Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 49 continued ... continued ... enough of the poor rations and decided, unwisely, to protest by having a ‘two-man sit down strike.’ That was a very bad idea. Hormidas and Joseph sat down on a warm steam pipe rather than go to the mess hall for their breakfast. It was not long before two guards entered the room armed with long hardwood staffs. They proceeded to beat the two men. Fredette and Cardin where then dragged into the mess hall. In front of the other POWs, they were beaten senseless. Members of the Royal Rifles of Quebec, survivors of the Battle of Hong Kong, Ohashi prison camp, prior to evacuation on 15 September 1945 Hormidas took the beating until he fainted and fell to the floor. The impact, with the rough cinder-block floor, resulted in a sever abrasion to his face and he bled profusely. The public beating was a ‘show of force’ by the guards to strongly discourage POWs from complaining about their meager rations or defying their captors. Two weeks later, Hormidas was surprised when the man, who had beaten him so badly, stopped him, and in very good English, asked “How are you today?” A few months later Hormadis was suffering from a very bad case of dry beri beri. His feet were swollen and numb. He was given an injection of anti-biotics; however, due to the unsanitary conditions, the injection point on his arm quickly became infected. Within a day his arm was useless and ridged. He was not able to work. That fact would be of no concern to the guards who insisted that anyone who could walk would work. Fortunately, there were two American doctors in the camp who treated him and hid him from the guards until he regained the use of his arm. Those two doctors were Lieutenant James E. Eppley of the US Navy, who had been captured in Guam in December 1941, and 1st Lieutenant Edwin W. Tucker of the 12th Medical Regiment (Philippine Scouts) of the United States Army Medical Corps, who had been captured in the Philippines in March 1942. Hormidas attributes his arm and his life to those two Americans. LIBERATION and REPATRIATION Japan surrendered on 15 August and Hormidas was liberated from the Sendai POW Camp on 15 September. His first stop was in Guam where he able to regain some strength while under the care of US Forces. While in Guam he was able to attend a USO show and go for a ride in a B-25 Mitchell bomber. From Guam he travelled by ship to San Francisco and then by train to Seattle, Vancouver and, finally, to Montreal. After a brief re-union with his family Hormidas was off to St John’s to see Lillian. He and Lillian were married before they left Newfoundland. They retuned to Richmond, Quebec, and a few years later opted to relocate to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. They would have two sons – Brain and Ronald. Mr. Hormidas Fredette is a member of Branch 6 Kentville RCL. He was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012. Editor’s note: The following pages are a list of N.S. C Force soldiers who served during the Battle of Hong Kong. Hormidas Fredette, May 2023
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==