Spending three years as a prisoner of war in Japan still brings back painful memories for Chepstow’s Arthur Selway but there is one place where he can always feel happy – home.

He tells his story to RUTH MANSFIELD.

BEING taken a prisoner of war affects you. My nerves were all over the place when I returned home and I thought I was a stranger when I was released.

If I hadn’t had my wife, Freda, I wouldn’t have been so good. I would walk down the street not wanting to see anybody. If I saw somebody I would try and turn around and go the other way. But she was the one who would always encourage me to carry on walking.

The doctors advised us to push ourselves when we were released and to go to dances or the pub to see people and get used to being around others again. It was hard, though, because it had been a completely different life out there.

I joined the Royal Air Force in 1941 after volunteering at the age of 16. If I had waited to be called up I could have been put anywhere but if you volunteered yourself you could choose which force you joined.

It was for boyish reasons I chose the air force. I was going to be a big flyer.

I was born and raised in St Arvans, but on joining the air force moved to places including Skegness and Wolverhampton before sailing from Glasgow in the December.

They didn’t know where to put us at first, though, because that was when the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour.

We were just sailing on the ocean and I remember having my Christmas dinner in the bay in South Africa.

We went to Freetown and Capetown and then moved on to Japan in 1942.

It was in March 1942 that I was taken prisoner and I remained a prisoner of war until 1945, when the war ended.

I got moved around and spent time at places including Glodock prison in Batavia, as well as in Singapore and Hakodate, Japan. I also spent time in Ohashi at the prisoner of war camp.

I kept a book of notes while I was there, full of dates and where I was, as well as poems and addresses and records of letters and parcels. That has now been copied by the Imperial War Museum but I have the original copy still.

I mostly remember the food while I was prisoner as we were working hard. We were working eight to ten hours a day in iron ore mines and they were quite intense days. I used to have to walk five miles a day to work and then back again too. We were fed rice and a little bit of veg but that was seven days a week. We’d have tea to drink or water. Some of it was clean.

My teeth went loose because of the food but I remember as soon as I started eating other food again, they went back to normal.

You got very down being a prisoner.

I remember one of the chaps got to the stage where he wouldn’t get up and get washed. I had to treat him like a baby just to get him going and get him through it. We used to have to keep each other going.

I was quite fit and quite young but I still needed others to keep me going.

Letters from my mother and father and grandfather helped too, and letters from Freda, although sometimes I’d receive the letters and realise they were three months old so I’d still be worrying that everyone was all right.

I’d met Freda before I went out to war. I’d been carol singing in Wyndcliff Court when I was 16 to try and get myself some extra money and she came out to join us. We all knew we would have to go to war soon and it was a special occasion. We ended up at the house of a woman who had a piano, which she would play for us.

The front room was crowded and there was no room for Freda to sit.

The woman told Freda to sit on my knee and she did. It wasn’t until 1945 that I was released from being a prisoner of war. It was marvellous. The thing I remember most was on the last camp and an American plane flew over. One of the crew was leaning out of the plane and said in a broad American accent: “You’re going home, boys.”

We didn’t go home straightaway.

We went to Tokyo and then came across Canada. We’d stop at stations and women from the WI would be there with cigarettes and chocolates for us.

I’d have liked to have stopped in the air force but when I came home I got married to Freda in Ruthin in September 1946. It was a great day.

Her wedding dress was made from parachute silk and she saved up coupons with her family to get it. I’ve kept her wedding dress to this day.

Her father was always quite strict with me. He kept his eye on me but he was a good man too.

Me and Freda then moved to Wyndcliff View, St Arvans, where we brought up our two sons, Denis and Robert.

I worked in a brush factory back at home and in a grocery shop up until my retirement.

I was involved in the community a lot, too. I played football, cricket and darts. I’ve always enjoyed sport. I played for Chepstow Town Football Club too.

The village hall used to be a big part of the community. There used to be concerts and all that type of thing there. We’d go dancing, too, and to the cinema.

On a Saturday night I used to catch the 6pm bus to Tintern with Freda and meet my mates there for drinks.

Then we’d catch the 9pm bus to Brockweir and go to the dance, but then we would have to walk home at the end of the night. That was a long old walk.

Freda sadly passed away in 2004 but I still spend time with my family now, including my three grandchildren, visiting them in Bridgend and in Yorkshire.

I’m still involved in the community too. I go to Thursday Club at the village hall, which includes activities such as skittles, yoga and bingo, and on a Friday I go into town to meet my friends.

I was also a member of the Chepstow branch of the Royal British Legion and received a certificate for my service and dedication.

I got medals during my time in the air force too, for my service and for the protection of Great Britain, as well as a Pacific Star.

When I look back on my life I do get emotional when I think of my time as a prisoner. I don’t think about it often, but then there’ll be a play on the television and it will bring back the memories.

It can still be upsetting at the best of times but I don’t think about it too much.

I’m still at Wyndcliff View and celebrated my 90th birthday recently. It was a great day.

I had friends and family mark the occasion with me at the Piercefield in St Arvans.

I’ve enjoyed being here, so why go elsewhere? I know so many people here now and I don’t think there are many people here who don’t know me now, really. I’ve just always been happy here. It’s my home.