Family Hero
Patrick Nolan was imprisoned by the Japanese army for three years. His granddaughter Leila Barratt tells Gail Dixon why he is her hero
Leila Barratt tells us how her grandfather Patrick Nolan was imprisoned by the Japanese army for three years
Sergeant Patrick Nolan stood before a firing squad in August 1945. He was part of a group of 18 emaciated Allied soldiers who had been held by the Japanese for three years. Fortunately, it was only a threat, meant to terrify men who had already witnessed hundreds of their comrades die from disease, starvation or inhumane abuse.
Patrick is the maternal grandfather of Leila Barratt, who is going to celebrate his service in the Second World War on the 75th anniversary of VJ Day on 15 August: “Old Grandpa, as I always called him, was a gentle man with impeccable manners and a brilliant sense of humour.”
Patrick was born in 1913 in Ballycullane, County Wexford, Ireland. Work was hard to find during the 1930s, so he decided to try his luck in England. He joined the Royal Artillery in March 1935 and trained at the barracks in Woolwich, South-East London.
In 1936, Patrick was posted to Gibraltar where he served until war broke out. “Grandpa was sent to Singapore which fell to Japanese forces on 15 February 1942. He was captured and incarcerated in the notorious Changi Prison.”
In October of that year, Patrick was one of 600 POWs who left Singapore on the ‘hell ship’ Nagara Maru. “Hell ships were aptly named, because conditions on them were appalling. The men of Gunner 600, as they were known, were kept in a cramped, filthy hold with little drinking water or food and no proper sanitation. Quite a few contracted dysentery, and two days into the journey one soldier died.”
The ship arrived in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, a month later, where many of the prisoners suffered dysentery,
‘Grandpa never held any animosity towards the Japanese people’
beriberi (chronic B1 deficiency), malnutrition and malaria. “A fortnight later, 517 men were taken to Ballale Island to build an airstrip. None of them survived.”
Patrick stayed behind in Rabaul, and by February 1944 was one of only 21 men left from the original 600. They were moved to Watom Island, Papua New Guinea, where they grew rice, sweet potatoes and tapioca.
“Grandpa witnessed such atrocities. He saw a man being beaten with such severity that one of his eyes came out.” It was on Watom Island that the 18 men went in front of a firing squad.
“Shortly after this horrifying experience the prisoners noticed a change,” Leila reports. “From August 1945, their captors were more friendly, giving them as much food as they could eat.”
On the evening of 18 August they were told of the Allied victory and Japanese surrender. “Grandpa recalled, ‘Never have I seen joy and happiness so clearly expressed on men’s faces.’”
In December, Patrick arrived home, almost 10 years after leaving British shores. A month later, he married Mary Nolan and they had three children, including Leila’s mother Theresa.
“Grandpa gave evidence at the War Crimes Tribunal, and helped to bring some of the Japanese soldiers to justice. However, he never held any animosity towards the Japanese people.”
Patrick’s adventures in the Army continued, and he served in bases across southern England and Holland, Germany and Hong Kong. In total he was in the Royal Artillery for 32 years.
When Mary died in 1971, Patrick moved into the Royal Hospital Chelsea. “He didn’t show any lasting psychological effects, although he did suffer from a bad back, leg ulcers, malaria and diabetes as a result of his experiences as a POW. He passed away in 1983, aged 70.”
Patrick may be gone, but Leila will never allow him to be forgotten: “We’ll raise a toast to Patrick, Gunner 600 and all of the fallen heroes of the Far East at our VJ Day garden party this year.”