No Cook's Tour

Sapper Derek Clarke tells the true and gripping tale of his journey to the front line and fight against the Japanese Imperial Army and life as a Prisoner of War in Changi, Taiwan and Tokyo prison camps 1941-1945.In moving description and fine original sketches he reveals the daily work and characters that make up his world during this period which included three and a half years' imprisonment. Often humorous but never bitter in spite of the beatings and deprivations, Derek brings home to the ordinary reader a sense of the amazing will to survive that emerged under appalling conditions and of the spirit that kept the men going under forced labour conditions. Artist Derek, along with his musical friend Harry Berry, contributed much material for prison camp shows that helped keep up the spirits of the 600 plus prisoners from many countries held at Omori prison camp in Tokyo 1943-1945. This is the "sister" book to "My Darling Wife: The true wartime letters and diaries of Harry Berry to Gwen 1940-1945" which covers the same period.