Our squadron of five flew in tight formation, streaking towards our target. Through narrowed eyes, I scanned the horizon for any sign of the warships. Then I saw them; tiny, black dots on the ocean, getting bigger and bigger by the minute. Although I was frightened out of my wits, knowing that victory is impossible. I put my finger on the firing button and let out a ferocious battle-cry like the scream of an enraged beast. As I got within range of my guns, I opened fire, the plane shuddered and shook; the battle had begun.
The skirmish was brief and deadly, but the result was never in doubt; our planes were shot down one by one, exploding in huge bursts of fire. I was shot down over an island, and my plane went into a nose- dive; the centrifugal force causing it to spin round and round in circles. Like a wounded bird plunging from the sky, the plane was plummeting toward the trees. The sickening impact and the resulting force threw me out of the cockpit. Like a rag doll, I was thrown into a ball of flames. The darkness engulfed me and I willingly submitted to its cold embrace.
The next thing I knew was that I was in a dark and shabby room. I was caught by the British soldiers! I’m doomed. “Get moving, Japanese scum!” the British soldier said maliciously, prodding me with the bayonet on his rifle. My eyes scanned the prison camp for a means of escape, but my effort was in vain. The camp was heavily guarded; chances of escaping were slim. The enemy’s soldiers were a cruel and cold bunch. I could not believe how they had the courage to torture us to this extent. Despite the terrific odds stacked against me, I was determined to escape the clutches of my captors.
We decided to plan a foolproof escape plan. My inmates were very co-operative, despite their injuries. We decided to build a secret tunnel to crawl out of the camp. The equipment for digging was all accumulated by bribing some of the ‘good’ soldiers. It was a long and treacherous job to dig the tunnel as we had to build beams for support. The bad thing was that when it rains, the tunnel will be flooded. On that fateful day, we set off on our journey to freedom. After fifteen minutes of crawling, we finally reached the end of the tunnel. I opened the latch of the exit of the tunnel. What a wonderful night it was! We could smell it, the air of freedom. Out of the blue, a team of British soldiers rushed out. Alas, we had been betrayed! In a moment of foolishness, I pushed away the soldiers and made a desperate run for freedom. The British soldiers opened fire simultaneously. I screamed as the bullets thumped into me. But that didn’t stop me from running. I must escape! I could not die! Not here! The shock of the impact tore into my back, and then I felt so weak and plunged head-first to the ground. Then the firing stopped. Then, I could feel my body being hauled. I opened my eyes weakly, then I saw my army friend, he was smiling and said “we are free,” I smiled, “yes, we are free at last.” Consciousness again slowly faded away. How we got away I’ll never know.