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Punishment Reports Appendix VI - Fukushima |
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APPENDIX VI Punishments
- 21 Reports Internees' signed statements describing the actual punishment inflicted on them by the Japanese camp authorities and reasons, if any, for such punishment. 1) Made by Mr Arthur Rixon, Seaman, ex s.s. 'Kirkpool'. My first occasion of violent assault was in the middle of our first winter here on a bitterly cold morning at about 7.00 a.m. The incident cited took place in the Fukushima Internment Camp a short while after I had recovered from pleurisy. There had been a heavy downfall of snow during the night and sweepers were required to clear the snow off the paths. I, being very sparsely dressed and also weak in health, was ordered to go outside into the snow. Having explained that I possessed no shoes and also had a bad chest, a pair of Nipponese slippers which had holes in the bottom and were by no means suitable for outdoor wear were thrown down at my feet. I, being unwilling to go out in these, was ordered to stand beneath the bell after which I was slapped in the face many times by different guards causing my teeth to bleed. The interpreter then came along and intervened asking why we were there (for there were two other men besides myself). We explained the situation and when he had heard the story, he told that the next time I was ordered to sweep the snow it would be advisable to do so in my bare feet and the guards, seeing this, would call me back inside again. I knew that this was absolute folly, for on other occasions we have witnessed the same practice and find that it makes no difference whether shoes are worn or not. After breakfast Captain Stratford and I went to the office to make a protest. The result of this was another severe face slapping. One guard picked up a slipper and slapped me in the face with it, after which he put the slipper onto my head forcing me to stand there thus for about half an hour, finally releasing me. Another incident was when I went to fetch some hot water from the kitchen at the usual time that we were allowed to do so. I was unaware that the can I took to fetch the water in was leaking and while I was passing a guard he ordered me to set the can down. I did as I was ordered and then the guard rushed upon me slapping my face. He threw me on the floor and got on top of me, banged my head on the floor several times, then punched me in the face, this time causing my nose to bleed. After I got up he threw me down again. He did this many times and then let me go. These are only two occasions of uncalled for punishment which were unjustly given. There were others which I could name but which were not quite so severe. (signed) A. H. Rixon 2) Made by Mr C. H. Walker, Exide Batteries, London SW1 On September 23rd 1943 I, C. H. Walker, was instructed along with three other internees to pick fruit from the fig tree in the compound, to be given eventually to the rest of the internees for services rendered in weeding the garden. Whilst executing this duty I was approached by one of the guards who spoke to me in Japanese only and finally made a note of my prison number. Later in the morning, when the task was completed, I was arrested by the same guard and taken before the Camp Commandant to be interviewed. This took place in the small reception room, those being present being the Commandant, the interpreter and myself. No indication was given of the nature of the interview and a cordial atmosphere existed superficially. I was offered a cigarette and invited to be seated. After a protracted conversation in Japanese, which was not translated, I was asked to give an account of what I had been doing that morning. I recounted to the best of my ability my activities with particular detail with respect to my movements while picking fruit which involved no breach of regulations (I had assumed by this time that I must be accused of some transgression of the law). Very little of this was translated into Japanese. I was then asked if I had anything more to say which I had not. The Commandant, still giving no enlightenment on the reason for the enquiry, led the way to the Assembly Hall, collecting on the way the guard who had arrested me. The Commandant then closed the windows of the hall and in the presence of the interpreter, still without saying anything that had to be translated, gave the guard certain instructions. I was thereupon made to stand to attention and the guard, standing in front of me with a sinister grin on his countenance, struck me a blow as powerful as he was able on my jaw with his clenched fist. This was repeated and, at the second blow, I instinctively raised my arm in self-protection. I was thereupon warned that if I did not keep my hands by my sides they would be tied behind my back. A third blow was struck which broke one of my back teeth. This I held out for the Commandant's inspection and the guard knocked it from my hand. A fourth blow of equal intensity sent me to the floor and I was encouraged to my feet by the help of the guard's foot. After that I was somewhat dazed and I lost count, but upward of ten blows were struck with clenched fist on either side of my jaw at slow deliberate intervals. When finally instructed to cease, the guard made as if to strike me again, much to the amusement of the Commandant. I was then led back to the reception room and this time was refused a request to be seated. I was then