Guestbook

Sharon hurrell

Heacham

I’m trying to find out about my uncle 
his name was Herbert Hawkins he fought at 
Burma and was a prisoner of war

Mike

22/11/2022

Hi Kathryn.. Private Cecil Brown was a regular army soldier since 1937, service number 2878395. Originating from Cove bay Village, south of Aberdeen. Taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore on 15/02/1942, and imprisoned at Adam Park. Transported in the cattle trucks to the Burma/Siam Railroad on 24/10/1942. Listed as being with Work Group 1, means he would have worked at the camps between Non Pladuk and Tamarkan (Bridge on the River Kwai). His liberation Questionnaire shows his camps as Tamarkan, Kinsiok, Non Pladuk and Ubon. Ubon is 450 miles from the Railroad in N.E.Thailand, and 3,000 POWs were enslaved to build an airstrip. His Index Card shows his camp was liberated on 30/08/1945 but he probably did not start his journey home from this remote area until several weeks later. He probably was liberated by air to Rangoon, and then by sea homeward.

Amy

Ennis, Tx

I"ve learnt that my late Grandfather , Fred Bailey, was a POW on Timor, Japanese POW camp, I have a picture of his telegram to say he was liberated.

Kathryn Barnes

Liverpool

Hi. Do you have any information on Private Cecil Brown, he was in the Gordon Highlanders regiment and was captured in Singapore. 

Fiona Marsh

France

Thank you so much Mike, that information is all very helpful, I am so grateful.

Mike

13.11.22

Hi Fiona, I have nil information on your grandfather except that he joined the S.S.V.F. and had a service number of 6013. His Japanese Index Card shows him to be in Workgroup 4 on the Siam Railway. I believe you will get far more accurate information from the following two experts.
Jonathan Moffatt at the Malayan Volunteer Group will help regarding the S.S.V.F. at the website https://www.malayanvolunteersgroup.org.uk/contacts—membership.html. The experts for the Railroad are https://www.tbrconline.com/index.htm . (I dont think hyperlink will work so copy"n"paste). Both sites do a wonderful job at research for families.

Fiona Marsh

France

I would love to find out more regarding my grandfather Leonard Walter Marsh, he lived in Singapore as a civilian,
but I believe joined up only days before Singapore was taken, he was captured and spent the whole war as a POW,
I believe working on the Burma railroad, but know little else, I would love any further information of where he was
during those years, I know my grandmother and father escaped to Australia on one of the last boats, not knowing
if my Grandfather was alive for many years.
He did survive, but injuries sustained from those years took a toll on his health and he died in his late fifties.

Mike

08.11.22

Bill, as there were many William Murray taken POW, you will need to add more information to identify him. Unfortunately marriage details are not on pow files. Some of the following would help: middle name, when born, where born, parents christian names, regiment, etc

Bill Foster

UK

Trying to find out about my uncle, William Murray.
I think he was a Japanese pow.
I know he was married in India to a Queen Alexandra"s nurse.
I think she was a Major.

Mike

05.11.2022

Hi William, your Grandfather was Staff Sergeant Curry, service number 1861266, of the 40th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers. As a staff sergeant, he had a responsible role to play, and held in regard by the men as well as the officers. He was never in Thailand as he was actually taken prisoner on Christmas Day 1941 in Hong Kong. On the 01.10.1942 he was involved in one of the notorious events of war in the east when he was in a Japanese hell-ship that was attacked by an American submarine and sunk. The hell-ship was the Lisbon Maru being torpedoed by USS Grouper. 820 prisoners died that day, but obviously William was rescued. He was sent to Osaka 1B camp and there he died. He would have been probably cremated there as it is stated his urn was in the mausoleum at Yokohama after the war. The records show the family were at Oberon Street, COOGEE, in Australia. To connect the water damaged prayer book to the Lisbon Maru would be a wonderful family story.

William Curry

Nouakchott

My grandfather, William Curry, is buried in Japan. His family were evacuated to Australia during the war years. They were taken to England and believed he was still alive in captivity. Someone who witnessed his death said he died of beriberi some years earlier. There are only snippets of info like a water damaged prayer book - was he interred in Thailand and shipped to Japan? My grandfather was in REME I am told and was an NCO. I wish I knew more

Claire

Northumberland

Can anyone tell me if the return to Maghull was just to Liverpool or did they stay at the psychiatric hospital there now known as Ashworth?.
My Grandfather came home via India and we have a card saying May your brief stay with us be happy…and trying to establish of her continued to be refed there or assessed for what would be PTSD now?
Any information would be helpful

Mike

30.10.2022

Refence my post below dated 29.10.22, I have now found to have made a couple of errors. Firstly, Harolds journey of 4.4.42 was OVS (by sea) NOT to the Railroad, but to Saigon, in the hellship Nissyo Maru. Secondly, it would not be until 22nd June 1943 that they were then transferred to the Railroad.

