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By Root 1654 0

at the docks was finished. There were some robust baseball games. Though John Wisecup, buckled by a knife-in-the-belly bout of dysentery, was unavailable to pitch, the Americans stood their ground against a formidable Australian team that boasted several cricketers whose talents readily crossed over to the chalk diamond. Charley Pryor put on a show, hitting seven home runs in the four games they played, making an indelible impression on the slap-hitting Aussies and winning them over thoroughly—“Lay on one, Yank!” Lieutenant Hamlin gave several lectures to the Brits on the late, great USS Houston and her wartime exploits. At a musical revue at the Changi parade ground, Marine Pvt. Freddie Quick, a practiced baritone, caused jaws to drop when he stood before thousands and delivered an a cappella solo of an Irving Berlin peace song that Kate Smith had turned into a sensation in November 1938. Though “God Bless America” had graced both the Democratic and Republican national conventions in 1940, it was still fresh to the ears of this audience. Quick nailed it. As Howard Charles recalled, “Everybody just sat there spellbound because he was a great singer, and he belted this thing out like you had never heard it sung before. The Japs standing along the wall had rather frightened expressions, because they were afraid that this was going to rally the men to some kind of action.” Quick left the parade ground silent.

Mostly, though, the prisoners of different nationalities entertained themselves by comparing their grievances. They debated who had the more powerful claim to having been sold out. There was resentment to go around. The Americans noticed that the British fed their dogs better than their enlisted men. Australians were allied with the Americans in their dislike of the imperious British brass. According to Otto Schwarz, some Scottish Gordon Highlanders told the Americans that if any trouble started, “they’ll be right at our sides.” In the absence of the Japanese, the British were seen by default as the hand of the enemy.

Stealing from the British became a way of life. “They had their own stuff cached away…and we made it our business to find out where they were hiding it,” said Howard Charles. The absence of good rations forced them to get creative with their menus. Stray cats—or “alley rabbits”—filled the bill. Some Australians took to ribbing the Yanks by slyly squeaking “meow, meow” whenever they walked by. Outside the perimeter of the Changi Barracks, beyond the coils of concertina wire, were some sprawling groves of coconut trees. Marine Cpl. Hugh Faulk was particularly adept at shimmying up the trees and knocking the fruits from their high perches, careful not to unleash a deluge lest it alert the guards. Once a British military policeman stopped some tree-climbing American thieves and informed them, “Those are the King’s coconuts.” The officiousness of his tone approached self-satire, though it had to be taken seriously: the penalty for stealing the King’s coconuts was a jail sentence.

As John Bartz tells the story, one time some Americans raided a British general’s chicken pen. The culprit, caught, was put in irons. Lieutenant Hamlin went to the jail and confronted the colonel in charge. “You have got to take that man out,” Hamlin said. “We do not put our people in irons. At no time do we put our people in irons.” Hamlin got his man back.

Lieutenant Hamlin was never shy about standing up to the British. One day he failed to salute a British colonel, who took umbrage at the disrespect shown by a Yank who was dressed in the ragged fashion of Serang and Bicycle Camp. The Brit declared, “Well, my man! Don’t you know you should salute?” Hamlin just stared at him. “Don’t you know who I am?” the colonel thundered. He announced his senior rank and station, whereupon Hamlin said, “Pleased to meet you. I’m Harold S. Hamlin, Acting Admiral for the American Pacific Fleet, Changi Area.”

Strictly speaking, Hamlin was within his rights to claim temporary flag rank. He was the senior U.S. naval officer at the new Changi Station