My Father's Book

Compellingly told by daughter, Elizabeth Carter

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A title which will strike a chord with many COFEPOWs. This new work both documents a Far-East POW’s redoubtable impulse to catalogue the depravity of captivity in south east Asia, whilst committing events to a secret diary hidden in his RAF cap, whilst living with the fear of its discovery. Compellingly told by daughter, Elizabeth Carter.

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‘My Father’s Book’ is a profound, moving, and honest story that brings to light the forgotten voices of Far-East POWs during the war. Author, Elizabeth Carter, relates the story of her father, Tom, and is told through his secret wartime diary, personal letters and government telegrams. The book traces the harrowing journey of an RAF crewman, from the hopeful early days of his and his wife’s courtship in wartime Birmingham, to being captured halfway across the world by the Japanese in 1942 and imprisoned for over 3 years across there mote islands of south-east Asia.

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Transported through prison camps in Java, Sumatra, Haruku and the Spice Islands, Tom endured starvation, disease, torture, and forced labour. Yet, at great personal risk, he kepta secret diary, hidden in the lining of his RAF cap. Through his words, the daily realities of captivity are witnessed - brutal beatings for minor infractions, starvation, untreated tropical diseases and the dreaded “Hell Ships” that carried POWs across the Pacific. Yet, there are moments of humanity - whispered jokes among prisoners, secret kindnesses from locals and the unbreakable camaraderie of those captured.

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Liberation in 1945, however, did not end Tom’s struggle. Like many former POWs, here turned home physically free but emotionally scarred and advised by the authorities to stay silent about his experiences. Decades later, his daughter Elizabeth fulfilled her father’s wish by compiling and completing his story. It’s a memoir of Tom and his devoted wife, Joan, but also a tribute to the men who showed extraordinary courage and to the women who waited and endured.

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This remarkable book ensures that the history of an entire generation is not lost to silence.It is an essential read for historians, descendants of FEPOWs, and anyone seeking to understand the enduring human cost of conflict. The work is 352 pages long and is priced at £12.99. ISBN-10-1738423409. The book is available from Amazon. Hardback and paperback versions are also available directly from the author - please email: Liz.carter54@btinternet.com