21st February 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the death of Eric Liddell.
If you have seen the film “Chariots of Fire” you will be familiar with the gist of Liddell’s story (though the film alters, for dramatic effect, many of the details).
Liddell was a brilliant Scottish sprinter who was regarded as a strong prospect for the gold medal in the 100m at the 1924 Olympics. However, he discovered that the heats for the 100m (and for the 4×100 and 4×400 relays) were to be held on a Sunday, and as a devout Christian he refused to participate. He switched his attention to the 400m which he won in world record time. (He also won the bronze medal in the 200m.) Shortly after, he retired from top level track and field and went to China as a Christian missionary. In 1943 he was interned in a prison camp, at a place called Weihsien, by the invading Japanese army and he died in the camp on 21 February 1945.
The film is a favourite of mine, only partly for its excellence. I am a Christian, I have Scottish ancestry, I was a 400m runner (though vastly inferior to Liddell) and a scene in the film was shot at Motspur Park which was my home track when I competed for University of London Athletic Club.
But there’s another reason. Duncan Hamilton’s biography of Liddell, “For the Glory”, describes in detail Liddell’s immensely beneficial influence in the prison camp. In that book there is a reference to the last letter Liddell sent from the camp to his wife, in which Liddell referred to a “forthcoming camp wedding”. I am sure that that referred to the wedding of the Reverend Edwin Davies and Nelma Davies, who survived the internment and many decades later were friends of my parents.
Liddell was to be best man at the wedding, but died a few weeks before it took place.
My mother tried to persuade Mrs Davies to write an account of the wedding, but as far as I am aware she never did. I spoke only briefly to Mrs Davies about her experiences in the camp and do not recall Reverend Davies ever describing them to me. The following narrative is based only on what my mother told me.
Life in the camp was a struggle. Food was always in short supply, other material necessities like clothing and shelter were barely adequate, and medical supplies were well short of sufficient. Boredom, despair and frustration often created tensions between internees. At times people found it difficult not to lapse into habitual selfishness.
But when Edwin and Nelma announced their engagement many other internees enthusiastically helped with the wedding plans. Most of the internees had needed to pack hurriedly when the Japanese had summarily ordered them into internment, and many had brought odd things on impulse, and some of those things were very useful for the wedding. One woman hadn’t been able to bear being parted from her wedding dress, so she had it at the camp and she lent it to Nelma. A man who had few valuable possessions hadn’t wanted to abandon his one really well made suit, and he lent it to Edwin. A journalist had brought his typewriter and he typed up invitations and orders of service.
The camp rallied around to prepare for the occasion. Rations were hoarded, extra food was obtained by black market trading with the local Chinese, and a large shed was cleared out and cleaned till it was spotless.
And so, in the prison camp, Edwin and Nelma were married and were able to celebrate at a proper wedding reception.
A day or so later, Nelma was walking in the camp when she saw a lady who had been one of the most significant contributors to the wedding. Nelma went over and started to than the lady for what she’d done. The lady interrupted, and told Nelma:
“We should be thanking you. For one night I actually forgot I was in a prison camp.”
Weihsien was liberated on 17 August 1945. Reverend Davies and Mrs Davies had survived and would live long, eventually residing in Geelong together till, well into the 21st century, they were separated by Edwin’s death. Some time in March 2020 – I don’t know the exact date – would have been their 75th wedding anniversary.