| Every person alive today owes a debt of gratitude | | | | over the camp and not to be afraid. When it dropped |
| to the brave men and women, who served in World | | | | supplies we just couldn't believe it! There was tinned |
| War Two. Many sacrificed their lives, others were | | | | food, paper and pencils, and toilet paper. We were so |
| maimed and injured in battle, or on the home front. | | | | happy when we walked out of the camp." |
| St Dunstans is a charity founded in 1915, to help blind | | | | He eventually got back to England in November 1945. |
| and visually impaired ex-servicemen to re-build their | | | | He received a letter while he was on the Suez Canal, |
| lives. Below is the life experience of Stan Grimsey. | | | | telling him what life was like back at home. |
| One of the many ex-servicemen and women,who | | | | Stan's sight had begun to deteriorate while working |
| have benefited from the kind generosity of the | | | | on the railways: |
| people who support St Dunstans. Stan joined the | | | | "I was a PoW for three years and eight months. We |
| infantry in 1939. For two years, his first duty was as | | | | were denied proper food and medicine and given just |
| chauffeur to the brigadier of the 54th infantry | | | | rice ¬ so I suffered from a lack of vitamin B and |
| brigade. | | | | lost my sight." |
| Stan eventually left his station at Hereford in April | | | | He first became a St Dunstaner in 1977 and has been |
| 1941 for the Andes, stopping to train - and fight - at | | | | a permanent resident since 1979. |
| Rio, Capetown, Bombay and Singapore. | | | | "I enjoy life. I call St Dunstan's my heaven. I've got |
| "I lost a lot of my friends defending Singapore. It | | | | so many friends here and everyone has been very |
| was an awful scene there, unbelievable carnage." | | | | kind to me. I've got everything I need here. I'm very |
| Stan was captured in Singapore, and made to work - | | | | happy here." |
| in the quarry, building a railway - while staying in tents | | | | Stan still keeps very active. He did the Hastings |
| in the jungle. He was kept prisoner for over a year. | | | | half-marathon aged 86 and still enjoys ballroom |
| "The conditions in the camps were awful. We did 18 | | | | dancing. He says: |
| hours or more a day sometimes. All we would eat | | | | "I'm so grateful to St Dunstan's - they've done a |
| was horrible rice, and maggots. There were so many | | | | great deal for me. I have my own room here at |
| of them in the rice, that you couldn't even pick them | | | | Ovingdean and the staff are so friendly - it really |
| out." | | | | feels like home." |
| Though he sometimes finds it difficult to bring himself | | | | After reading about Stan Grimsey`s life. Don`t you |
| to talk about the traumatic experiences of being | | | | feel proud that our country had such brave and |
| kept prisoner, Stan feels that it is important that | | | | courageous men in it`s darkest day`s. I know I felt a |
| people know what happened and history is | | | | little ashamed of my own petty credit crunch worries |
| remembered as it was. | | | | and problems in life. Because they don`t seem so bad |
| "These men knew exactly what they were doing to | | | | after all, compared to the struggles of Stan. If you |
| the lads, it was an evil scene." | | | | want to help people like Stan. There is a link to the |
| When Japan surrendered, Stan was building an airstrip: | | | | St Dunstan`s donation web-page below. Please give |
| "A parachutist walked into the camp and said, 'you | | | | generously. I thank you in advance for your kind |
| are free'. He told us a bomber would do a trial run | | | | generosity. |