POW son released a month after Denis dies

When Denis Ahern breathed his last and passed to the other side, he left not knowing where his son, William Vincent Ahern was. His last knowledge of William was as a prisoner by the Japanese after the Battle of Hong Kong in World War Two.

Born in Limerick, Ireland in 1871, Denis came to Australia at 19 years old and worked in the agricultural industry on his uncle's farm in Charters Towers. Despite growing sugar cane he also raised cattle and brought the first breed of Illawarras to the Ayr district.

When William, one of Denis' three sons, left his Northern Queensland home to work with British Customs in Hong Kong in charge of the opium and narcotics section, neither of the men would know it would be the last time they'd see each other.

A photo of William after he was released from the Japanese prison in Hong Kong. Photo Townsville Daily Bulletin.

In total, William spent three years and eight months in a Japanese internment camp in Hong Kong, released only a month after his father died. While he was a prisoner, William had to undergo an operation for a duodenal ulcer. His weight dropped to 7 stone 12lbs and to get proper nourishment, especially after his operation, he had to buy food on the black market.

A tin of powdered milk and a pound of egg white set him back 221 pounds! His rations per day was 14 ounces of rice and four ounces of spinach and every 10 days he would receive one ounce of sugar and one ounce of peanut oil.

William told a newspaper of the day how they were herded like cattle and fed like pigs. Four people were housed in rooms only 14 feet by 14 feet where they would also have to do their cooking. There was no soap and no fuel and they were forced to tear up the floor boards to make a fire.

William didn't know about his father's death until he stepped back on Australian soil. It may have been a blessing for Denis not to be aware of the tribulations his son went through.

Ayr Cemetery, Queensland. Picture courtesy Findagrave.

Denis is buried in Ayr cemetery, Queensland, Australia.

References

• 'Mr D Ahern of Airdale', Townsville Daily Bulletin, Monday 20th August, 1945, Page 2

• 'Internee Black Markets Flourish in Hong Kong', Townsville Daily Bulletin, 20 Sept 1945, Page 2

• Search of William Vincent Ahearn on ancestry.com.au, accessed 16th December, 2024.

• 'Denis Ahern', Billiongraves, accessed 16th December, 2024.