Vietnamese Grandfather during WW2

Well, I'm sure the Southeast Asian theater of the war is something most people aren't that familair with. I mean, the big ones are obviously Europe and the South Pacific. But I myself have a relative who came from Southeast Asia and became wrapped up in the war as early as 1940.

My grandfather grew up in central Vietnam in a small village south of Hue. Since the late 1800s, the country had been a French colony. The colonists were under the command of the Vichy government during WW2, but regardless of this the Imperial Japanese Military still invaded in September of 1940 (you can find more info on this if you search the internet).
My grandfather, like many Vietnamese, obviously did not like the fact that the French were running his homeland, and when the Japanese arrived he thought that this was the moment when freedom had finally arrived. The Japanese had this propaganda policy of "Asia for Asiatics" that they broadcasted across East Asia to try and get locals to work for them. My grandfather believed that Japan was there to help Vietnam gain its independence, and so he volunteered to help the Imperial Army troops fight the Vichy French colonists by acting as a scout and pathfinder during the invasion.

After the Japanese defeated the Vichy colonists, they signed a deal with them that let the French keep control of domestic affairs in Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) but gave Japan full military control of the region. My grandfather accepted an offer from the Imperial Army to fight for them in return for a promise of freedom for his country once the Axis won the war, and so he was sent to a training camp near Saigon as part of the Japanese 5th Army Division.
When he was 20 years old, the Imperial Army sent him to fight the British and Australians during the Malayan Campaign in early 1942. He served alongside regular Japanese soldiers, and apparently was sent on quite a few missions to probe for weak spots in enemy lines, which basically means that at any given time he and two other guys would be out there in the middle of the jungle trying to dodge Allied patrols while gathering intelligence.

I'm not sure exactly how many times my grandfather was engaged in full scale battles, but he did tell me several stories about running into small enemy units and fighting in 5 to 10 man skirmishes. Some of the stuff he recounted seems pretty frightening, like one occasion when he and a Japanese radioman were stationed in a foxhole just beyond of the Axis front lines. They were supposed to be looking out for enemy troops, and apparently my grandfather went out to relieve himself at one point, and when he came back the entire place was covered in blood and bits of the radioman. From what he said it looked like someone had thrown a grenade into the foxhole, which had gone off and completely obliterated the guy he was with. He says that if he had been there three minutes earlier, it would have been him that was blown apart as well.

Another story he told me was about when he and a platoon were sent to clear out this small wetland area that had been entirely ripped apart by aircraft bombs. He was going through a few houses looking for survivors, when a western soldier (not sure if he was Aussie or English) jumped out and hit him in the face with a shovel. My grandfather tried to get back on his feet, but the guy already had him pinned on the ground, and the only way he was able to get free was by pulling out his bayonet and stabbing the guy a couple times in the stomach. Somehow I guess the enemy soldier survived, because when my grandfather was taking him back to the Japanese he discovered a medal on the guy that I guess was given to him by his own military. It had a picture of a crown and an elderly woman standing in profile on the front of it (if someone might have some idea of what I'm talking about it would be great if you could let me know.)

Anyway, after the Japanese defeated the Allies in Malaysia, my grandfather was sent to a garrison in southern China, where he basically spent the rest of the war guarding outposts and supply lines from Chinese guerillas. After Japan surrendered he had to escape from the Japanese military before the Chinese could capture him, and walked for over five days across Canton and north Vietnam to get back to his family. He never got any medals or awards for fighting with the Japanese, and of course his country had to fight for another few decades to finally get its independence.

That's pretty much all I know about him. Most of this he told me during the last time I visited him in 2006. If I can I would love to try and get some more detailed accounts of his experiences during the war. I think every story, even that of someone fighting under the Axis flag, deserves to be told. My grandfather was just another person who tried to help his nation gain freedom by helping an army that gave him false promises. He still says he has a certain degree of respect for the Japanese fighting man (although not their wartime government) and also told me he understands the hardships felt by the Allied defenders of Malaysia, and that he in every way regards the British soldier of WW2 as an honorable fighting man.

That's really all I've got. Let me know if any of you guys find my family story of any interest. I am going to ask my grandfather a few more questions about the war when I get the chance, and if anyone is interested I'll be happy to post any more info I get

 

Thanks for the story and welcome to the forum. There are very few left now who can speak of what they did and saw in the better known theaters, so accounts from a more obscure front are very welcome indeed. Please do not be concerned that grandfather served on the Axis side as that matters to us not at all. Indeed his acounts would be so rare as to be treasured by our members. Please by all means ask him what you can and post as much as possible!