I was tortured by sadistic prison camp guard in Angelina Jolie blockbuster: British victim of 'The Bird' reveals how Japanese psychopath 'crucified' soldiers and got so excited saliva bubbled round his mouth

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The only British survivor of the brutal Japanese POW camp featuring in Angelina Jolie's new blockbuster has revealed his own ordeal at the hands of the sadistic guard who 'crucifies' his victims.  
In the movie, which was released on Boxing Day, Officer Matsuhiro Watanabe relentlessly tortures the one-time Olympic hero Zamperini by making him hold a railway sleeper over his head for 37 minutes.
The film has enraged Japanese nationalists who have denounced it as a 'fabrication' with 'no credibility' and called for Jolie to be banned from the country.
But Tom Henling Wade knows the incident is true because he was there - as Zamperini's barrack's commander - and told MailOnline of his own utterly brutal experiences in the notorious Omori camp.
The 94-year-old told MailOnline: 'Watanabe treated us with terrible brutality and most of the time with no respect at all. He was a psychopath. Practically nothing the prisoners said coming out of that camp was a fabrication.'
Recalling one incident in which he was attacked with a 4ft kendo sword, made of tightly bound bamboo, Wade said: 'He whirled it above his head with both arms outstretched and cracked it down on the top of my head. Then he swung it like a baseball bat against the left side of my head and then the right. He just went on and on – the Japanese never know when to stop.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2880676/I-tortured-sadistic-prison-camp-guard-Angelina-Jolie-blockbuster-British-victim-Bird-reveals-Japanese-psychopath-crucified-soldiers-got-excited-saliva-bubbled-round-mouth.html#ixzz3NUGJwuxI 
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Growing up I saw a lot of Jap POWs when they returned home.
They looked like walking skeletons.
Their stories were horrific  and they all hated the Japs much more than they did the Jermans.


Don't let the Appeasers and History changers tell you anything different.

He was forced to commit suicide to save his family. (Rommel)

nicko wrote:I have read a lot of them, sadly   they appear to be by some one who makes up stories!

Really? I had heard some reckon them to be if not accurate but genuine, and that he did serve in the German army. I don't know of course you'd be better placed to judge, having been in the military.

Flix wrote:
Really? I had heard some reckon them to be if not accurate but genuine, and that he did serve in the German army. I don't know of course you'd be better placed to judge, having been in the military.

Thanks to my Grandfather I met many Veterans, being as I was studying this area of history.


Just seen this post from Nicko.

Just remember Nicko, my Irish Grandfather fought all through North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Austria.
My Sicilian Grand-Father was a pilot for the RAF on Malta.

Yours just built the planes for him and  mine were both not English, fighting for England .
Show some respect eh mate

I don't think there was any just about anyone in WW2, my mother and her sisters just made munitions, quite a few died or were blinded or lost limbs doing it.(not any of my relatives). A friends mother just 'manned' an anti aircraft gun in London with an all female crew except for the soldier - male, who actually fired it, an entire crew on the next gun died from a direct hit with a bomb, her crew ended up cleaning that up as well. When not doing that they helped rescue people from bombed out buildings. My dad was too old for the military but just fire watched and did search and rescue. Everyone had a role, everyone was interconnected.

Flix wrote:I don't think there was any just about anyone in WW2, my mother and her sisters just made munitions, quite a few died or were blinded or lost limbs doing it.(not any of my relatives). A friends mother just 'manned' an anti aircraft gun in London with an all female crew except for the soldier - male, who actually fired it, an entire crew on the next gun died from a direct hit with a bomb, her crew ended up cleaning that up as well. When not doing that they helped rescue people from bombed out buildings. My dad was too old for the military but just fire watched and did search and rescue. Everyone had a role, everyone was interconnected.

My Father started smoking at 7, when the war came to Malta, where they literally were for 3 years was one of the most bombed places in WW2. They were literally starving to death, where he never made us forget, how precious food was and to never turn your nose up at it. This never came from any beating mind, but more from awe what he went through. He watched people die daily, was injured himself with shrapnel and even had to be admitted to an orphanage, because his Mother was having his sister in labour, whilst his dad was in the service of the RAF.
Nobody could care for them, they had to be placed into care, until his Mother was able again
Tough life for a 7 year old, made him a man way too early and took away his childhood.

Malta certainly had it rough. Many people grew up too soon and lost so much. One of my brothers was stationed there in the late 50's, he loved it, well still does he and his family go back every year, they have friends still there that he made in the 50's.

