you might guess, the little ‘un on his knee is Valerie, who looks a bit fed-up!
So glad I asked the question back in Jan 18. Many thanks to all of those who have contributed to back filling his story, special thanks to @Tomhovi. What a wonderful site Charlton Life is
So glad I asked the question back in Jan 18. Many thanks to all of those who have contributed to back filling his story, special thanks to @Tomhovi. What a wonderful site Charlton Life is
It’s been a pleasure @Bigbadbozman and was happy to help. It’s what @SE7toSG3 and I are lucky enough to do for a living and as Clive eloquently said on Tuesday night, our war memorial covers everyone associated with our club, players, officials and supporters alike. Vic’s name doesn’t appear on the memorial but he is certainly remembered there.
Does anyone know if Vic's name appears on a local war memorial? Would be fitting if he is on the one in Charlton Village. Tried searching online but didn't get anywhere.
Does anyone know if Vic's name appears on a local war memorial? Would be fitting if he is on the one in Charlton Village. Tried searching online but didn't get anywhere.
That’s a good point. In all of this discussion, I’ve not checked on the Village memorial. Unfortunately CWGC website only lists where the casualty is interred, or if no grave, then the memorial where they are remembered. I’ll check and find out.
Does anyone know if Vic's name appears on a local war memorial? Would be fitting if he is on the one in Charlton Village. Tried searching online but didn't get anywhere.
That’s a good point. In all of this discussion, I’ve not checked on the Village memorial. Unfortunately CWGC website only lists where the casualty is interred, or if no grave, then the memorial where they are remembered. I’ll check and find out.
I've just wandered around and checked out the war memorial outside St Luke's Church and unfortunately, Vic doesn't appear on it. I suspect that this is because, by the time of his death, Vic's wife was living in Baughurst, Hampshire after having been bombed out of 60 Inverine Road (which is shown as Vic's residence on the nominal roll (attached) in Singapore at the time of his death). I don't know Baughurst at all but if there are any Addicks in that part of the world that could check out the war memorial there, maybe Vic appears on that one.
In the meantime, I'm not sure how to go about this but given the evidence I have to prove Vic's Charlton address, it may be that we can get his name added to the memorial in the Village - there are several additional plaques on the memorial where names have been added subsequently.
Great thread thanks to all who contributed. I have a huge interest in military history and although not a qualified historian I have been studying the subject for 25 years. It all started with my maternal grandfather, who was a professional soldier in the Royal Hampshire’s from 1923 - 1951 (he died in 1980), he joined up at 15, was posted to India aged 17, and took part in various skirmishes including bayonet charges, I remember him telling me that ‘your leave your childhood behind when you run a foot of steel into another human being’, he went in with the BEF in France in 1940, and fought the rearguard with a ragtag mob of soldiers, bringing back a Luger from a German officer he killed, I fired a couple of rounds from it when I was 11 from the balcony of his flat in Kilburn. He went in to gold beach on D-Day. Later he went into the armoured recce corp and fought alongside the Maquis (France resistance) and reckoned they were superb people and so brave. I have a raft of stories that I could tell, in fact I produced a small booklet for my family on his exploits about 15 years ago. My admiration for all members of our Military stems from the fact that when I was a kid, every other weekend, my grandad, my Uncle Bert (tank regiment), Uncle George (WW1 veteran) would all come to dinner, drinking whisky, smoke and tell the most amazing stories. They were all wonderful brave and principled men. I had a Militaria shop and through it met some absolutely marvellous veterans of many conflicts. At home I have a fair sized collection of Militaria that fills a small room in my house, including all my family members medals and other items. On a final note, my grandfather was an army boxing champion and was the only boy soldier to be locked up in Aldershot glass house, he was also an ‘unarmed combat’ instructor for the army and when we were kids used to muck about putting us in arm locks etc, it lead to me practicing martial arts for over 35 years, getting to work with the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (ex Hampshire and Queens) teaching the squaddies techniques before they were deployed overseas. So it went full circle and it was one of my proudest moments to be asked to teach them. Sorry to waffle on.
RIP Charlton Vic and all the lads who gave their tomorrows.
Also if anyone wants to read some excellent fascinating WW2 books I can recommend my good friend Neil Barbers books. Only downside is that he’s a Hammer.
As today marks the 78th anniversary of the surrender of Singapore and of Vic Wilson going into captivity, I thought I'd bump this thread. Vic was to die in captivity at the hands of the Japanese, as would many of his comrades and would never see home again. It sort of puts all of our so called "problems" today into perspective.
Comments
i must get Alfreds book.
