Unbreakable Glass!

YOU’RE still my hero after all these years: George’s wife Gladys gives him a peck on the cheek

A true hero at 96
A WAR hero who survived a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp and six tropical diseases has been honoured with a military convoy.

George Glass (96) enjoyed a celebration of his life and achievements that saw 150 of his friends waving flags and a convoy of military American vehicles roll up as part of the festivities.

The war veteran was secretary at Brookdale Golf Club, Woodhouses, for 22 years — playing golf up to a couple of years ago — with the club organising the surprise VJ day/George Glass celebration in his honour.

The convoy, organised by Paul Higginson of Yanks in Saddleworth, transported George to the golf club where his friends were waiting to welcome him.

And to take him back there were also war-time songs and jitterbug dancing.

George was born in 1914, and joined the Army in 1933. He was captured by the Japanese in 1941 in Changi, Singapore, and held in a Japanese prisoner of war camp for more than three years.

He contracted six tropical diseases and his life was saved in an emergency operation when Captain Eric Cruickshank drained fluid from George’s brain. The doctor then prevented the Japanese officers from sending George to the railways as he was too weak to travel.

While in captivity he was forced to work in a concrete foundry. George was eventually released by the Americans after the Japanese surrendered in 1945. He was 10st 10lb when captured and weighed just 4st 7lb on his release.

George, who now lives in New Moston, was taken by the Americans to Canada where he was transferred back to England.

After the war, George travelled to Aberdeen to thank Capt Cruickshank and after scouring the telephone directory he rang a Cruickshank only to find that the number was the captain’s uncle, Professor Cruickshank.

He eventually spoke to the captain and said “you won’t remember me, I’m Sergeant Glass from Singapore” to which the captain replied: “How are your eyes George” — a reference to the legacy left by his disease. The captain had tried to trace three soldiers after the war to see if they had survived, with George being one of them.

The pair were reunited at a local hotel where they hugged and George thanked him for saving his life.

They reminisced about who had survived and who did not return. George kept in touch with Capt Cruickshank until he left for the Far East to find cures for tropical diseases.

George has kept an amazing array of memorabilia from his captivity, including a note the prisoners were forced to sign and the regulations for prisoners.

He has even kept some money, pictures and many letters and drawings from his time in the camp. The one regret George had is that he did not have a picture of Capt Cruickshank.

George stayed in the Army until 1955 and met his wife Gladys while serving. They have now been married 61 years.

At the celebration, a special presentation was made to George of a book of his life called Unbreakable Glass and there was a surprise when he was handed a beautifully framed picture of Capt Cruickshank.

It moved George to tears and he described it as the best present he had ever had and that it would have pride of place on his sideboard. George and Gladys said the day was a complete surprise and a most memorable day in their lives.