Themes
Twiss POW Transcripts
Admiral Sir Frank Twiss describing physical training in the Ofuna prisoner of war camp
Transcript: "We were taken out three or four times a day for exercise which was P.T., that was all it was, a march round the compound. You were then spread around and P.T. was taken and you did all this Japanese semi-musical P.T., you know calling out numbers and waving your arms and things about. So I used to have to conduct the P.T. in Japanese which bit by bit, with a few blows and things, I learnt enough to count. But it was in fact quite a good performance because as we weren’t allowed to speak to each other, it was possible whilst calling out these numbers to get the odd bit of news spread around. In amongst shouting one, two, three, whilst you waved your arms you could say “The Emperor’s got flu” or whatever the particular news might be."
