▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁he ▁spent ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁as ▁prisoner - of - war ▁during ▁which ▁time ▁he ▁caught ▁di ph ther ia . ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁two ▁more ▁difficult ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁prisoner - of - war ▁in ▁the ▁Om ori ▁camp ▁in ▁Tokyo ▁Bay ▁spent ▁doing ▁forced ▁labour ▁in ▁ra ily ards ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Tokyo ▁do cks . ▁ ▁Ber tr am ▁witness ed ▁first ▁hand ▁the ▁dev ast ating ▁effect ▁of ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁of ▁the ▁Tokyo - Y ok oh ama ▁area , ▁and ▁saw ▁the ▁coming ▁of ▁the ▁vict orious ▁Al lies ▁by ▁air ▁and ▁sea ▁after ▁the ▁Japanese ▁surrender ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁later ▁years , ▁rather ▁than ▁talk ▁of ▁his ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁Japanese ▁prisoner - of - war , ▁he ▁would ▁direct ▁people ▁to ▁books ▁by ▁Sir ▁Laur ens ▁van ▁der ▁Post ▁saying ▁' they ▁are ▁true , ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁few ▁other ▁books ▁about ▁the ▁Japanese ▁are '. ▁Ber tr am ▁thought ▁it ▁unlikely ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁prisoners ▁still ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁would ▁have ▁surv ived ▁had ▁the ▁war ▁not ▁been ▁brought ▁to ▁a ▁sudden ▁end ▁by ▁the ▁atomic ▁bomb . ▁ ▁Far ▁Eastern ▁Commission ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁Ber tr am ▁was ▁back ▁in ▁Japan ▁as ▁an ▁advis er ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁deleg ation ▁led ▁by ▁Sir ▁Carl ▁Ber ends