asked again what I had done and not revealed and denied all knowledge of any misdemeanour. It was then only that I was told that I had been guilty of the offence of waving to one of the women in a part of the building fifty yards away and that the guard had said that I had done so. This was pure fabrication but I was told that if I denied it further I would be subjected to "even greater punishment". This left me with no choice but to admit to a crime which I had undoubtedly not committed. For the non-admission I was told I would be still further punished as previously but, after a few minutes retirement, the Commandant returned to say he would modify the punishment to that subtle method of Japanese torture involving kneeling in a peculiarly painful position upon a hard floor with bare feet and knees. After two hours of this treatment I was made to stand for a further two hours before an open door with a cold wind blowing. I was finally discharged four and a half hours after being struck and having missed my mid-day food which was not replaced. As a result of blows on the face a skin wound which was caused turned septic and formed a serious abscess in the bruised flesh which completely incapacitated me for a week during which time no hot water or dressings were granted for its treatment in spite of requests. This wound, in the bruised flesh of my jaw, has left a permanent scar. Another permanent scar appears on my instep as a result of the compression and bruising of the flesh whilst kneeling. A few weeks later, during an enquiry of a different nature involving a considerable number of internees, I was singled out for punishment by having my head shaved in view of this previous fabricated charge of breach of regulations. (signed) C. H. Walker 3) Made by Captain C. Stratford, Master, ex s.s. 'Nankin' On the 4th November 1942 I was supervising internees cleaning the internment camp compound (picking up leaves, scraps of paper, etc.). One of the guards ordered me to pick up some papers near the front gate. This I refused to do as I had been instructed previously by the Commandant to supervise this work only and not to do the actual labour myself. I endeavoured to explain this to the guard but he still insisted that I should do this work. Thereupon I asked him to come inside and have the Commandant settle the matter. This he would not do but took hold of my coat lapels and shook me, then, picked up a piece of wood and beat me across the shoulder and back several times. (signed) C. Stratford 4) Made by Mr Seah Hong Kiang, British Airways, Singapore In the spring of 1943 I was walking on the parade ground chewing pumpkin seeds and throwing seed skins on the ground. The guard on duty saw this and set me to sweep the whole parade ground clean. This I did and, when I had finished, I requested permission to go into the building. He said I could go in so I saluted him and commenced to go in but, when I got near the door, on the point of entering, he called me back and spoke to me in Japanese and then attempted to strike me. I evaded him whereupon he threw me on the ground twice. On regaining my feet he struck me several times. (signed) S. H. Kiang 5) Made by C. S. Boyall, Minister of Religion, Presbyterian Church of Australia About four months after we came to Fukushima I had gone out to the clothes line to hang out some washing but had not removed my indoor slippers. The Japanese guard saw me and called me into the boot room. In the presence of another guard he spoke to me in Japanese and pointed to my slippers; I did not understand what he said and made signs that I did not understand. He then struck me with force with his hand six times on the face. If my case had been tried by the Captain and I had been punished after a proper trial I would not have minded so much, but for a guard to take it upon himself to punish me without a trial seemed to me unjust. It seemed to me that this particular act was done in revenge because I had reported this same guard to the Captain some time before for deliberately making noises in church during the time when the internees were praying and thus disturbing a sacred service. (signed) C. S. Boyall 6) Made by Mr J. M. Jack, The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, London On the 17th March 1943 there was no heating and it was snowing. Trying to get warm I sat on the corner of my 'futong'. For this I was taken to the office, made to remove my glasses and stand at attention when I was severely struck across the face and head five times by a guard. I was then made to kneel down before the guard and, while kneeling, was struck four more times. After that I was made to kneel on the office floor for three hours at the end of which time the Commandant informed me that I would be excused on this occasion as it was my first offence. (signed) J. M. Jack 7) Made by Mr D. Elsey, Purser, ex s.s. 