Podcast Summary: Words at War – "Prisoner of the Japs"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: February 20, 2026
Original Air Date: August 7, 1943 (Radio Play)
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Words at War 43-08-07 (07) Prisoner of the Japs
Source Material: Based on Gwen Dhu's memoir, dramatized for radio

Overview

This episode from the classic "Words at War" radio series dramatizes Gwen Dhu's harrowing experiences as an American reporter trapped in Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion of December 1941. As someone present during the city's siege and eventual surrender, Dhu witnessed firsthand the fall of this British colony to Japanese forces, the brutal conditions of internment, and, ultimately, her journey to freedom through a prisoner exchange. The episode captures the resilience, trauma, and fleeting moments of hope among Allied internees while revealing the psychological tactics and propaganda of the Japanese occupiers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Backdrop: The Fall of Hong Kong

• [00:47] The program opens with Gwen Dhu pondering, “Hong Kong. What is Hong Kong anyway?” — setting the scene for the coming invasion.
• The Narrator answers with geographic and political context: "One of the most powerful outposts of the [British] empire.” ([00:56])
• Colonel Tada, a Japanese officer, interrupts to assert Japan’s dominance: "Perhaps you have not heard of Japan's Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere." ([01:03])
• The Japanese aerial and artillery assault begins, marking Hong Kong as the newest theater of World War II. ([01:20])

2. Personal Account of Siege and Surrender

• Gwen Dhu recounts December 8, 1941, as her “last day in Hong Kong”—until the Japanese attack halts all departures. ([02:40])
• She describes daily life under siege: endless gunfire, civilians and soldiers crammed together, and the gradual depletion of supplies. "[The city] was squeezed like a nut in the jaws of a nutcracker..." ([02:40])
• Moments of humanity break through, as in her exchange with Arden, a weary young volunteer:
  • Arden admits: “I used to wonder how I'd feel if I killed a man. ... Now, if I could personally kill every Japanese on this island, I'd be happy.” ([04:20])
• The turning point comes with the white flag of surrender: “[We] must bow to the blood stained banner of the rising sun.” ([09:16])

3. Captivity and Psychological Warfare

• After surrender, Dhu and fellow internees are processed by Japanese guards, enduring both humiliation and psychological tactics:
  • Dhu remembers: "Whenever I see teeth too big for a face or a bayonet too long for a gun, I'll think of those Japanese guards." ([09:50])
• Suffering is punctuated by grim humor, as a prisoner notes the Japanese leave their enemies’ bodies unburied:
  • "They consider it a particularly delicate form of insult to let them lie there day after day in the sun under the flies." ([10:53])
• Prisoners are herded into windowless, overcrowded spaces with minimal food or water, yet small acts of solidarity—singing carols on Christmas Eve ([12:36])—provide moments of relief.

4. Testimonies of Atrocities

• Dhu meets a Red Cross nurse from St. Stephen’s Hospital who tearfully recounts Japanese war crimes:
  • "[The Japanese] killed Dr. Whitney. Dr. Black, too. ... Tell them in America so they'll know what our enemies are like." ([13:22])

5. Encounters with Colonel Tada

• Colonel Tada emerges as both antagonist and complex character—bridging cruelty and a twisted sense of respect for Dhu’s courage.
• He invites Dhu to tea (“An invitation to tea with the jailer...I was hungry...I was a reporter.” [16:48])—she accepts, seeking both nourishment and a story.
• Their conversation becomes an ideological duel:
  • Tada boasts: "We would rather die for Japan than live for her. ... Soon the whole world will be speaking Japanese." ([18:30])
  • Dhu retorts about American anger over Pearl Harbor: "I'm afraid Americans will never forgive you for striking while your ambassadors were still in the White House talking peace." ([19:37])
• The scene ends with a symbolic act: Tada gifts her a jar of jam, underscoring the strangeness of their relationship. ([20:21])

6. Endurance and Resistance in Internment

• Life in the internment camp is marked by starvation, disease, and a strict regime:
  • “Eight or ten to a room, men and women together...” recounts Dhu, including her encounter with a guard’s mock-execution with a bayonet. ([14:47], [15:00])
• Jokes and celebrations—like a birthday toast or unveiling the precious jar of blackberry jam—lift spirits fleetingly:
  • “That’s right, General...We’re going to open it now. See, didn’t I tell you it was a real party? Blackberry jam.” ([24:46])
• Hopes rise as rumors of a prisoner exchange (“So many Americans for so many Japs.” [22:00]) circulate, culminating in final liberation.

