|
Mickey Myles Had Many Faces
By Bill (William) Spooner - Royal Scots
Now and again, all, or most all of us, meet some one in life, apart from wives, husbands, lovers etc, who remains in ones memory for many years.
One person to affect me like that was a Scot by the name of Micky Myles. I cannot say whether Micky is incidental to this story or vice-versa, but the tale I have to tell is so interwoven with Mick, his character, guile - so many sides to his make up – bravery, balls---and cunning. His will to live, and his endurance. When we were adrift on a cork raft, somewhere off the east china coast (I think), his morale, which helped me to survive during those awful forty eight hours, when were buffeted about by the wild sea with little prospect of survival, and when so many hundreds of our fellow prisoners of war were drowned, which appeared to be the intention of the Japanese.
After the prison ship that was transporting us to, I believe, Japan, was torpedoed by an American submarine (the prison ship was not identified as carrying P.O.Ws) Micky saved my life by holding my face above the water, until a passing Chinese fishing boat hauled us aboard.
I was unconscious during this time and for sometime after. No doubt about it, I owe my survival to Mick, so it may seem ungrateful to state this, but with me knowing Mick from way back, I am in no doubt whatsoever that Micky would have had me overboard if my presence had threatened his own life , but then so many of us would have done the same – it’s called survival - but most would show some other emotion, regret , guilty conscience , not so Mick, he was the original survivor.
I am now 83 years of age, the time September, year 2000 ad. The tale begins in May 1934, the events are as true as one can remember after the lapse 66 years (approx). chronological time has no significance, when the means of measuring it are absent, as was the condition during our years of being Japanese prisoners of war.
I think that this is the true measure of events.
I relate these tales partly about Micky Myles, his character, his many facets, so I have called it…… Micky Myles Had Many Faces.
My sincere thanks to Tony Banham
|