'Nankin' In the evening of the 29th June 1943 I was sitting quietly in my room at the desk when a guard opened the door and entered. Immediately the other two occupants of the room and I saluted him whereupon he beckoned me and I followed him downstairs to the office. Here he shouted at me and the interpreter asked me if I was aware of the reason for my apprehension. I said I had no idea whatever as I could not recall having broken any regulations in the near past. I was then informed that I had a proud and insolent bearing towards the guards and thought disrespectfully of them and that such a spirit would not be tolerated and must be broken. Then, although no specific charge of delinquency was brought against me, the guard several times struck me on the face with his hand. After being further lectured by the sergeant on duty I was finally dismissed having been detained below in the office and hallway over one and a half hours. (signed) D. Elsey 8) Made by Mr D. Scott, Mercantile Bank of India On 21st June 1943 Mr Garner was called to the office and asked if he knew any war news. Mr Garner said the only news he had heard since coming here was what I had told him, adding that I had got the news direct from the Commandant. I was the called and asked what war news, if any, I knew. I repeated everything the Commandant had previously told me, also stating that I had mentioned it to the men upstairs. The Commandant, in a towering temper, slapped my face as hard as he could many times without giving any explanation for his attack. I repeated my story stating that the interpreter and a police sergeant were present when I was told the item of war news. The Commandant again slapped my face several times and ordered me to stand in a corner of the office where I remained for about half an hour during which time the Commandant passed up and down the road in front of the camp, presumably in an endeavour to regain control of his temper. When he returned, I was dismissed and told that I must never mention war news to the men upstairs again. Such a display would simply not be tolerated from a uniformed officer in any country outside Japan and all internees look upon the incident as a most disgusting exhibition. On the 13th August 1943 when Mr Daniels and I were washing about 4.00 p.m., the Commandant, accompanied by the interpreter, told us to stop washing and come to the office. We were accused of pouring water over ourselves which we both denied. (In this camp it is an offence to pour water over the body.) I had used a face towel to sponge myself and Mr Daniels had not even started to wash. Our statements were not accepted and we were ordered to kneel by the bell, resting our full weight on our heels with our hands clear of the floor. I found this position impossible because both my ankles were once badly sprained as a result of football injuries. My right ankle is very weak. I protested against this punishment and, while explaining to the interviewer that the punishment for me was nothing short of torture, he spat in my face. The Commandant examined our positions and, on being satisfied that Mr Daniels was kneeling as ordered, sent him upstairs while I was marched off to the Assembly Hall and badly beaten up by four guards and a sergeant. I was punched on the face and head with clenched fists and one of the guards used a stick about the size of a chair leg. The Commandant saw part of the ordeal and slapped my face when I was kneeling on the floor. My knees were badly bruised by knocks from the stick and, about a week later, an abscess developed in my right ear, the cause of which was undoubtedly the knocks I had received. I was kept kneeling and standing by the bell until 9.00 p.m. that night. The following day I showed the men, while out in the garden, the stick I was beaten up with. The guard on duty witnessed this. I was called down by this guard at 11.30 a.m. and had to stand or sit by the bell with my legs curled under me until 9.00 p.m. The sergeant tried to make me kneel but this I refused to do on account of the bruised state of my knees. This enraged the sergeant who kept shouting at me from time to time and, on one occasion, frantically brandished a fencing stick over my head like some wild savage. I received no food from lunch time on the 13th till 9.30 p.m. on the 14th when I was given several slices of dry bread, a cup of unsweetened tea and an apple. Before I was released I was forced to admit that I had poured water over myself while washing. It was obvious that the punishment would have been continued until I did make an admission. (signed) D. Scott 9) Made by Mr M. Molphy, Fireman, ex s.s. 'Pagassitikos' The day of the 29th June 1943 at the time of 2.00 p.m., sitting in my room, a guard by the name of Chipson (a nickname) came from the office, called me to come with him downstairs. When I got to the office the interpreter was called and said to me the guard says I am too cheeky. All this was just because I would not let him pull my beard. At the office also another guard was called to assist in giving me a thrashing with a big stick by the two guards and lastly stabbing me in my right eye of which that eye is still giving me trouble at times. When they were finished they gave me a bucket of water with two gallons of water in it to keep up level with my chest, with my arms stretched forward, for thirty minutes. This was mentioned by the Commandant, why I say that because he came and started laughing at me. So he knew what was what and called me into the office and gave me a packet of cigarettes that was to bribe me and then made me to kneel on my knees for half an hour. That's all. (signed) M. Molphy 10) Made by Mr Bok Sye Foo, British Airways, Singapore On a certain afternoon of the autumn of 1943 I appeared in the office before the Commandant to face my charge for violating one of the regulations of the camp. The Commandant, followed by the interpreter, then took me to a private room where he could try out my case without any interruption. There were only three of us in the room and, after having taken our seats at the table, the Commandant, through