Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2011 | Page 36

interview

Island Life - February/March 2011

Jim Long, Jim & Pearl Harley, and Doris Long touring
Devon and Cornwall (1937)

Jim Long doing
his first Sky Dive
at the age of 94!
Netherhaven by
Salisbury

Jim Long pictured (right) in Wick, Nth Scotland with his
Sergeant doing 24hr perimeter guard. (1941)

was over!
“Earlier we had cleared an area in the

eat any of it,” said Jim.

reduced the dosage.

They stayed in Rangoon for two weeks

Jim was finally demobbed in February

jungle for Japanese fighter planes to

for medicals, and were then transferred

1946, and because there were no

land. But the first plan e that did touch

to Calcutta – now wearing overalls and

butchers’ shops to return to his

down on the makeshift runway was

boots for the first time in over three

original trade, he decided to apply to

a Dakota, which ran off the end into

years – to meet a hospital ship, and be

become an AA patrolman. But his dad

the jungle. One of the first things the

taken via the Mediterranean and the

persuaded him to take a job in the

British did before they left was to blow

Bay of Biscay to anchor just off Cowes.

Post Office which he did, and worked

up the bridge – “all that hard work,

“I thought to myself, my home is just

at the head office in Newport until

and they blew it up. But I didn’t give a

over there, I could swim over. But the

his retirement shortly after his 60th

s*** about that,” smiled Jim.

next day we went into Southampton,”

birthday.

More planes arrived to begin the
evacuation, with the British prisoners

he smiled.

Later he began raising money for a

It was October 1945, and the war – if

variety of charities, more recently for

flown out 30 at a time, and taken

not the memories – was finally behind

injured servicemen returning from

to the sanctuary of Rangoon. Jim

them. Jim returned to Melbourne

Afghanistan, which has included a

recalls that the plane he flew in bore

Street, Newport, where his wife lived,

parachute jump just a few months ago -

testament to a vicious and bloody war.

but after years of capture found it

at the age of 94!

It had no doors on, and its body was

difficult to adapt, and spent many days

“I also did a bit of campaigning,

riddled with bullet and shrapnel holes.

just walking the roads of the Island to

because if I didn’t think things were

enjoy the freedom that he had been

right I would let the authorities know.

were met by Countess Mountbatten,

denied for so long, and come to terms

I suppose I have always been a bit

wife of Lord Mountbatten, who took

with the atrocities he witnessed and

bolshie,” he concluded.

them into a hangar for a celebration

suffered.

When they arrived in Rangoon they

tea. “It was just like a children’s tea

He was given leave from the October

party, with bread and butter, cakes

to the following February, and was

and cups of tea. But our stomachs had

prescribed three valium tablets each

shrunk so much with having very little

day. In the end he was frightened to

food for so long, that we could hardly

go out the front door, and gradually

36

Jim Long - a truly remarkable man,
with a truly remarkable story.

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