Didge, I have respect for all who fought in the war, why you should say I haven't i'v no idea, unless of course you wish to start another argument!

nicko wrote:Didge, I have respect for all who fought in the war, why you should say I haven't i'v no idea, unless of course you wish to start another argument!

First of all. Happy New Year Nicko

Second you seem to be insinuating someone was making things up, which when you generally do this, it is pointing the finger in my direction.
Of course if I am mistaken, I shall happily concede my point to you was wrong.
So maybe you can help clarify up the following:

 they appear to be by some one who makes up stories!

Flix wrote:Malta certainly had it rough. Many people grew up too soon and lost so much. One of my brothers was stationed there in the late 50's, he loved it, well still does he and his family go back every year, they have friends still there that he made in the 50's.

Happy New Year Flix

Very friendly place Malta, one of my favorite memories is my brother getting married there with so many of my family being there to not only celebrate his marriage but also enjoy a holiday together. So many of my cousins, Uncles and Aunts and siblings were there, we literally took over restaurants and bars on nights out.

On a completely different note I do find the way they rotate those who have passed away a touch lacking in respect, though I guess they do not have much choice on this due to space, where they bury them on top of each other to only again remove their bones later to make way for those who have more recently died.

An article in "Soldier Of Fortune"  published in 19 75 was written by a German Soldier  who stated "Sven Hassel  was not the commander of a tank as he stated in his books, he was an ordinary soldier who did serve on the Russian front and was fond of, in his words "telling stories". I have no reason to disbelieve this.

nicko wrote:An article in "Soldier Of Fortune"  published in 19 75 was written by a German Soldier  who stated "Sven Hassel  was not the commander of a tank as he stated in his books, he was an ordinary soldier who did serve on the Russian front and was fond of, in his words "telling stories". I have no reason to disbelieve this.

Oh you were talking about Sven Hassel, my apologies.

I read many of these books in my youth as well as those by Leo Kessler.

The best account I read of an account in the German army was the book "The forgotten Soldier"
Have you read this Nicko?
Of Guy Sajer, who was French. There is of course contention on the accuracy of his time in the Panzer-Grenadier-Division Grobdeutschland, but it is the best personal account I have read from the German perspective.

This also with the biography of "Otto Skorzeny my Command Operations" that I have which recounts his memoirs.
Though again some of his claims have been questioned by some of his former troops. It still makes for very interesting reading even if he was a fanatical Nazi, where there is no denying, some of his clandestine operations were not only very daring but very successful.

Scorzeny   was a brilliant soldier , one of his successes  was to rescue Benito Mussolini from a mountain where he was a prisoner.  He landed gliders on it and he and his men carried out a successful operation!

Let us not forget
Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Maine 11 Commando and SAS: DSO (3 Bars) Mentioned in Dispatches, Legion d'honneur, Croix de guerre.


(Deserved and should have been awarded the VC)

wyatt1 wrote:Let us not forget
Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Maine 11 Commando and SAS: DSO (3 Bars) Mentioned in Dispatches, Legion d'honneur, Croix de guerre.


(Deserved and should have been awarded the VC)

Happy New Year Wyatt


100% agree.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/mayne.html

Phil Didge wrote:

Happy New Year Wyatt


100% agree.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/mayne.html

Had a mate "Paddy L******  from Cork,  big big bloke, mad as a hatter and brave as a lion. When, (not if) he got drunk he would challenge anyone within range except for his own mates (about 8 of us)  and no-one in their right minds accepted, any who did ended up in sick bay if they were lucky.

Happy New year to you too Didge.

wyatt1 wrote:
Had a mate "Paddy L******  from Cork,  big big bloke, mad as a hatter and brave as a lion. When, (not if) he got drunk he would challenge anyone within range except for his own mates (about 8 of us)  and no-one in their right minds accepted, any who did ended up in sick bay if they were lucky.

Happy New year to you too Didge.

Sounds as big as a lion Wyatt.
Cheers mate.

Phil Didge wrote:



Sounds as big as a lion Wyatt.
Cheers mate.

He was also a PTI (physical training instructor)  He was one of my instructors in basic training and we came together again in a "team" a long way away a few years later. One of the best friends I ever had.

wyatt1 wrote:
He was also a PTI (physical training instructor)  He was one of my instructors in basic training and we came together again in a "team" a long way away a few years later. One of the best friends I ever had.

