14 March 1918 – 16 September 2016
Blesma Member John Booth, who died at the age of 98, was a former soldier from Lancashire who survived having both his legs amputated in a Prisoner of War camp on the notorious Burma Railway
John, known to many as Jack, was born on 14 March 1918 in Chadderton, Lancashire, and was a driver for the Co-op before he joined the Royal Artillery at the age of 21. He trained in North Wales and Woolwich but his then-girlfriend, Irene, insisted they marry before he was posted overseas. John managed to get a 48-hour pass for the ceremony at St. Gabriel Church in Middleton, Manchester, on 22 February 1941. They had just one night together before John deployed to Singapore. Ten months later, John was taken prisoner of war, along with many other soldiers, as the Japanese invaded Singapore. He was forced to work 12-hour shifts on the docks in tropical heat, surviving on meagre rations of rice, dead rats and snakes.
John was later shipped with 700 soldiers to work on the railways in Thailand and Burma. He was given a job transporting water up a rock face from the river, but developed tropical ulcers on both legs after suffering insect bites and bamboo scratches that turned septic. John had both his legs amputated without anaesthetic after being given just five minutes to decide whether to choose amputation or be left to die. Four friends held him down whilst a medic PoW amputated his legs with a saw. John later said he was relieved after the operation as he had been in such excruciating pain from the ulcers. Most men died after undergoing amputation, but John and an Australian PoW, Billy Hargreaves, were the only two double amputees to survive.
When John returned home, Irene had found a cottage for them to begin married life together and they went on to raise two children. John worked for the Co-op for 30 years, carrying out maintenance jobs, and remained independent, using his prosthetics for 70 years. John joined Blesma in 1946 and latterly lived at the Blackpool Home for many years where he was loved by residents and staff. He passed away on 16 September.