Transcription
Albert Dirkzwager, ex KNIL soldaat
Oude Rijksweg 27
4472 AD 's- HeerHendrikskinderen
Amsterdam, 16 oktober 1999.
Het onderstaande ingezonden bericht naar "the Times" is door gestuurd naar vader Ab Dirkzwager die, van 1942 tot eind 1945 als KNIL soldaat in Japans krijgsgevangenschap heeft doorgebracht. De Nederlandse overheid heeft de soldij over die periode niet uitbetaald.
The times Oct 15, 1999: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
"Call to recompense PoWs of Japanese",
From Lord Healey and others.
Sir, We write in support of The Royal British Legion's campaign for a
much-deserved special gratuity from the Government in recognition of the
extraordinary suffering and hardship British PoWs endured during the
Second World War at the hands of their Japanese captors.
No one will dispute that the £76 that most PoWs received after the war was
quite inadequate. Documents recently discovered clearly show that the 1955
UK Government quite deliberately decided to conceal its decision not to
pursue a claim for better compensation under the terms of the 1951 peace
treaty, as it was fully entitled to do.
Unknown to the British people, ministers preferred to stay silent in
the alleged interests of better trade and diplomatic relations with Japan.
There is now unprecedented all-party support for a special gratuity,
shown by 275 MPs, 65 peers and by 71 per cent of those asked in a recent
national opinion survey.
We owe a debt of honour to these men and to their families who also
suffered, in recognition of what they endured in the service of this country.
It is already much too late for many of them, but for those who remain and
their surviving widows we believe themGovernment should at last heed the
people's wish to recompense our former PoWs of the Japanese.
Yours etc,
DENIS HEALEY,
RICHARD OXON:.
SLIM.
BERNARD WEATHERILL
c/o The Royal British Legion,
48 Pall Mall, SWIY 5JY.
October 15.10.1999
