Valor: The Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man's Defiance and Indomitable Spirit

During the Battle of Corregidor in May 1942, Lieutenant William Frederick "Bill" Harris was 25 years old and captured by Japanese forces. He escaped from hell on earth by swimming eight hours through a shark-infested bay but was betrayed by treacherous islanders and handed over to the Japanese. He was held for two years in the notorious Ofuna prisoner-of-war camp and was continuously starved, tortured, and beaten. After liberation, he represented American Marine POWs during the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay before joining his father and flying to a home he had not seen in four years.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 18 September 2023
Publisher: St Martin's Press

Lieutenant William Frederick "Bill" Harris, at the age of 25, found himself captured by Japanese forces during the Battle of Corregidor in May 1942. Despite facing the harrowing ordeal of being shipwrecked on the southern coast of the Philippines, he managed to escape from the hellish conditions by swimming for eight hours through a shark-infested bay. However, his journey was far from over.

After being sheltered by a Filipino aristocrat who was engaged in guerilla fighting, Harris embarked on a treacherous journey through hostile waters to China. After 29 days of misadventures and violent storms, he and his crew finally limped into a friendly fishing village in the southern Philippines. For months, Harris and his crew evaded and fought against treacherous islanders, who ultimately betrayed him and handed him over to the Japanese.

He was held captive for two years in the notorious Ofuna prisoner-of-war camp outside Yokohama, where he endured constant starvation, torture, and beatings. Despite the unbearable conditions, Harris never surrendered. In an act of resilience, he taught himself Japanese and used his language skills to create secret codes to communicate with fellow prisoners.

After his liberation on August 30, 1945, Harris played a crucial role in representing American Marine POWs during the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. He then joined his father and flew back to a home he had not seen in four years. Through military documents, personal photos, and an unpublished memoir provided by his daughter, Harris's experiences are vividly revealed through his own words in a captivating new perspective on the Pacific War.

Weight: 300g
Dimension: 227 x 151 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781250799456