I Was Poorly Trained!

Heroes Remember

I Was Poorly Trained!

Transcript

You know there wasn't much training in peace time. We went to Jamaica, there was very little training, none of it very realistic. I would say that my own training was poor, very little of it was hands on, ya I spent a good part of my time telling people how to do things even though I didn't know how to do them myself. I can remember being posted out to Fort Osborne Barracks during the summer of 1940 and I was teaching recruits how to disassemble and assemble a Bren gun. Well, I learned how to do that and I taught them. We never fired any Bren guns, we just assembled and disassembled them. No, I'm no expert, I led a completely civilian life until the war and never paid much attention to things like that although some of my brother officers were active militia officers. I can only speak for myself, I was badly trained and my impression of many of the troops, not all, was that they weren't trained at all.

Description

Mr. Golden admits that his training fell short of what he felt was necessary to adequately perform his instructor's duties prior to his deployment to Hong Kong.

David Golden

The third of four children, David Sinclair was born on February 22, 1920 in Sinclair, Manitoba. His father, an insurance salesman, moved the family to Vancouver, returning to Winnipeg when Mr. Golden was ten years old. In his third year at the University of Manitoba, he joined the Canadian Officer Training Corps. Mr. Golden missed his University graduation due to a May, 1941 call up by the Winnipeg Grenadiers. As a 2nd Lieutenant he served with the Grenadiers in Jamaica. After returning to Canada he was assigned as an intelligence officer to the Royal Rifles, with whom he went to Hong Kong. Mr. Golden was imprisoned in Hong Kong for the entire war. After returning to Canada, he practiced law.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Recorded:: June 30, 1998
Duration:: 1:25
Person Interviewed:: David Golden
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Canada
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Winnipeg Grenadiers
Rank:: Lieutenant
Occupation:: Intelligence officer

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An Uninformed Intelligence Officer

Mr. Golden, as an Intelligence Officer, describes having received no information about the enemy's movements or intentions until one day prior to their attack.

A Diary and the Fear of Death

Mr. Golden discusses keeping an illegal diary. His secret is discovered by the Japanese, the diary confiscated, and he lives in fear for his life for several days before realizing there will be no repercussions.

Hong Kong was not a Reign of Terror.

Mr. Golden contradicts the opinion of many POW's that there was a reign of terror in North Point and Sham Shui Po camps. He does, however, reiterate the claims of filth, disease, malnutrition and neglect.

Poor Rations

Mr. Golden describes a basic diet of weevil infested rice and vegetable green 'soup'. Supplements included oddities such as octopus, fish heads, and on one occasion, very unusual 'turkey'.

Cigarette Addiction

Mr. Golden discusses how addictive cigarettes eventually became to the prisoners, to the extent that even the malnourished and seriously ill would trade food for smokes.

Thoughts on Japan

Mr. Golden describes having no animosity towards the people of Japan in general. He does, however, harbor grievances against those who executed four North Point escapees, and those who denied prisoners access to Red Cross parcels and mail from home.

Date modified:: 2019-06-20