Aunt Sylvia - Part 1

Last night I read from some of the pages of my great-aunt Sylvia's story.  (Sylvia is my grandmother's younger sister, born one year after her in 1909.)  She was taken captive by the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII while serving as a Christian missionary with her husband and two boys in Indonesia.  She was imprisoned from 1942 until 1945.  The copy I have of her story is on thin typed paper. I'll transfer most of it here so I have a second place to keep it.

Today, I discovered a book that has several pages written about my Aunt Sylvia.  Drumbeats That Changed the World  How exciting!

Walk With Me
Faith of My Mothers

"My First Internment"
by, Sylvia Sirag

"In October 1942, the American and British women and children were taken to the Police station to be interned in camp.  The officials who came to our home that morning gave us a few minutes to put things into the suit case and snatch a few things to eat.  I put it all into a large kettle to take to the Police station.  There we sat, many women and children awaiting the Japanese officials.  After waiting till noon we hardly felt like eating the food we had snatched from the house.  Not sensing the gravity of the situation, the children were still quite happy and ate as usual.  Finally, little three-year-old Paul began to sing:  

'Cheer up, cheer up, for Jesus is on the throne,

He will supply all your need from on high,

Cheer up, Cheer up, Cheer up.'

This was the message we needed.  We often act as though He [Christ] is not on the throne.  I praise God for the children who so often have been a blessing to me, even in the midst of terrible circumstances.  We felt the Lord would some way make a way out for us,, and He did:  We were one of the two parties who were permitted to go home after the Japanese officer came.  When we arrived home, we went over to Mr. Ho and found that they had been faithfully praying and believing that we would return.  [The return only lasted a short two months] In December, we were called again to appear at the office for internment.  This time the entire white population of the allied nations was taken.  We had to report with a very limited amount of baggage.  After registration with the officials we were marched down to a large school.  Everyone was scrambling to find a place on the floor to sleep.  Hundreds of us were huddled together in one school for four days.  Then the few men among us were sent to Bogor, the men's camp. [This is when my uncle was taken from her.]  

The Japanese officials informed us that we were under the Imperial army of Japan and that any disobedience would be severely punished.  We were told we were to be sent to Bandoeng.  He did not make it clear that we must do our own cooking, house keeping, etc.  Thus we had no pots or pans.  We were allowed a few minutes to go home to get some warm blankets etc., as it is cold in Bandoeng Hill climate.  

The next day we were marched down to the depot and onto the train.  We were packed on to crowded coaches so close we could hardly move.  Thus we sat for four or five hours traveling.  From thence we were loaded in big buses or trucks and taken to "Camp Karees" in Bandoeng, where there were 8,000 women and children.  This portion of the city was walled with bamboo fence and barbed wire and was well guarded by watch towers of Japanese soldiers.

Arriving tired and hungry after a day of strained travel and waiting, we greatly appreciated food our Heavenly Father had provided through kind friends of the camp.  We had to wait standing on the street until nightfall for the appointment of our room.  Each family was given a room according to the number in the family. This usually meant five to ten families in a house built for one family.  

As no normal kitchen conveniences were available, we all had to cook outdoors on the ground with a cement or clay bucket.  This will give some conception of the difficulties experienced.  

A few months later, an additional 350 women and children were added to the camp which meant being cramped in more crowded quarters.  The Japanese officials adopted the simple plan of marking every third house, requiring it to be vacated and the occupants to find another place to live.  After this procedure had been followed and all had settled in their new quarters, I was astonished when the Japanese came and said, 'Why are you not out?'  Our house had not been marked and no indication given that we were to move but that did not avail.  We were told to be out by 1:00 p.m. or the stuff would be put in the street.  We did not even have a place to go, yet we must pack and move into the yard.  We had to do it ourselves as so many others were moving ad we could not get help.  How bravely my little boys, three and four years, did their share in carrying things to the house we had been directed to down the street.  Beds, chairs, and boxes had to be carried by mother and two tiny boys.  The room was given to accommodate six (2 families).  But there was not room for even our three beds!  Weary and sick at the impossible situation, I wondered what was to be done.  Again our Heavenly Father undertook for His overwrought servants, and before nightfall of this trying day.  accommodation was found for the other family, leaving this room for us."

-Aunt Sylvia