Chopsticks

Growly’s chopsticks at the imperial war museum

If you go to the online catalogue of the Imperial War Museums (they call themselves plural museums, hence the ‘s’) you can search for details of Growly’s chopsticks: “chopsticks in bamboo tube” – https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30083310 (If you’ve not seen them before, click this link to see a photo of them).

The IWM catalogue description tells that the “chopsticks and holder were made by Group Captain (he was actually Wing Commander at that point in WW2) J.E.S. Hill while in Rangoon Jail. He made the chopsticks from two slivers of wood that he took from the latrine door post while he was in solitary confinement. It goes on to say that ‘The tube container was obtained after his release from solitary confinement. The wooden stopper is wrapped in material taken from his trousers’.

Growly was taken as a prisoner of war in October 1944. The food in the jail was extremely scant, and by the time of the liberation of Rangoon Jail he weighed 6 stone. This is a picture of him that Mouse had, dated 9th May 1945.

In solitary

Didi recalls that he said he was put in solitary confinement for a number of reasons – the Japanese prison soldiers disliked his extreme height (6ft 4 in tall), he was the senior officer in the prison, and lastly his surname ‘Hill’ – apparently on being asked his name, rank and number, it was thought that he wasn’t providing details of his surname properly. Does anyone know more about this?

Growly’s things held by the Imperial War Museums, London

The chopsticks were donated to the IWM by Mouse after his death along with his medals, 5 RAF pilot’s log books, his RAF Flying Clothing Card, Flying Clothing Servicing Records, and his RAF Officers Pay and Allowances Book.

His collection of papers in the IWM catalogue are called “Private Papers of Group Captain J E S Hill DSO” and a link is provided to his DSO medal and ribbon details in the catalogue (https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30010100).

During his career he flew aircraft from biplanes to jets – including “Ansons on convoy protection duties (including Dunkirk Operation)… Hudsons on convoy protections… Beaufighters in ground strafing operations over Burma” (So says the see the catalogue listing for his items at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030003916)

Mouse’s brother – Peter Hallas

If you click the link above, hopefully you’ll be able to see the page of the log book that is currently showing (that for 28 August 1944) which shows that Flight Lieutenant Hallas had made checks on a pranged Beaufighter. Peter was Mouse’s brother who served in the same squadron as her future husband – Growly.

Match-maker

In fact it was due to Peter that Mouse and Growly met each other; at the end of WW2 Growly had made his way back to the UK, and Peter asked him to check up on his little sister, Mouse. Mouse went to meet Growly in a bar, and the rest, as they say, is history.

A mini memory

One half term (around 1982) when Mouse and Growly were looking after Ander and I, Growly showed how to use chopsticks – we had two bowls of sugar lumps and had to practice transferring the lumps from one bowl to another until we had it sussed.

Silently into the midst of things

If you’ve not already read it, you may like the book (Silently into the Midst of Things) about 177 Squadron, the squadron that Growly was serving in, in Burma, in WW2. There are a few copies rattling around the family – so ask if you’d like to. It mentions Growly and Peter by name, and gives a real and detailed flavour of life & work in Burma.

For a random memory about Growly and making walking sticks click here