Guestbook

Deanna, when I look back on emails I found that I had sent you 9 pages from files on 23.08.2019. One Of these showed Harry with X-4-A against his name. This came from "British Army Java. : Nominal Roll" with reference WO361/2195. It sounds like you are after information about "Funk Holes" and I can only recommend articles by John Cooper and written up also by Ronnie . Copy and paste this link : https://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/Funk_Holes_of_Singapore/html/x_work_parties.htm

Thank you Mike.I do have most of the information on Harry Reeves R A and I appreciate you don"t have the files on him now,but is it possible you could redirect me to the source of his work party transport.I assume it one of the sources at Kew(WO?) .It"s a list of names with transports to various places,which included the work parties for Changi.Possibly the year is 1943 or 1944.Then I could look it up my self.Thank you Deanna

Good day,
Is there an effort to locate and restore all the graves of POW"s lining the Sumatran railway line (officiated by the Japanese, WW2)? For remembrance and for their families.
Kind regards

Dawn, Going by the information you gave, it does not sound like Edwin was a Japanese Prisoner of War. Are you perhaps posting on a wrong website? He is not listed on any POW information that I have.

I am trying to find out what my Grandads role in Java was. His name is Edwin Astell Mains, DoB 16.1.06.
Service number 14689725. I know he enlisted in December 1943 . The records i have show he was in the Steveadore Company.. he went to India on 20.5.1945 and embarked in Bombay on 11.6.1945.

I’ve then drawn a blank as to what his role was. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Deanna, The search I did for you was over 4 years ago. I usually keep files open for about 3 months in case folk want copies, but not 4 years.

Natalie, see email.

I was recently asking my mother (75) about her uncle who was a Japanese pow in world war 2. She said his name was Charlie Wilson, was held as a POW at The Bridge of The River Kwai. He was treated very badly. Had hardly any layers on skin left on his back, and survived only to marry his long awaited sweetheart on the return home and die within 6months of his return can you tell me anything more?

I am researching for a friend his grandfather Stanley Knight ,he was a Sergeant in the 242 Battery, 48 light anti aircraft regiment royal artillery. No 1542738. DOB 24 Mar 1912.
Not sure of the date of capture. Born in Eastbourne.
He was a Mechanic. This information was from WO 345 Japanese Index Cards of Allied POWs 1942-1947
30: Japanese Index Cards of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees, World War II: King M-Lawrence

looking for any information on / mentions of my father donald cameron [1914-2004]. 4th SSVF , 2n Lt. . Scot, Botanist, Piper. Assistant Planter at Durian Tanggal ,Malacca. Camps: Changi, Kinsayok, Kanu, Tarsao, Chungkai, Tamuang, Nakom Paton, Tamuang, kam Buri, Nakhon Nayok. . Repatriated to Dundee, Scotland

Harry reeves R A 2051224 Malai camp 5,sorry for spelling mistake on previous comment

Hi Mike you kindly answered my enquiry about Henry Thomas Reeves driver with/15/77RA2051224.Can you kindly email me the documents you have of him and information if any of the X 4 a work party and any information or location of Malawi camp number 5.He sent a post card from there in march 1945.You saud he wasn"t sleeping at Changi when liberated ,so perhaps camp no 5.Many thanks Deannah

Am asking for help for any further information on Lance Corporal HECTOR MARCUS AVERY MORRISON (1909-1945) (Royal Army Service Corps / Royal Artillery). (Num: 273236)
I know he was a POW at Sandakan. And died on 10th March 1945 (Dysentery). I have read a bit on Sandakan and the three death marches.
But was just curious if there was any more information or any specific information relating to him. Many thanks

Amazing research Mike. You are correct about his capture in Singapore and subsequent movements before arriving in Japan.
I originally thought he was in Java, because the grandson of Capt. Dermot Grehan of the SSRE(V), Royal Engineers, sent me a letter from his grandfather dated 30 June 1942 (after Grehan had escaped from Singapore and reached Ceylon) that mentions "Lieut. Plunkett went to Java attached to Wavell’s HQ at Bandoeng to help with certain demolitions".
There must have been 2 Plunketts in the SSRE(V), Royal Engineers (can you believe it!), and Grehan refers to the other one!
However, the POW Index Card for Lieut-Col. J.O.Plunkett tells the correct story, now that I inspect it more closely.
It would be fascinating to know if the Plunkett in Java survived the war - I must do some more research into that.
Thank you for your research.

Hi David. Ref: Lt. Col. John Oliver Plunkett. Some of the information I have found , differs from your research. I can only give you what I have found and you must decide what to accept or investigate further. I could not see any evidence of him being in Java, but hope you have some evidence to prove me wrong. His Japanese Index Card (prisoner card) lists him as captured on Singapore on 15/02/42, the date of capitulation. His name appears on the list of the high ranking officers who sailed on the "England Maru" to Taiwan on 16/08/1942 and was referred to incorrectly as Japan Party B. The men disembarked at Takao, Taiwan on 29/08/1942. They were imprisoned at Heito Camp in the south of Taiwan. His name can be seen today engraved on a memorial wall in Kinkaseki, Taiwan which lists all POWs of Taiwan. Appx 10 weeks later on 15/11/1942 he embarked on the Dainichi Maru and sailed to Moji in Japan, arriving 25/11/1942. His Index card reads "28/11/42 transfer to Tokyo camp". John died shortly after on 08/12/1942, and his ashes now rest in grave A.C.9 at Yokohama War Cemetery.

