-
After the war Bill came
home a changed man, he had
spent many years in the far east and had to learn to live again as a
normal person instead of living day to day like a hunted
animal. During his time as a chindit he had been captured
3 times, his family noticed ridges on his back,when
questioned about them he reluctantly told of being wired
to a tree for many days with the japs tightening the wire
1 degree every day. Bill would never buy a Japanese
product or allow anything Japanese in his home for the
rest of his life. He returned to Lancashire and married
Elsie. They set up home in Westhoughton just outside
Wigan. Bill worked as manager of a gold mine for the
Ashanti Gold company Africa, but returned to his roots
and became a training officer for the National Coal Board
until his retirement through ill health. He was planning
to emigrate to New Zealand to be near his son Howard
Michael but became ill with emphysema and sadly died. His
death was difficult and painful and his former captain,
Lofty Howard, wrote to his widow expressing grief at the
hard last hurdle Bill had faced. Bill Clift had fought a
hard war and suffered greatly for his country. He came
home from the war having been awarded the Military Medal,
the Pacific Star with Burma Clasp, the 1939-45 Star, the
War Medal and the Defence Medal. He was indeed a brave
man. We will never forget him, or others who fought for
our freedom.
-
- The wind is in the palm
trees and
- the temple bells they
say,
- come you back you British
soldier,
- come you back to Mandalay.
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