Arthur Metherell's life spans service, captivity, and resilience forged through war's brutal discipline and perseverance.

Arthur Metherell was born in London in 1914. He left school at 14, and two scholarships taught him cabinet making. On graduation, he secured a position designing furniture for the fledgling British film industry. But he fell out with his boss - who had been taking credit for Arthur's work. At a loose end at the height of the depression era, Arthur was recruited into the Devonshire Regiment - a move that pleased his dad as both he and his own father had been regular soldiers in the Royal Artillery. Arthur transferred to the Royal Engineers and in 1938 - shortly after he met a young nurse - he was posted to Singapore. There he enjoyed all the advantages of a young NCO in a tropical posting in the British Empire: a relaxed work environment; opportunities for recreation; and the prospect of soon returning to the UK. The outbreak of war put an end to that third advantage, although until the invasion of Malaya, military life in Singapore was minimally affected by the war. That ended in February 1942 with the garrison surrender to the Japanese.

At first the PoWs were incarcerated in the military complex at Changi, where Arthur had been stationed. Conditions were rough, so when the Japanese started to move prisoners out of Singapore, some felt that conditions couldn't be any worse. How wrong they were. Starting with the overcrowded "hell ship" that transported them to Korea and ending up in the forsaken wilds of Manchuria. Arthur's memoir vividly captures the deprivations of PoW life and the despair of constantly being told they would never see home again. The NCOs and other ranks were marched to a factory daily to do manual work, but the officers invoked the Geneva Conventions that relieved them of such indignities. Furthermore, the officers adopted an attitude that permitted them to take for themselves what few privileges there were - the men under their command be damned. What was there to live for? Red parachutes drifting from a low-flying American aircraft when liberation was at hand after the dropping of the atomic bombs. On repatriation, his nurse was waiting for Arthur despite 71/2 years of separation. They were married 10 days after the troopship docked in Southampton.

Arthur re-enlisted and he and his new bride were posted to West Africa - where they and other survivors of the war determined to make the most of life. Postings to Germany and a return to Singapore - much changed from its pre-war opulence - along with an officer's commission saw out Arthur's military career. It was followed by a stint as a civil engineer at Southampton docks until a retirement hastened by ill health that he attributed to medical issues suffered as a PoW.