1233 Days

Every person has a story to tell.  Some stories are remarkable and some are horrifying. Last month I wrote about a man who was thought dead during WWI but was alive in a Prisoner of War Camp in Germany.  In honour of Remembrance Day,  I am writing about another man who was also held captive in a Prisoner of War Camp in WWII.


 Gordon Kerle Palin was born first generation Canadian to Cecil Gordon Palin and Beatrice Kerle on November 27 1920 in Montreal, Quebec.  He enlisted in 1940 and received his wings in 1941.

Years ago I was lucky to meet Gordon Kerle Palin (aka Kerle) at my parent's house and I was given strict instructions not to mention or ask anything about his time spent in the POW camp. As we sat in the living room Kerle had noticed a book on the end table and then asked my dad if he liked Jimmy's work.  My father was not sure what he meant and Kerle pointed to the book.  After my father had said yes, he had all of Jimmy's books, Kerle then stated that he and Jimmy were bunk mates in Changi.  (Jimmy is James Clavell and he wrote King Rat published in 1962,  a fictional account based on his time in the POW camp.  You might know him better as the writer, producer and director of To Sir with Love and author of Shogun)

Note that Clavell is number 3 and Palin in number 13 in this Prisoner of War Camp list dated November 1943.

"The Japanese gave orders and the officers were responsible for enforcing them,  If the camp gave no trouble, it got none.  To ask for food was trouble.  To ask for medicine was trouble.  To ask for medicine was trouble. To ask for anything was trouble.  That they were alive was trouble."  

King Rat by James Clavell.

In 1943,  Kerle was listed Missing in Action; the family at home did not know if he was alive or dead.  The below clipping was found in the Montreal Gazette May 5, 1943.  His family had not had any communication from him since March 8 1942.

What we did not know until just recently was Kerle was not just in Changi.  On a recent trip to Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa,  I was able to access a file regarding Kerle's POW claim. Kerle enlisted in Montreal on Oct 28 1940.  While stationed in England he was attached to the 152 Squadron RAF.   In the early part of 1942 this unit was asked for volunteers to serve in Java.  Kerle volunteered and was selected.   Upon arrival in Java he was stationed at a replacement depot and was then captured on April 1 1942.

Montreal Star September 22, 1943

On another document in Kerle's file, it lists the names and the dates while in the other POW camps.
Landsopvoedingesticht, Java April-May 1942
Buitenzorg, Java June 1942-Feb 1943
Garoet, Java Feb 1943-June 1943
Cycle Camp, Batavia, Java July 1943 (now Jakarta)
Changi Camp, Singapore, Malaya Aug 1943-Aug 1945

On another document in Kerle's file it shows that from Nov 15 1943-Dec 15 1943 Kerle was in hospital in the camp suffering from severe diarrhea.  And on another document it also states that in 1941, Kerle was in an airplane crash.  He thought he had suffered no ill effects at that time (as seen on a document not posted here) but in June 1946 he was admitted to Montreal Military hospital with a possible herniation of intervertabral disc. The admission note states pain in left hip, calf, middle three toes for 3 months.  Kerle was readmitted to hospital May 1948 with diagnosis of prolapsed intervertabral disc.

In October 1952 Kerle had heard that the Canadian Government was awarding a financial award for any soldier that suffered ill effects while being a Prisoner of War.    This file that I was able to scan was about that claim. 

There was a bit of back and forth between England and Canada on who was responsible for Kerle while he was in the POW camp.  Kerle was a member of the RCAF but was attached to a RAF squadron when he was captured. 

Kerle's claim was finally approved July 1953 for 1233 days and received a cheque for $1233.00

Then another cheque was awarded February 1959.

After reading the book "King Rat", I now know why my parents advised me not to ask Kerle about his time there.  It was an eye-opening read describing how the prisoners did their best to survive. It was the ending that was the most disturbing, when the men were rescued. They were swarmed by reporters taking pictures and military officials demanding answers to what happened, what they saw in detail on who was killed and how. 

Not only did the prisoners have to relive the atrocities they saw while answering these questions asked by superior officers, they also were subjected to opinions by these outsiders.  The opinions heard were the harsh reality of what the prisoners had been reduced to.

King Rat by James Clavell page 353

That night the third and last and greatest fear crucified Changi.
Fear of tomorrow,
All Changi knew, now, that the war was over.  The future had to be faced.  The future outside of Changi.  The future was now.  Now.

All the men of Changi withdrew into themselves.  There was no where else to go.  Nowhere to hide,  Nowhere but inside.  And inside was terror.
King Rat by James Clavell 

You can find Gordon Kerle Palin in the tree here.