Sunk then sent to ‘slavery’ camp

ROYAL Marine James Wren was 19 when his ship HMS Repulse was sunk by the Japanese in the South China Sea off Malaya.

He survived but 500 shipmates lost their lives. Now 101, he said: “I lost many good friends. I can still see their faces.” He was soon pitched into jungle warfare only to be captured, spending threeand-a-half years in PoW camps in brutal conditions.

“It was slavery. In my final camp there were about 1,300 men, but many died when rations were cut back. I was only about six stone by the end.” He made it home to marry his sweetheart Margaret.