The annual Poppy Appeal will be launched next week and organisers hope to raise millions of pounds. MICHELLE FRAME spoke to an old soldier who says although it is essential to forgive, people should never forget ...



George Housego was 19 when he was called up to fight in the Second World War in May 1941.

The former surveyor, who now lives in Birch Tree Avenue, West Wickham, was keen to fight after seeing Britain blitzed by the Luftwaffe.

After training in Blackpool, George, who has been with his partner June, 70, for 23 years, was all set for action.

He said: “I was excited to sign up and join. All the young people were joining and it was never boring.” After the bombing of Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941, George, 81, was sent to Java, Indonesia, where his youthful excitement soon disappeared when, on his 21st birthday, he was captured by the Japanese.

He said: “We didn’t know how the Japanese would treat us. We had a white flag and as I walked forward with my hands held up my friend was singing happy birthday.

“My officer said to them ‘I trust you are going to honour the Geneva convention’ and they hit him. That’s when we found out how they would treat us.” After three years in Java, George was marched to the Batavia Docks and put on a boat to Singapore.

Following a few weeks in a prisoner of war (PoW) camp he was put on board one of the notorious Hell Ships.

He said: “There were about 1,500 people on the ship. We were put down in the ship’s hold and crammed in like animals.

“There were no toilets, just two boxes hung over the side of the ship. It stank of urine and it went on your food when the wind blew.” George found himself surrounded by death.

He said: “The bloke next to you died and that was it. There were older people with wives and kids back home and they would sadly give up hope.” On June 20, 1944, the Americans, unaware prisoners were on board, attacked the ship with a torpedo and killed around 550 people.

Clinging desperately to a piece of wood in the middle of the Yellow Sea, George faced a fight for survival.

He said: “I was lucky because when the boat went down it pulled everything down with it and people were trapped by debris. If you couldn’t swim you’d had it.” For 12 hours George waited for rescue until a Japanese whaler boat took him to Nagasaki City where he was placed in another PoW camp.

Here the father-of-three worked in a shipyard.

He said: “You were forced to work until you dropped and the only thing on your mind was food.” When he was taken to a coal pit in Omine conditions were not much better but he would soon be grateful for the move — on August 9, 1945, an atomic bomb obliterated Nagasaki.

George worked in the coal pit until 1945 when the Americans freed the camp at the end of the war.

Now, as treasurer of the London Far Eastern Prisoners’ of War Association, he works towards forgiveness. He was made an MBE by Prince Charles in 1995 for duties to the charity.

He said: “I can forgive the Japanese people because they were only following orders. Carrying hatred is not good. I will forgive but never forget.” His determination young people should never forget is echoed by his belief everyone should buy a poppy.

George said: “I think it is very important to remember what people went through and honour the dead."