the interpreter, began to question me about the offence I'd committed, i.e. for writing a letter to one of the women over at the other side of the building. Being unsatisfied with the reply, he went out of the room and came back with a bamboo pole about five feet long to punish me. He asked me to stand up from my seat, then knocked me on the head with the bamboo pole and slapped me hard on the face and finally knocked me to the floor where a few kicks on the body followed. Then he poked me in the stomach with the pole. He then requested me to take my seat and started questioning me again. After I'd answered everything to his satisfaction, he pressed me further by asking me to reveal the names of my fellow internees who had been violating the regulations without his knowledge. On my refusing to do this, he left the room with the interpreter to let me think it over. Some time later, both of them came back and asked me whether I'd decided to tell them anything further. When I refused to give any other information, the Commandant started beating me again as he did before and, from what I could see, he wanted to torture me until I said something about my fellow internees. It was now time for tea, so he left me and I was informed that I'd to remain in the room without food. At 7.30 p.m. I was told to kneel down in the office for three hours before I was given a chair to sit down. I'd to sit up all night with guards who were on shift duties. The guards enjoyed themselves by slapping me on the face or knocking me on the head whenever they felt like doing it. I began to shiver at daybreak due to cold and hunger. The next morning I was given a cup of hot water by the Commandant when he saw my whole body was shaking. I was finally released during teatime without any meal for thirty six hours except a bun and a cup of hot water. (signed) S. F. Bok 11) Made by Mrs A. K. Thoms In the course of my duties as spokeswoman, one of the guards attacked me brutally while on my way to the office - he commenced by pushing me in the back - I resented this very much and asked him to stop but he persisted until finally I became very angry. When he saw that I was angry he lost his temper and punched me a number of times in the face whereupon, in self-defence, I slapped him. He then applied jujitsu and threw me to the ground, kicking me and punching me wildly. I became very alarmed at this ruthless assault and I screamed for help. Several guards then appeared and the interpreter pulled my assailant off. My mouth was cut both inside and out and my nose was badly damaged; my whole body was bruised from head to foot. I was unable to leave my bed for a week following this attack in order to recover from my physical injuries and it was many months before I got over the mental shock. This incident took place on July 2, 1943. (signed) Florence Thoms 12) Made by Mrs Phyllis Hercombe I was called to the Captain Hashimoto's office and accused of looking at the men from a window in the women's quarters. I denied this as it was definitely untrue. Thereupon I was subjected to a most insulting and humiliating grilling comprising searching questions on intimate personal sex matters and given advice on this subject. I cannot for obvious reasons give details of this interrogation. It is sufficient to say that the interview was closed by Captain Hashimoto and interpreter Midori Kawa making obscene gestures repeatedly. This incident occurred in October 1943. (signed) Phyllis Hercombe 13) Made by Mrs Phyllis Hercombe I went into the garden one day in the spring of 1943 to collect my rag; on returning to the hall I changed my outdoor shoes and proceeded into the building in my indoor slippers and a guard accused me of going out in my indoor slippers. When I denied it he lost his temper and struck me repeatedly in the face. He struck my face with such violence that my face was badly swollen and bruised and my nose bled for several days. Since the assault I have suffered severe pain from sinus trouble. (signed) Phyllis Hercombe 14) Made by Mrs H. Guy, Mrs M. Sparke and Mrs M. Charnaud; Howard Guy (7 years), Graham Sparke (10 years), Michael Charnaud (11 years) One day in December 1942 Howard Guy threw a ball which unfortunately broke a pane of glass in the front door; the other two boys were implicated. The three boys were taken to the office by a guard and then their mothers summoned by the camp Commandant for interrogation. When the three mothers arrived they found their children in a highly nervous condition, weeping and trembling, their upper clothing being raised and their hands linked below their bare abdomens. Two pokers were being heated on an open brazier. Through the interpreter, Mr Midori Kawa, the Captain questioned the mothers and declared they were all to blame. In spite of it being pointed out by Mrs Charnaud that the children had already gone through a very trying time with their capture at sea when they were under shellfire and therefore leniency and allowance should be made for small offences. Throughout the interrogation the interpreter displayed uncontrollable venom. Captain Nimoto's answer to this plea was to order the mothers to remove the pokers from the brazier and proceed to burn the children's bare stomachs. Mrs Guy burst into tears and refused to comply while Howard pathetically begged his mother not to hurt him too much. Mrs Sparke was in tears and likewise refused. Mrs Charnaud refused even to reply but indicated by her expression that she thought it