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Showing 526–550 of 2,577

David Seddon

Highlands

My father, Robert Henry Seddon cpl RM.  on Repulse and Yin Ping. 
POW muntok camp.  Witnessed Australian nurses murdered on the beach Banka Island.  If anyone has a relative who may have shared this part of his life, i would like to share the information i have. 

Geoff Bridge

Ripon

I am researching family history and find Albert Dickin of the 148 field regiment was captured in Singapore when it fell in Feb 42. He was part of the Japan party shipped out of Singapore in Sep 1944 aboard the Rakuyo Maru and was lost when the ship was sunk by USS Sealion. All this time I never knew that one of my relations was a prisoner of war. I found lots of info regarding the ship and it’s sinking but what happened in the three years prior to this is much of a mystery. I assume he must have been employed on the Burma railroad . His number was 1098216 and I think he would have been in 512 battery as it recruited in Rochdale Lancashire.

Mike

UK 19.11.2020

Jemma, re your Grandad Sgt. William Weston of Lower Thrift Street, Northampton. Only very limited information. He was RAF, and based at RAF Kluang in Malaya. As he did not travel to Java for regrouping as most RAF did, I wonder if he was RAF Regiment left to protect airfields. Kluang was holding a large supply of aviation fuel which needed to be transported back to Singapore and remainder destroyed. His Japanese Index Card shows a date of capture as 15.02.1942 which is the date Singapore surrendered, so he must have travelled back to Singapore. He was imprisoned until 26.10.42 when he was sent to work on the Burma/Siam Railroad. He was with the men of Group 4, so would have been in the camps between Wampo and Kinsayok initially. He was liberated from Thailand on 02.09.1945. I would imagine your family whisper of him escaping refers to him leaving Kluang before the Japanese arrived, or possibly escaping on a ship from Singapore before they arrived that was then captured. A few documents available if you want them emailed.

Tracey Morrissey

Rochdale

Hi, on reseaching my family tree I have discovered a relative called Francis William Dunhill, born 1907 in Oldham. I know he was a POW from 15th Feb 1942 to 2nd Sept 1945, He was a private in the Straits Settlements Volunteer Forces and was captured in Singapore. The camp code is HI , I am wondering if you can give any more detail as to which camp this is please? Regards, Tracey.

Guestbook contributor

14.11.2020

Alex, re Gunner Cecil Kearney. Email sent

Jemma

Northamptonshire

Hello, im trying to find out information on my grandad, he was a POW in Thailand I think? but managed to escape, his name was William frank weston, his number was 535768 and was from northampton, any info much appreciate, my email is

Alex Kearney

Bath

My grandads was a POW. His name was Cecil James Kearney and was always told he was picked up in burma. WO 345/29 is an archive reference but have no information beyond that
I know there are some records online, but unsure what details there are and it states a camp in Hiroshima.

He was a gunner. Can anyone help shed some light on this?

Mark

Scotland

Hi my grandads name was Eric Roberts from Sunderland he was a POW in Burma I believe he told a story that I wondered if anyone was aware of , it went like this , while he was a prisoner and how badly the Japanese treatment of prisoners was there was one Japanese guard who was a Buddhist and was forced into duty but would often sneak food to my grandad to distribute around the others then somehow managed to sneak him a simple Japanese fan , my grandad said this guard saved so many of their lives with a simple fan and sneaking them food , my grandad managed to bring this fan home but sadly it was misplaced when he passed

Katie Massarella

Dorset

Hi Mike thank you so much for the information, i will get investigating asap

Katie

Mike

UK 27.10.2020

Katie, my information is very limited. AC1 Douglas Austin Powell, of Devizes, later Trowbridge, was RAF Maintenance Unit. Service number 1405990. He was stationed at a RAF Transit Camp at Buitenzorg, Bogor, Java initially but was taken prisoner at Tasikmalaja on the capitulation of Java on 8th March 1942. His Liberation Questionnaire is extremely difficult to read, written in pencil and very faded, but it appears he spent time in 7 different camps on Java until 8th January 1945 when he was shipped to Singapore. He was then imprisoned at River Valley camp until 17th June 1945 when he was put into the Changi Hospital. He was listed as being liberated from Changi on 5th September 1945.

Katie Massarella

Dorset

Hi ive just found out a great uncle was a prisoner of war in Burma
id love too know more but have very little information just his name Douglass Powell
and that he survived, if anyone can point me in the right direction of any research about him and
What they must of gone through a book maybe? Ive bery little understanding of it all
Thanks in advance

Kim Pedersen

Sydney

Looking to discuss R.H. Seddon with Davsed or anyone else.
My grandfather had R.H. Seddon as a contact in his address book from 1946. I believe they must have met in hospital after the war, while they were recuperating. My grandfather, Gordon Meredith Evans, was also a Japanese PoW and was Royal Marine on the ill-fated HMS Exeter.

I have no more info as yet about R.H. Seddon but I have made some contacts who are helping me discover more about the convalescent hospitals after the war for returned PoWs.

