Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, met ex Royal Marine James ‘Jim’ Wren at his care home in Salisbury and he shared with her his stories of sacrifice ahead of the 80th anniversary of VJ Day
A 105-year-old war veteran who survived being torpedoed at sea and more than three years in a Japanese prisoner camp has shared stories of sacrifice and heroics with the Duchess of Edinburgh for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Sophie, 60, sat down with a cup of tea and cake with ex Royal Marine James “Jim” Wren at his care home in Salisbury. The war hero told the Duchess, who is patron of the Java Far East Prisoner of War Club 1942, how his ship was sunk by Japanese torpedoes before he was later captured and held in a prisoner of war camp.
The nation will pause in memory of the end of World War II in the far east on Friday as the King and Queen lead commemorations for VJ Day.
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But Sophie kicked off the memorials, swapping stories with Jim at Old Sarum Manor Care Home, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. The Duchess said: “Very nice to meet you, thanks for having me. It’s my honour to meet you.”
She sat with Jim and four generations of his family including daughter Denise Dables, 69, son-in-law Andy Dables, 72, granddaughter Kirsty Dables, 51, and great-granddaughters Freya, 18, and Ellie, 16. And looked engrossed in his stories and memories.
Jim survived the sinking of HMS Repulse in the South China Sea in December 1941 – in which 513 perished. He told Sophie: “I was having a cup of tea and the alarm went off.
“The first bomb got right behind me. And fortunately it didn’t explode. It got down through three decks. That saved my life in a sense. From then onwards it was a case of actions, actions, and it was torpedo after torpedo and they eventually got nine hits.”
He clung into debris before being rescued by HMS Electra and taken to Singapore to defend it against the advancing Japanese. But as they fled Singapore his ship was captured by a Japanese destroyer in February 1942 and spent three and half years in a brutal prisoner of war camp in Sumatra.
He told the Duchess: “It was a possibility we could perish and all those people on board. We didn’t know where our next meal or drink would be coming from and left to get on with it as best we can. They had no idea how to deal with prisoners of war, the Japanese.”
Sophie and Jim looked through a photo album including a picture of his wife Margaret and he told the Duchess she didn’t know if he was dead or alive for more than three years. After a brief chat in front of the media Sophie and Jim had a private conversation.
Speaking afterwards Jim said: “It’s been a great honour to meet her.” A Chinese-registered vessel has previously been detained suspected of looting scrap metal HMS Repulse.
And Jim has joined calls for the ship’s anchor to be installed at the permanent memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, at Staffordshire. He said: “We would like the anchor to go to the memorial at the National Arboretum.”
He also got emotional speaking about the 80th anniversary commemorations coming after last year’s D-Day anniversary and VE-Day earlier this year.
He said: “When we got back the government didn’t want to know and told us not to talk about it.” On Friday, the King will release an address to mark VJ Day and join the Queen at a Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.