On the views of people who were there I remember being at a dinner in the mid-80s where there were a number of guys who had served in the war and one of them introduced me to a chap who had been a prisoner of war in the Far East. A lovely chap until the Japanese were mentioned and he went into one. It shocked me at the time, given the occasion where we were, as most people i’d met up until then Including family hadn't actually spoken about any bad experiences but I think he was the first that I was ever aware of that had fought the Japanese and 40years later this guy still wasn’t about to forgive and forget.
My Grandfather-in-Law had his own garage in Blackheath and had served with the Chindits in Burma and the far east. He had some fascinating stories to tell and had the greatest respect of the local Burmese - particularly the women, whom he thought were the toughest in the World.
However, he hated everything Japanese - so much so, that he categorically refused to service or repair Japanese vehicles or stock Japanese spare parts, even those that were universal.
When his son took over the garage in the early 1980s he reluctantly accepted that to keep the business going, those views had to change, though he steadfastly refused to even get in a Japanese car until the day he died.
EDIT: Just a wonderful thread.
When I was sitting with him I asked him why his hatred was so deep of the Japanese, he said that he seen the prisoners being realised, he seen nurses being crucified, he seen injured soldiers murdered in there beds, he seen British soldiers being used as bayonet practice. He cried when he was trying to explain this hatred, but he was proud of what did, it was barbaric, it was indescribable even so he was trying. Bit upsetting remembering his words and I haven’t done them justice.
The normal British soldier was scared of the Japanese soldier until the two battle I listed above, when the British soldier realised that the Japanese could be beaten. He Japanese eventually became scared of the British and Australian soldiers, no doubt for good reason.
It is impossible to embellish such memoirs. However, concerning the Burma campaign there is a vivid fictional account which might further restore to worthy attention the imperishable deeds of the Forgotten Army. For this purpose I commend A Soldier Erect by Brian Aldiss, the second book of his Horatio Stubbs trilogy. As well as being a wonderfully gifted writer, chiefly of science fiction, Aldiss was a signaller in Burma and brings his experience of those momentous times jumping off the page. Read the Amazon reviews by all means but be assured that fiction or not this is a memorable book.
My mother was bombed out of her house in 1940 - she has told me the story as she remembers it.
Harrowing.
The war was fought not only by the military, but by ordinary men, women and children at home.
Anyway, it's a lovely pic of Wilson with his little one.
This kind of post is a prime example of all that's great about this forum. We will always remember those who mad the supreme sacrifice during WW2 - and WW1.
Just found this on Vic:
In the meantime, I'm not sure how to go about this but given the evidence I have to prove Vic's Charlton address, it may be that we can get his name added to the memorial in the Village - there are several additional plaques on the memorial where names have been added subsequently.
I have a huge interest in military history and although not a qualified historian I have been studying the subject for 25 years.
It all started with my maternal grandfather, who was a professional soldier in the Royal Hampshire’s from 1923 - 1951 (he died in 1980), he joined up at 15, was posted to India aged 17, and took part in various skirmishes including bayonet charges, I remember him telling me that ‘your leave your childhood behind when you run a foot of steel into another human being’, he went in with the BEF in France in 1940, and fought the rearguard with a ragtag mob of soldiers, bringing back a Luger from a German officer he killed, I fired a couple of rounds from it when I was 11 from the balcony of his flat in Kilburn.
He went in to gold beach on D-Day. Later he went into the armoured recce corp and fought alongside the Maquis (France resistance) and reckoned they were superb people and so brave.
I have a raft of stories that I could tell, in fact I produced a small booklet for my family on his exploits about 15 years ago.
My admiration for all members of our Military stems from the fact that when I was a kid, every other weekend, my grandad, my Uncle Bert (tank regiment), Uncle George (WW1 veteran) would all come to dinner, drinking whisky, smoke and tell the most amazing stories. They were all wonderful brave and principled men.
I had a Militaria shop and through it met some absolutely marvellous veterans of many conflicts.
At home I have a fair sized collection of Militaria that fills a small room in my house, including all my family members medals and other items.
On a final note, my grandfather was an army boxing champion and was the only boy soldier to be locked up in Aldershot glass house, he was also an ‘unarmed combat’ instructor for the army and when we were kids used to muck about putting us in arm locks etc, it lead to me practicing martial arts for over 35 years, getting to work with the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (ex Hampshire and Queens) teaching the squaddies techniques before they were deployed overseas. So it went full circle and it was one of my proudest moments to be asked to teach them.
Sorry to waffle on.
RIP Charlton Vic and all the lads who gave their tomorrows.
https://pegasus-bridge.co.uk/