Hi I was wondering if anyone could possibly find any information on William Scott gray my great great uncle he was a pow who rescued a duck and eventually took it back home after smuggling it on the boat back any information would be greatly appreciated thank you 

My grandfather John Oliver Plunkett was in the Singapore Royal Engineers (Volunteers) – SRE (V) – as Lieut-Colonel of the 1st Battalion Straits Settlements Volunteer Force [1SSVF SRE(V)] and was captured in Java March 1942 while on a mission to destroy infrastructure ahead of the advancing Japanese, and imprisoned in Bandoeng.
I want to discover on what transport he boarded around the end of December 1942 to be taken to Japan and imprisoned at ‘Tokyo No.1 Dispatched Camp (Mitsubishi Dock, Yokohama)’ or ‘Tokyo 1-D’, also known as Mitsubishi shipyards.
We believe he landed at Yokohama about 8 December 1942 and died a short time later of septicemia.

Yes! This John Frederick Jay IS him I just confirmed with my grandmother. Thank you and God bless! This is a great start for me! I don"t suppose anyone knows how to send flowers?

Hi Lesley. ref. John Jay. I had a go at this one but did not have much success. There were two John Jay who died in the Far East in WWII. One was John Frederick Jay, the other John Charles Jay.
On the grave detail for John Charles it states "son of Jethro Robert and Ellen Jay."
This only leaves the one, namely John Frederick Jay who has no parent detail on the grave.
John was service number 990199 and he was in 88th Field Regiment, R A.
John died before the Japanese Index cards were produced so there is very little documentation to go by. However, what there is seems to produce its own questions. The Commonwealth Graves have his date of death as 01/04/42, but his details in the Regiment Nominal Roll has his death as 11/06/42, and was buried in grave BC6 at Changi. Upon further checks I found that the person buried alongside him, 2341177 Finch in grave BC7, did actually die on 11/06/42. There is obviously confusion here somewhere, but I would assume CWG are correct. Therefore he died only 6 weeks after the surrender and most likely never left Changi. Details in his Regiment Roll give an address of Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Ilford and his next of kin is a wife, merely listed as
J.F.Jay. After the war he was buried in Kranji Cemetery, Singapore, in grave 9.B.14.

I am searching for any information regarding my great great uncle John Jay. He was a member of the British Military captured in Malaysia as POW and died of Dissentary as a result of untreated wounds. He was buried supposedly somewhere in either Malaysia, or Singapore, his father was Charles Jay. I really don"t know much about him or where to look.

Mike, I was so thrilled to receive that information.It has fulled in alot of caps.

Dad did keep a diary but only from 16 April 1945 - until 30th Sept. In it he talks of the move from Hakodate to Bibai Camp. The move by rail from Bibai to Chitose drome, continue by air in a C54 to Yokohama, boards the USS Hansford but then boards,USS Heywood and arrive at Manila Bay which is the last entry he made. So its filled in the return to England journey. Thank you so much for your help..

Susan, ref. your father, LAC Desmond Barrie Hayes. 612572 232 Squadron. Ground crews arrived Singapore January 13th 1942, moved to Java 27th January, moved to Sumatra 2nd February, moved back to Batavia, Java 15th February. Became POWs on 8th March 1942.
Imprisoned at Boi Gloduk 25th March. I do not have the full details, but it would appear by attempting to translate some Japanese writing on his Index Card (prisoner card), that he was sent to mainland Japan on October29th 1942, and probably arrived on 1st December 1942.
He was sent to Hakodate camp where he remained until 7th June 1945, when he was sent to Bibai camp, Hokkaido.
He was liberated by air on 14 September 1945 in aircraft X-302. I have been unable to track destination, it may be Yokohama, Okinawa or Manila, by plane. and then possible next journey by ship.
His name next shows up as being in Manila, boarding USS Marine Shark for sailing to San Francisco. He was listed as passenger 590, and the ship sailed on 8/10/1945 via Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, arriving SF on 1/11/45.
For the rest of his journey home I have no documented evidence, but there are diaries from others who were on the Marine Shark, so probability is high..
They boarded a train which travelled up the west coast of USA to Seattle and Tacoma. After 5 days break they travelled across Canada for 5 days, arriving in New York. They boarded the Queen Mary on 13/11/1945 and arrived Southampton on 18/11/1945.

Hello. I am researching the life of Charles Kitchener Heather who I understand was the first British soldier to be freed from a Japanese Prisoner of War camp because he was liberated with American colleagues. He had been in Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion and on the ill-fated Lisbon Maru. Any help would be appreciated. Kind regards, Neil White

I have been researching my wife"s uncle Charles Frededrick Greenway. His Service Number is 1107750, I have found out that he worked on the Burma Railway and The Mergai Road and his last camp was Prachaub Kirikhan.I am trying to find out information regarding his repatriation so any help would be gratefully received

Hi Davina, regarding your Grandad, Robert Hall, I can see 15 POWs named Robert Hall but none has a birth date that matches. I have also checked the mothers name and also the home address. He therefore does not appear to be a POW in the master records files. I hope you are more successful in the newspaper archives.