landing and doing aerobatics. A Japanese small boat came along with trinkets to sell, small little parasols and fans etc. some of which Mother bought for me. I have no idea how she paid for them, possibly it was with yen left over from her visit to Japan as a tourist three years earlier. The following morning at about 7.00 am a pilot boarded our ship and took us first into an anchorage in the outer harbour of Yokohama, and then next day we moored onto a buoy in the inner harbour, where we just sat for a further nine days. We finally got a berth on the 3rd July and then we were all transferred to yet another German ship the Hamburg - America line “Ramses”. This too was an elderly ship of about 10,000 tons which was moored alongside another German ship called “Haveland” which in turn was moored to the quay. There was plenty of comfortable accommodation, in open holds and it was back to hammocks once more, but the crew from the Captain downwards were all very courteous and polite and helpful in every way. For the first time since we were captured we had the opportunity of reading a Japanese English Language newspaper, and learnt of the defeat that they had suffered at Midway. On board the Ramses we met up with a further 32 prisoners including one woman, from a Greek ship the “Pagasitikos” with whom we were all to share our future fortunes together. All around us there was tremendous activity in the port and on the wharves nearby. There was a large French liner of over 20,000 tons (presumably Vichy) and another similar sized Japanese one both of which had their decks packed with troops which departed shortly after our arrival. Everywhere tugboats were working, the warehouses and docks were swarming with workers, coming and going and loading etc. As far as the eye could see, spread out before us was the great busy port with all its buildings in pristine condition, untouched by the war. When we were to return three years later to the same part of the harbour, there was to be scarcely a brick higher than three foot off the ground! The humid heat was incredibly oppressive. Little did we know but we were in one of the hottest recorded Japanese summers. To add another problem to the heat, shortly after our arrival they started to load barrels of whale oil which has an all pervasive fishy odour which permeated everywhere, adding to our discomfort. On the morning of the 10th July all the prisoners were assembled on the deck and we were given a short address by the young German assistant Naval attaché, Captain Sauerland. He gave us all a pep talk saying: “It is impossible to tie up valuable shipping in time of war just to hold prisoners. So it has been decided that all of you, with the exception of the Service Officers who will go separately to a military camp, will be transferred to a camp in the country where you would still remain German Prisoners, but will be under the direct control of the Japanese Police for day to day supervision. You will be leaving later this evening by train for your new destination at Fukushima. where the accommodation will be good” When he had finished making his speech, and everyone was dispersing, Mother without saying a word to anyone else suddenly stepped forward and went up to him and said: “ Sir excuse me, but I have a request to make. I do not trust the Japanese and I have in this small parcel all my family jewels and trinkets that have been handed down to me. Please Sir , I would kindly ask you to put them in the German Embassy safe, and return them to me after the War is over.” The fair haired young Captain was completely taken aback. He drew his heels together standing sternly to attention and then replied in a very serious and rather severe voice:

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