To Hell and back
During World War II, Corporal Roy Pagani dodged almost certain death in Dunkirk, Singapore and on the horrific Burma Railway
How a WWII soldier dodged death at Dunkirk and on the Burma Railway
“My father was a remarkable man. Having escaped alone from Dunkirk and again from Singapore, he was the only European to escape successfully from the appalling Burma Railway. Most people think that no one ever did, but my dad managed it. Over 13,000 Allied prisoners of war died building the railway – 393 men for every mile of track laid. My dad was determined not to be one of them. I am so proud of him.”
Not surprisingly, Cheb Campbell becomes very emotional when she recalls her father, Corporal Roy Pagani, and his exploits as a British soldier during World War II. The war cast a long shadow and left a lasting legacy for her and her family.
“What sustained my Dad and enabled him to endure so much was the promise he made to my mum. He vowed that whatever happened, and no matter what befell him, or however long it took, he would find his way back to her.” Little did he realise then that he would have to endure hair-raising escapes, guerrilla fighting, incarceration, agonising torture and an appalling death march to make good his promise – a promise that was to save his life when he despaired of survival.
“Dad was incredibly tough and self-confident. He was forced to learn this from a very early age. Abandoned by his father in the south of France at the age of seven, he was rescued by a nun and he spent his childhood in a boy’s convent near Toulon. They taught him to be resourceful and self-reliant – all the things that would stand him in good stead later on in life. He always said that these were the most wonderful days of his life.
“After returning to England as a teenager, he joined the East Surrey Regiment. Just a week before the outbreak of war, he married my mum, Thelma, who everyone called Pip.” In May 1940, Pagani was part of the fighting retreat of the British Expeditionary Force to Bray Dunes, near Dunkirk, where he boobytrapped his lorry with a grenade. Being a loner at heart, he refused to join everyone else and head for Dunkirk but struck out alone looking for a boat. He found one, sailed it to England single-handed and four days later he reached the little east coast village of Shingle Street. After hitching a lift to Ipswich, he took a train to Colchester and then walked to his mother-in-law’s house. “When she opened the door to him, she fainted,” says Cheb. Determined to get back into action, he eventually joined the newly formed 18th Reconnaissance Regiment. In late October 1941, he set sail for the Far East on the ill-fated Empress of Asia, which was dive-bombed with its precious cargo of arms and equipment within sight of Singapore. As the ship blazed and listed, Pagani leapt back on board to retrieve his rifle
and pack in which he kept his treasured photos of his wife and young son. Just two weeks after arriving, the British surrendered. But once again, Pagani decided to break away from the herd and resolved to escape.
At the docks, he found a sampan full of fish manure, invited four others to join him, and set sail as the city was consumed by fire and explosions. After island hopping, their frail craft was hit by a massive tropical cyclone. Hanging on for dear life, they were inundated by the full force of the storm. They were lucky to survive and they reached Sumatra and what they believed was safety – but their hopes were short-lived. The Japanese were close behind and after attempting to hijack an old steam tug, Pagani was seized by the Japanese and drafted into a labour battalion.
It was a grim awakening to what lay ahead. Death was an everyday occurrence and Cheb recalls how “he never got over having to sit with the dying, and then having to wash the dead body, plug the orifices, and then carry the corpse sewn into a rucksack slung between two poles to the burial site.”
Pagani was taken by ship to Thanbyuzayat, the base camp for the infamous Burma railway.
“However long it took, he would find his way back to her”