Karel Aster describes in detail the fate of their wartime period from December 1941 to August 1945 in a long letter dated 10 November 1945. In his memoirs, he detailed their experience from being assigned to patrol roads for vehicles that could be salvaged, destroying useful equipment when defense in the South of Bataan was deteriorating, to the horrible condition experienced by the Prisoners of War in 1942 in different camps.

Aster began working for the Bata company in 1935 and was eventually sent to establish a factory and shops in the Philippines in 1941 under the leadership of Louis Gerbece. He worked there as buyer and businessman until the war was over. The day after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour ( 7 December 1941 ) and Philippines ( 8 December 1941 ) were attacked, Aster, who was then 21 years old, volunteered along with 13 other Czechoslovaks at the U.S. Army service. Since he, along with the 13 others, were not citizens, they were given the status “Employees of the Department of War.”

He became a prisoner of war (POW) after the surrender of US General Wainwright in Malinta, Bataan. He was part of the “Victory March” wherein US Soldiers were shown off to humiliate them to the Manila Public. From a camp in Cabanatuan, he was transferred to another camp in Las Piñas, and eventually was transported under terrible conditions in what was labelled as “Hell Ships” to Taiwan via Hongkong to do forced labor. Aster was among the 2000 Prisoners of War who endured being cramped inside  the “Hell Ships” for 39 days. He was again transported with other POWs to Omuta, at Fukuoka Camp #17 where they were forced to work under poor conditions. Some of the work included were going into abandoned tunnels for timber and working in coal mines, both under very dangerous conditions and in which many POWs died. He remained in Japan until the war ended. It was on September 16, when the POWs, including Aster were evacuated to Nagasaki, brought to Okinawa for Medical attention and eventually brought back to Manila to a replacement camp for final sorting out.

He left for the United States of America as an immigrant and is currently living there.

Mr. Karel Aster is also set to receive the Gratias award, in the Czech Republic on 6 June 2014. The Gratias award is the highest award given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the promotion of the good name of the Czech Republic abroad. It is givenin appreciation of as an award for the voluntary activities of people committed to working for the benefit of the whole society, for the promotion of friendship among nations and for the promotion of the good name of the Czech Republic in the world.

• Karel Aster in the Japanese POW Fukuoka Camp