Mike

UK 21-10-2020

Herb, I don’t have the files to give you 100% evidence, but can give you some facts which seems to give a high degree of probability. Sgt. Herbert R Gordon, 15017517, 60th D. 6 October 1942: Pier Seven, Port of Manila, Philippines. 31 American officer prisoners-of-war (POWs) and 1,930 enlisted POWs from POW camps at Cabanatuan, Luzon and Malabalay, Mindanao are embarked on TOTTORI MARU. 8 October 1942: Departs Manila for Takao, Formosa, arriving 12 October 42.
15 October 1942: Departs Takao. 16 October 1942: Returns to Takao for an unknown reason.
18 October 1942: Departs Takao for Mako, Pescadores. 19 October 1942: Arrives at Mako.
26 October 1942: Departs Mako. 28 October 1942: Returns to Takao. The POWs are disembarked. TOTTORI MARU is fumigated by Korean laborers. Afterwards, the POWs are re-embarked.
30 October 1942: Departs Takao for Pusan, Korea. Later, joins an unidentified north bound convoy.
31 October 1942: Arrives at Mako and departs later that day..
7 November 1942: Arrives at Fusan (Pusan), Korea. The POWS are disembarked. 9 November 1942:
14 officer and 1,288 enlisted POWs are issued winter clothes and sent by train to Mukden, Manchukuo (Manchuria). 580 men are re-embarked aboard TOTTORI MARU which departs for Moji.
10 November 1942: Arrives at Moji and departs. 11 November 1942: Arrives at Osaka and disembarks the POWs. During the 32 day voyage from Manila, 30 sick POWs die of the deplorable conditions aboard TOTTORI MARU. …………………………… The facts that seem to confirm this are that your father is listed as leaving Manila on 8th October and also the website of Roger Mansell, Tokyo #2B POW Camp, states that “13 Nov 1942 - 312 Americans arrive from Philippines”. Your father is also listed on the same website as being liberated. Amongst the names of others liberated with him, are some who can be found online as having sailed also on the Tottori Maru.

Herb Gordon

Reynoldsburg,Ohio

My father Herbert R (Bob) Gordon was captured on Corregidor and transported to Japan to work at the Mitsui Madhouse in Kawasaki. I am hoping to find the name of the Hellship he was on

Aaron Kao

Singapore

I am a Singapore archaeologist looking for new information on the 14 and 15 February 1942 massacre at Alexandra Military Hospital, Singapore. As there is a possibility of an unaccounted mass grave, any information from surviving veterans or their next of kin will be very helpful to our investigation.

Pat Cooke

Somerset UK

I have two members of my family, Gnr Eric Croucher, RA, sent to Nong Pladuk and Ubon and also his first cousin Signalman Henry T Croucher sent to Tokyo 13B Omi

Shirley Barnes

England

I am compiling a data base of men and women from Leicester and Leicestershire who were involved in the war in the Far East. Most interested in those that were involved in the Malaya Campaign and were FEPOWs or civilian internees. If anyone had relatives that were there can you please let me have their details as I know that there will be many that I have 'missed'.l

Shirley Barnes

England

Can the David that was asking for information about Norman Harold Alan Wade 118th Field Regiment RA, please contact me as he was my Dad's best friend. Dad was in the camp with him when he died

Daniel Evans

Manchester

Hello, I

Philip Higginbottom

United Kingdom

Trying to find information of the team making up the No 1 Malaya Field Ambulance in 1941, my father was Staff Sergeant Christopher Higginbottom R.A.M.C. and was attached to this Field Ambulance.

steven cape

United Kingdom

Hi, seeking information on the circumstances into the death of 1468015 sgt. Eric Bettinson, 48 Lt. A.A. Royal Artillery (49 battery), who the CWGC state died on 21st Feb 1942 in Java. Many thanks

Heather Lumsden

Oxford

My mother now 100 knew Reginald Wills (and other ex-POWs) also his wife in Singapore in 1950s; and I knew Vicky and Gina his daughters; would Major Jess Beck be interested to contact me on

john fletcher

umina

seeking info. on robert d. daniel nx25130

Mike

UK 28.08.2020

Hi Alan. Re Gunner James Jolly, 1611746. 48 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment R A (48 LAA). Taken prisoner on Java on 08.03.1942. (not 1943 as you thought). Imprisoned at Bandoeng until Oct 1942, then sent to Gloduk, Batavia until Jan 1943. He was then put on the hellship Roko Maru on 09.02.1943, as part of Java Party 13, and sailed to Singapore arriving 13.02.1943. Taken to Changi and put into work party X-4-A. These work party

Victoria Sturgess

Dorset UK

I'm trying to trace any info about my uncle Walter Douglas Ford, Private 4978082, Sherwood Foresters 1/5 Battalion. I know he died on 9 October 1943 and is buried in Chungkai Cemetery having worked on the Siam-Burma Railway.

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