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  • The Hard Way: Surviving Shamshuipo POW Camp 1941–45
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The Hard Way: Surviving Shamshuipo POW Camp 1941–45 Paperback – Illustrated, Oct. 1 2011

4.0 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

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The diary of the inhabitant of a notorious POW camp reveals shocking breaches of the Geneva convention while highlighting the incredible ingenuity and resourcefulness of Allied soldiers



Major Vic Ebbage was a Colonel with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, serving in Hong Kong in 1941, when his garrison was attacked by the Japanese Army. He was captured and taken prisoner to the notorious Hong Kong death camp, Shamshuipo, where he was held from December 30, 1941 to August 1945. His story is an extraordinary one of survival against all the odds, as well as a story of how a group of men worked together to improve conditions in the camp for their fellow prisoners. They were offered nothing by their captors but the constant command to "improvise," which they learned to do by recycling salvaged materials into everything from homemade nails, cooking pots, and plates, to surgical instruments, beds, and nesting boxes. His diary demonstrates how individuals can work together in an almost unimaginable adversity to improve life for their fellow people, and how imagination and innovation can flourish in even the worst conditions. This story is a model of care, humanity, and inventiveness.

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About the Author

Andrew Robertshaw is a museum curator, military historian, author, and broadcaster. He has written five books about aspects of military history, including Somme 1 July 1916 and is a subject matter expert for the British army. He has hosted several shows on World War I for the BBC.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The History Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ Oct. 1 2011
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0752460641
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0752460642
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 318 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.29 x 20.32 cm
  • 鶹 Rank: #290,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

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Victor Stanley Ebbage
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4 out of 5 stars
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  • macrae777
    5.0 out of 5 stars An insight into life at Sham Shui Po
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    As someone who was born in Hong Kong a few years after WWII ended I was keen to read this book because some of my parents' friends had spent time either in Sham Shui Po or Stanley camps. Most were reluctant to tell their stories though a few tales were gleaned from them on very rare occasions. I wanted to read especially about the Japanese invasion of HK from someone who experienced it first hand and Victor Ebbage was closer to the front line than I would ever like to be. The years do dull our memories but the author was incredibly clear about what had happened yet when he was vague about some things he admitted that he was less certain. He also had made notes - well hidden from the Japanese - to which he was able to refer.
    It was fascinating to learn about how the men improvised; how they repaired clothes, shoes, spectacles, built ovens from odds and ends. He also made a point of telling us that the Japanese weren't feasting on tons of fancy food while the prisoners ate minute quantities of scraps and slop. He also said that not all the captors were vindictive.
    I did find a couple of minor errors in the book though these were the editor's doing. For example, Victor was captured by the Japanese at Stanley a few days after the invasion and was taken to Sham Shui Po. Between his capture and entering the camp he was in Murray Barracks in Stanley, according to the editor. In those days the Murray Barracks were located in Central (not far from St John's Cathedral). The barracks building was demolished carefully and rebuilt in Stanley on the south side of HK island towards the end of last century. Don't let this minor point stop you reading this as it is an amazing insight into the day-to-day life of POWs as well as the "interesting" behaviour of their detainers. I found it difficult to put down.
  • Nan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2015
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    Great book.
  • Marian
    4.0 out of 5 stars Quite interesting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2016
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    Good account of one man's work during confinement to keep men in line and more importantly alive with as good as possible morale. More a list of achievements rather than story of whole life during imprisonment. Maybe a lot of things were to painful to recount.
  • ifg
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good account of daily life
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2014
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    Thus account is historically invaluable, in that it describes the daily domestic business in a FEPOW camp. Whilst not avoiding the unspeakable horrors, these are detailed in other excellent books, while this work gives us an insight into how the challenges to make life as tolerable as possible under the conditions were tackled.
  • MacBeth
    2.0 out of 5 stars My father was in this camp ( captured Christmas Day ...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2015
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    My father was in this camp ( captured Christmas Day 1941 at Stanley) and wrote down his experiences. They vary somewhat from this recount. This seems to be a bit on the "holiday camp" side! This guy must have had special treatment!