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Reg Rainer - Camps: Changi - Thailand to Burma Railway - Kanasai, Japan When we eventually departed Kanasai, the train passed where the bomb dropped and if anyone saw what it was like they would know one wouldn’t stand a chance The train took us to Yokahama and then we flew to Orki Nawa, a camp some of us called ‘Freedom City’ because one could get anything we wanted except beer which was strictly rationed. During this time some of the Japs were still active so at about two o'clock one morning it was decided to move us out and we packed into an old Liberator and took off for Manila. It was not like a normal Passenger plane and we sat on a kind of scaffold board in the bomb bay the doors of which did not close properly and one could see the ground. Nobody complained of course as we were on our way home and we would have settled for a witches broom. The thing flew on and during the flight one of the crew came down to see how we were, at the same time I couldn't help but notice most of the rivets were loose and jumping about. I mentioned this and he told me not to worry, in his American English “Bud, the old girl is worn out, but she will make it as long as the engines keep going, she will cough a bit now and again, but it hasn't let us down yet.” There were several planes in this flight and it was a terrible shock to see one of them go down into the sea. I don't know why or what happened but because of the 12 inch gap underneath us with the air rushing in, we were able to see it hit the water. Every one was very upset, after all the suffering and starting the journey home, only to be caught up in such a disaster. |
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The Boneshaker I was flying in never quite made the proper runway and after a lot of dust coming up from the gap in the bomb bay, we came safely to a halt a few miles out. We were all in USA uniforms because when we came to the first freedom point we were de-loused and sworn in. |
