One Man's War

by Stan Arneil

'One Man's War' is the diary of a young Australian army sergeant, Stan Arneil, kept as a prisoner of war during World War II. It covers the entire period of imprisonment from the fall of Singapore in 1942 through the infamous Burma railway camps, his return to Changi and his repatriation to Australia in October 1945.

Arneil kept the diary - written on scraps of stolen paper - partly for his family and partly to help himself stay sane. His simple, direct account of day-to-day prison camp existence in all its horror is vivid and moving. Arneil's struggles with his own depression, illnesses and his rarely abating homesickness are a moving testimony to an individual's courage and resilience in appalling conditions. Throughout his ordeal, Arneil never lost his faith, his extraordinary optimism, humanity and will to survive. He always managed to find something for which to be grateful - even when he was barely alive.

The text is accompanied by George "Changi" Aspinall's remarkable photographs. Both diarist and photographer risked death if their efforts were discovered by their captors.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 5 out of 5]

During World War II Stan was a member of the Australian Eighth Division, stationed in Singapore. He was there, unfortunately, when the Allied Forces surrendered Singapore to the Imperial Japanese Army on 15 February 1942. All troops immediately became Prisoners of War.

This book is Stan's diary of his life from the fall of Singapore in 1942, to his eventual return to Australia on 9 October 1945. Stan wrote, "The recording of the facts became not so much an obsession with me but a lifeline which gave me a link with my home. As the years rolled over our heads and our numbers decreased all the time the journal became more and more important to me as a means of telling someone, sometime, of the facts which unfolded before us daily." (pg 2)

He survived Changi prison camp, and work on the Burma-Thailand railway. He survived horrible tropical diseases, and afflictions. He survived the agony of watching other soldiers dying like flies all around him.

At first, I thought this might be a 'dry' read, as diaries often are, but it is definitely not. Stan writes quite well, despite the hellish conditions, and his thoughts drew me into his existence as a POW. I have read several books about the POWs who worked on the Burma-Thailand railway, and this diary can easily stand amongst the best of those.

5 Stars = It made a significant impact on my heart, and/or mind. It moved me. I won't forget it.

[Ruby Arneil · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandpas diary entries from being a Japanese prisoner of war during World War Two. A special read

[David Vernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

To write a review of a diary could be considered churlish as diaries are invariably written for the author (or his family/friends) and is rarely written for a wider audience. Thus if you are reading this book for a thorough understanding the privations Australian (and allied troops) who were PsOW and what they suffered under the Japanese you will be sorely disappointed. Stan gives a reasonable feeling for the appalling suffering of the PsOW simply through the repetition of his continual mentioning of food and disease. But the view is a narrow one. Only twice does he mention his captors — leaving out the brutality of the Korean and Japanese guards was probably a survival mechanism — he did not wish his diary to be discovered but if it was then he didn't want such details to add additional risk to his existence. But this deliberate oversight whitewashes out a huge aspect of the PsOW experience. This is an important contribution to our understanding of PsOW experience but provides only a very limited view.