Debbie

Dorset

Hi Mike I would love more information thank you 

Mike

UK 29.10.2022

Hi Debbie, It was quite a challenge to find anything about your uncle. However, it eventually became clear that he spelt his name as Loder and not Loader. So gunner H J Loder, service number 5726185 (sometimes listed as 1726185) was listed in the 5th S/L files as residing in Wareham Rd, Holton Heath, Poole. He was one of the first to be sent to the Siam Railroad on 04.04.1942, and was with the Group 4 workforce. This means that after initial work around Ban Pong, he would then have slaved around the camps at Wampo, Tonchan, and Konyu. His Japanese Index card states that he first became ill on July 31st 1943 and was in the 2nd Hospital POW camp, Kanchanaburi District. As you know he died on November 8th 1943 of dysentery and malnutrition, and is now buried in Chungkai. Harold would never have been in Burma, he was only at the Siam end of the Railroad. Contact me if you wish to have any copies of his files.

Debbie

Dorset

Looking to find out a little more about my uncle
Harold thomas loader died age 21 POW Burma 
Railway 1943. He was in the 5th searchlight regiment 
Wonder where they was sent and were from to
Burma 

Mike

UK 21.10.2022

Hi Gail. Unfortunately there are no details available for the service folk bought back from Singapore, Rangoon, Java etc. Some of the ships have a list of fare paying passengers, but the POWs were listed seperately and the forms went to the war transport dept. It is believed these forms were probably destroyed. Those POWs who were held captive in Japan, Taiwan and Philippines have been identified on passenger lists as details were held by the American Archives NARA.

Gail Bowler

West Yorkshire

Hi, you kindly found out information about My G. Uncle Charles Archibald Cope, He was a POW in Thailand. I was wondering if you could tell us how to find out which ship he was repatriated on, or maybe where to start looking. His service number was T/181073
Regards
Gail

Mike

07.10.22

Hi Charlie. I am assuming that W. Harris is Wilfred Harris from West Hartlepool, as he was a crew member of HMS Exeter. Wilfred seems to have avoided leaving a papertrail anywhere, with his Japanese Index Card appearing to be a substitute created in 1945, and on various documents he is marked as "no details". The only form that gives us any information is his Liberation Questionnaire which gives his service number (unclear) as probably D/JX237684, and he states that after capture he spent the entire war as a POW at Makassar. (South Sulawesi). The POW Camp had a brutal Commander named Yoesheda who was known as "The Mad Monk".

Charlie

Swinney

Looking for any information on my grandmothers brother W Harris who served on the HMS exeter and who survived the POW camp. He returned on the HMS Maidstone but I cannot find any other information.
Only information I have is from An old diary which my grandfather kept where he mentions “ Lena’s brother missing from the exeter 28 March 1942” and later writes “ Lena got word her brother safe off Exeter, Prisoner 3years 7 months
Hope someone can shed some light. Grandmothers maiden name was Helena Harris ( Lena )

Mike

30.09.22

Leanne, see email.

Martin Squires

Luton, Bedfordshire

My Great Uncle, Ronald Flint DOB 9th May 1921 was in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese and was taken prisoner,
He escaped from a Japanese POW camp by clinging on to the underside of a train and eventually made his way back to his company.
I have been unable to find any information about him. Any information would be much appreciated.
He was living in Luton when he enlisted and I believe he was a Private in the army

Leanne Bowler

Norfolk

Oh my gosh, thank you Mike so much, this is amazing.
Are there any websites you recommend to help dig further into this,
I"m finding it really fascinating. I am also looking at Edgar James Cope (Charles")
brother. I believe he may have gone to Burma. Believe he was a Corpral and
number 5677055. Again, any info would be amazing, Thank you

Mike

29.09.22 UK

Hi Leanne. Charles Cope, service number T/181073, held rank Driver in the RASC. However, he listed himself as 196 Field Ambulance RASC so he had been attached to this group probably on a permanent posting. He lists his address as Rectory Cottage, Howe, Nr. Brooke, Norwich.
He became prisoner on 15.02.1942 at the capitulation of Singapore. He was sent to the Burma Siam Railroad on 18.06.1942 so this was one of the very first train loads who were sent. His POW Camps were Non Pladuk, Ban Pong, Tarsao, Non Pladuk (again) and finally Pratchi. You can view his Liberation Questionnaire courtesy of the volunteers at Cofepow :https://lq-cofepow.org/products/cope-charles-archibald?_pos=3&_sid=f0b218559&_ss=r
He is listed as being finally liberated on 30.08.1945 and probably sailed home from Rangoon.

LEANNE BOWLER

Norfolk

I am searching my ancestry and a relative was a Japanese POW in 1942. His name was Charles Archibald Cope, from Kent. 
I believe he may have lived in Norfolk with his wife while he was serving.  Any help would be amazing, thank you