Sounds like the person most would want as a friend Wyatt.
Which regiment were you in Wyatt? My Father was in the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, my Irish Grand Father in the 78th Battleaxe Division.
 
Thank you for sharing mate, always like to hear about personal experiences of other people that posters have.

Phil Didge wrote:


Sounds like the person most would want as a friend Wyatt.
Which regiment were you in Wyatt? My Father was in the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, my Irish Grand Father in the 78th Battleaxe Division.
 
Thank you for sharing mate, always like to hear about personal experiences of other people that posters have.

Royal Marines,  40 Commando, then 41 Cdo, 42 Cdo, 43 Cdo.

40 was based in Malta,  finished a stint there and came back to 41 in the UK and so on and so forth.

wyatt1 wrote:
Royal Marines,  40 Commando, then 41 Cdo, 42 Cdo, 43 Cdo.

40 was based in Malta,  finished a stint there and came back to 41 in the UK and so on and forth.

Bloody impressive mate.
Bet you have stories to tell mate.

Takes getting used to the heat out in Malta.
My dad told me he once got put on charge for taking his shirt off whilst serving, cant remember where, but he said it was the second highest recorded temperature for the time, so it must have been damn hot considering he grew up on Malta.

Phil Didge wrote:


Bloody impressive mate.
Bet you have stories to tell mate.

Takes getting used to the heat out in Malta.
My dad told me he once got put on charge for taking his shirt off whilst serving, cant remember where, but he said it was the second highest recorded temperature for the time, so it must have been damn hot considering he grew up on Malta.

Some stories people would not believe and some are too hairy to repeat. 

Yes it was certainly hot, but funny enough it never bothered me and I had blonde hair then.  We used to nip over to Libya for LRDG type training and that was really hot, I never burned but anyone who got a bad sunburn could be put on a charge for a self inflicted injury. 
We used to have some wild runs down Strait St.   

I loved swimming in the Lido, loved Malta and the people.


Is that the 78th Flash in the avvy.??

wyatt1 wrote:
Some stories people would not believe and some are too hairy to repeat. 

Yes it was certainly hot, but funny enough it never bothered me and I had blonde hair then.  We used to nip over to Libya for LRDG type training and that was really hot, I never burned but anyone who got a bad sunburn could be put on a charge for a self inflicted injury. 
We used to have some wild runs down Strait St.   

I loved swimming in the Lido, loved Malta and the people.


Is that the 78th Flash in the avvy.??

Yes mate.
Funny you say Tunisia, as that I think was where it was, he never burned, just that he was so hot, said something about salt tablets as well. I love it in Malta, as you say the people are lovely and so friendly, helps also when I have some relatives there also.
Stories for late night when the girls are alseep then?

Phil Didge wrote:



Yes mate.
Funny you say Tunisia, as that I think was where it was, he never burned, just that he was so hot, said something about salt tablets as well. I love it in Malta, as you say the people are lovely and so friendly, helps also when I have some relatives there also.
Stories for late night when the girls are alseep then?

We were issued with salt tablets,  if your sweat did not taste salty you were heading for trouble .  We were also issued with "paludrine" tablets,  but that was mostly in the Far East.

We were based in St. Andrews Barracks and  the Highland Fusiliers were based next door in St. Patricks .(we knocked the crap out of them one night down the Gut.)

wyatt1 wrote:
We were issued with salt tablets,  if your sweat did not taste salty you were heading for trouble .  We were also issued with "paludrine" tablets,  but that was mostly in the Far East.

We were based in St. Andrews Barracks and  the Highland Fusiliers were based next door in St. Patricks .(we knocked the crap out of them one night down the Gut.)

I have no doubt.



Am not surprised, I hear and read they make you guys very tough in the Royal Marines.
That most have been foul to have to take salt tablets, would make most other people yak I guess, but clearly you had little choice back then?
Have always had an interest in many of the armed forces of Britain.
Well have a good evening Wyatt, would love to hear some of the stories, as am always fascinated by such experiences people have in the forces.

Catch you later.

Phil Didge wrote:




I have no doubt.



Am not surprised, I hear and read they make you guys very tough in the Royal Marines.
That most have been foul to have to take salt tablets, would make most other people yak I guess, but clearly you had little choice back then?
Have always had an interest in many of the armed forces of Britain.
Well have a good evening Wyatt, would love to hear some of the stories, as am always fascinated by such experiences people have in the forces.

Catch you later.

The salt tablets were very small , bout the size of a saccharine tablet and with a swig of water you hardly noticed them.