Bangkinang and the experience of a 17 year old girl. During World War Two in the former Dutch Indies Bangkinang had 2 Japanese Internment camp, because the Japs kept the man and boys older than 12 years separated from the women and the children. Bangkinang was in the middle of a jungle of rubber trees and about km from Padang. Men and women camp were about 2 km apart. During the month of December we had to leave our prison in Padang and had to walk with our spare luggage to the station.
The blinded trains then brought us to Pajacombo and from there the Japs transported us, 35 people per open truck, and a total of to women and their children to Bangkinang. All happened under the burning sun and no food and water. The whole transportation to our new location in the jungle took more than 8 grueling hours. The main problem in this women-children camp of about , as in all Japanese camps, is the severe hunger and lack of medications, not to mention the cruelty of some of the Japanese, Korean and Indonesian guards.
Her mother had arrived in the camp separately from Meity, because she had a leg surgery due to infection and had to be transported with other sick people. On each truck transporting prisoners from Pajacombo to Bangkinang with heavy winding roads was also a Japanese guard. This guard on the truck she was seated, was constantly looking at Meity, while she was holding her golden necklace with at the end a cross with in-bedded stones.
When the Japanese soldier got her attention he pointed to himself and made a catholic cross sign to let her know that he also was a Christian. Meity understood him and made also her catholic cross sign. Once in Bangkinang this Japanese guard approached her, gave her a package and indicated her to hide it under her close. Later in the barak, she opened the package and it was dried salted fish. He had given her food.
Some of the Indonesian guards were helpful smuggling letters between the women and men camps. A prime exchange spot was, gruesomely enough, the camp mortuary called Kuburan, a structure located between the two camps. Following the death of a person, we were permitted to come to view the body for the last time and at the same time letters were exchanged.
