Changi Larrikins

[David J Delaney]

Re-worked....

Changi Larrikins

They huddle in the bush, like thieves who strike then flee the fight
and know if they are caught, they’d not survive another night.
Just like a well drilled team, they’re confident and so refined,
then join the other prisoners where they’ve all been confined.

For fuel is gold and buys supplies that’s needed by the men
while all the while they risk of being bashed there once again.
But rendezvous they do, for Chinese and the tribes pay well,
where, only for a moment they’d forget about their hell.

Though painful death or cruelty for inmates was abound
and any misdemeanour, would bring bashings all around,
or working on that rail line where so many aussie’s died,
they kept their sense of humour and their noted aussie pride.

Word filtered through the compound that the commandants flash car,
ran dry of fuel when he approached, the freshly laid black tar.
The only give away, around this god forsaken place;
a certain group of aussie’s — with huge grins upon each face.

David J Delaney
19/02/2010 ©


Based on a true story as told by my step father-in-law, Norm Hutley,
who spent 3.5 years in Changi prison camp during world war 2.

[Heather]

Lovely Dave. You capture the scene really well.

[David J Delaney]

Thank you Heather, Norm loved this & had a chuckle as well.

[Heather]

I think my grandmother lost a cousin in Changi. I know his name was Neil and my uncle was named for him. Can't recall the surname at the moment.

Heather

[David J Delaney]

Touched this up a little for the radio reading...