infamous. During all this time the children were tearful, in a dreadful state of nerves and very apprehensive. This situation seemed to amuse the interpreter and caused him to give further vent to his ill-feeling and hate for us. However, faced by the mothers' direct refusal to comply with his orders, Captain Nimoto proceeded to singe the boys' hair despite obvious terror. The memory of that brutal treatment haunted the boys for several months and had a most serious effect not only on their nervous systems but on their mothers' as well. (signed) Helen Guy (signed) Madeline Charnaud (signed) Marion Sparke 15) Made by Mrs Guy I should like to draw your attention to an incident which happened to me here. It was lunch time and a very cold and windy day; one of our small children had just got over an attack of bronchitis. On entering the dining room I happened to close the sliding window looking onto the corridor to shut out the draught; almost instantly a guard came along and banged the window open, shouting at me furiously. I tried to explain why I had closed the window. During my explanation he hit me hard on the head several times with a large door key. I went along to the office to report this; the Commandant was in attendance, also the interpreter. During my explanation this same guard struck me across the face hard at least half a dozen times in front of the Commandant who just sat and smiled and did not intervene at this malicious treatment. I was then told to leave the office. On doing as I was bidden the guard attacked me again, this time gripping me by the throat and forcing me backwards and all the time slapping my face and breast. I realised now he was trying to push me backwards over a table which was standing underneath the statue in the corridor opposite the front door. If it had not been for the timely interception of the interpreter and another guard, this incident would have been much more serious than it was. After these two officers had released me from the attacking guard, I went back to the dining room; just as I was seated this same guard rushed at me again, this time with the intention of hurling a chair at me. For many days afterwards my throat was bruised and sore. This incident took place on the 22nd October 1942. (signed) Helen Guy 16) Made by Mrs Lyon One day in May 1943, while cleaning the room, I wanted to shake the baby's blanket from the window. Observing a guard standing under it, I let him understand that we were cleaning. His reaction filled me with horror for fury gleamed from his eyes. He madly attempted to pull the blanket, indicating that he wanted to throw it away. Failing to do so he drew his sword, moving to hit me and, at the same time, ordering me out. I had two reasons for not obeying his command: 1) the sword and the previous brutality of this particular guard; 2) an order from the Captain, which had come out only a few minutes before the incident, forbidding anyone to go out for any reason. Before we had time to think or to realise what was happening, we heard the sound of heavy military boots in the corridor. The door was burst open. He pushed past all obstacles in our overcrowded room making straight for me. For a second or two we faced each other while the other occupants of the room became petrified with apprehension and horror. Swinging his whole body and, first lifting one arm, then the other, he was able to put maximum strength into each of the four blows on my face. His fury was animal, not human. I had no means of warding off his fearful attack. An appeal to the Captain proved that we were entirely in the hands of our jailers. Their use of violence on us would always be met with approval in the office. Since the 15th January I have had six weeks in bed. My ears have been discharging pus and blood. Peroxide was provided; otherwise there has been little to alleviate the fearful pain or to reduce the temperature, often over 39 C, for days at a time. In Paris as a child of twelve I had to undergo an ear operation. It was entirely successful and during eighteen years I had no more trouble. The blows I received last may seem to have aggravated a recurrence of the old trouble from which I had been free so long. (signed) Y. Lyon 17) Report from Mrs A. K. Thoms of an incident which took place on August 1st, 1942 I had been asked by the women in this camp, whose representative I am, to go into the office and complain about the bread which, at that time, was exceedingly doughy and uncooked and had been upsetting everybody; the children were in fact unable to eat it at all. The majority of the women accompanied me to the office but were sent back. I had taken a piece of bread with me which I showed to the Captain, explaining that it was making people sick, etc. and I asked whether it would be possible to obtain a better quality in future. At this point Mr Midori Kawa, the interpreter, with an extremely evil look upon his face, commenced to shout and yell at me. I then spoke to him personally and endeavoured to enlist his sympathy whereupon he smacked my face several times. I was exceedingly shocked at this behaviour and demanded to see my husband or, if that were not possible, a representative of the German Embassy. At this time Mr Midori Kawa flew at me and, grasping my throat, said, "You demand!". With his hands still around my throat he forced me up against the wall and continued to hurl abuse at me. Although the office was full of guards, no one came to my rescue despite my having appealed to the