7. Perspective on the Cost of War

• The episode ends with a sobering postscript from Gwen Dhu:
  • “Some of us came home. But 150,000 Allied soldiers and civilians are still prisoners of the Japs. Tonight we have tried to tell you what that means. ... Perhaps if you can remember what we have said tonight, it will help us to crush Japan's new empire before the friends we had to leave have died.” ([28:29])
• A final reminder of the enduring trauma for those not as fortunate: “Prisoners of the Japs.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |---------------|---------------------------|-----------| | 02:40 | Gwen Dhu | "The city was squeezed like a nut in the jaws of a nutcracker until the shell of it and the meat of it were mash." | | 04:21 | Arden (Volunteer) | "I used to wonder how I'd feel if I killed a man... Now, if I could personally kill every Japanese on this island, I'd be happy." | | 09:50 | Gwen Dhu | "Whenever I see teeth too big for a face or a bayonet too long for a gun, I'll think of those Japanese guards." | | 10:53 | Prisoner/Internee | "They consider it a particularly delicate form of insult to let them lie there day after day in the sun under the flies." | | 13:22 | Red Cross Nurse | "Tell them in America so they'll know what our enemies are like." | | 17:37 | Colonel Tada | "I admire courage. I was very much impressed... you did not show fear. So I thought, sometime I will see this American newspaper woman. We will talk together." | | 18:30 | Colonel Tada | "We would rather die for Japan than live for her... Soon the whole world will be speaking Japanese." | | 19:37 | Gwen Dhu | "I'm afraid Americans will never forgive you for striking while your ambassadors were still in the White House talking peace." | | 24:46 | Gwen Dhu & Prisoners | "[Celebrating with Blackberry jam] See, didn't I tell you it was a real party?" | | 28:29 | Gwen Dhu | "Some of us came home. But 150,000 Allied soldiers and civilians are still prisoners of the Japs..." |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:47–02:40] — Opening, Gwen Dhu’s arrival and background in Hong Kong
• [02:40–07:01] — The siege, key characters introduced, peace offer and rejection
• [09:16–12:34] — Surrender, internment, and Christmas Eve among prisoners
• [13:22] — Nurse’s testimony to war crimes
• [14:47–16:48] — Psychological torment in the prison, bayonet incident, invitation to tea
• [17:14–20:21] — Tea and ideological exchange between Dhu and Colonel Tada
• [22:00–25:22] — Life in the internment camp, humor, and the jam celebration
• [27:04–28:29] — Prisoner exchange and liberation
• [28:29–29:30] — Gwen Dhu’s closing appeal to the audience

Tone and Style

The episode employs a tense, immersive tone—part direct reportage, part dramatic interpretation—mirroring both Gwen Dhu's journalistic detachment and the trauma of those interned. Interactions with Colonel Tada blend dark humor, tension, and displays of mutual psychological warfare. Monologues and conversations unfold with a sense of urgency, intended to inform, warn, and evoke empathy from the wartime listener.

In Summary

"Prisoner of the Japs" remains a sobering, firsthand account of the fall of Hong Kong and life under Japanese internment, dramatized for a wartime radio audience. Through Gwen Dhu's eyes, listeners witness the resilience, camaraderie, and suffering of civilians under siege and captivity—including moments of humor and hope. The episode closes with an urgent reminder of the ongoing plight of prisoners still in Japanese hands, calling for continued resolve on the home front.

Further Listening

Next Episode Preview: "Love at First Flight" by Charles Spalding and Otis Carney (scheduled in the original 1943 broadcast series).