Noon arrived, but there were still no signs of anything arriving in the camp, so we all assembled and then walked out of the camp. The Japanese did not lift a finger to stop us. We took over some lorries and travelled to Kobe, and late that night we returned loaded with food, cigarettes, and clothing and, of all things, beer! That night, our first of freedom, was a celebration in which those who took part will never forget.
From this time onwards, we were able to go where we wished, and actually we took over the whole city of Osaka or what was left of it. We went into the main section of the city (which was still intact in parts) and entered the hotels, ordering what we wished.
In the next few days many of us took the opportunity to travel on the railways to see other parts of Japan and also to try to contact other POWs in the mountains who might not have been informed that the war was over. Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, Kyoto, Wakayama, Kyama, Hiroshima and many other places were visited, by parties of POWs.