Captain himself to do so. When Midori Kawa finally released me I left the office greatly distressed and filled with fear at the prospect of having to continue my duties on behalf of the women internees. (signed) Florence Thoms 18) Made by Mrs Garner Owing to the fact that we were in a very congested room, I and four of my room mates commenced putting down our beds just before the nightly roll call as, by so doing, it enabled us all to be in bed by lights out. On numerous occasions guards had even sat on our made beds before roll call and we assumed they recognised our difficulties and accepted the fact that we were breaking a rule. However nothing was said for fifteen months until one night towards the end of October we were suddenly called to the office and made to stand under the bell before the open door in front of the building for four hours. During the time we were standing there the guards in the office sat over a charcoal brazier while we, on the contrary, were dressed only in our night attire. It was bitterly cold and one guard, taking pity on us, closed the door. This respite however was short lived as it was promptly opened again. At the end of four hours I broke down and wept hysterically whereupon all the guards and the sergeant came out of the office and, after some talk, told us to go to bed. This incident took place in October 1943. (signed) Muriel Garner 19) Made by Mrs L. Yates Early in May 1943 I was sitting in the garden a little apart from the other women internees, reading a book, when a certain guard known to us as 'Loopy' came up to me and attempted to draw me into conversation against my will. After a few preliminary remarks in broken English he came unpleasantly close to me and, with a lecherous look on his face, said, "You sleep with me, I give you two bars of soap". (This remark was accompanied by suggestive, vulgar gestures.) I told him firmly to go away and so, finally, he urinated a few feet in front of me and, approaching me a second time, he exposed his person making obscene and lewd gestures. I screamed and, fearing that the noise would draw someone to the scene, he moved away and I was able to push him aside and run into the house. This incident upset me terribly as this particular guard had many times before behaved towards me in a revolting manner and, on a previous occasion, had followed me to the lavatory when I was in a state of undress and, but for another woman barring the door with her body and using all her strength to keep him out, he would have forced his way inside with me. When I told the wife of the interpreter how this guard had menaced me, she told me to be very careful of him as he was a sexual maniac and particularly dangerous at this time as his own wife was pregnant and refused him sexual intercourse and he was more insane than ever with repression. She subsequently told us that he had been removed to a mental home. (signed) Lavender Yates 20) Made by Mrs Florence Thoms, Headwoman. Report of an incident at Fukushima Internment Camp in the autumn of 1942 Mrs Gleeson, an internee over fifty years of age, was only half dressed when the sergeant on duty walked into her room in the early morning. She indicated that she objected and shut the door on him whereupon he became nasty and took her to the office, pushing her in front of him and poking her all the time with his sword. Downstairs, in the corridor, another officer joined him and they both continued pushing and prodding her with a result that she became most upset and had an accident in her pants. After the accident she was made to clean up the corridor. (signed) Florence Thoms 21) Made by Mr M. Molphy, Fireman, ex s.s. 'Pagassitikos' One morning at about 9 o'clock in the summer of 1943, the internees were told to do weeding in front of the building and about 11 o'clock were told to stop and, as we came into the building, I went to wash my hands in the washroom as my hands were very dirty. As I was washing them, a guard saw me through the window and he came up slowly and, as I was coming out of the washroom, I met the very guard who saw me washing my hands and he told me to come down to the office and I went down with him. Down in the office the Commandant (the second Commandant) asked me through the interpreter, Midori Kawa, why do I wash my hands in that washroom, don't I know that it is out of order. I said no, so the Commandant told me to kneel down. The Commandant kicked me with his outdoor shoes on my kneecap and I tried to stand up. Failing to stand up the interpreter asked me why do I want to stand up. I said because I cannot balance myself on account of the kick on the knee and the interpreter said why do I violate the law. At the time of trying to stand up, the Commandant pushed me back and kicked me once on my left shoulder. At 2 o'clock, while kneeling, the Commandant went to the kitchen and got one roll of bread and slapped me on the face with it and then gave it to me to eat but I refused it and told the interpreter that I don't eat bread which I have been slapped with. Bread is made to be eaten not to slap people with. The Commandant told me through the interpreter to go and I went out and, after a few minutes, I was then called to the office and asked if I won't take the bread by the Commandant, through the interpreter. I still refused the bread and I was told to go upstairs. So till up to today I am suffering from this knee which at times swells up and pains me and prevents me from running freely. (signed) M. Molphy |