Guestbook

Mike

10.03.2017 UK

Hi Iwan, Unfortunately I only have details of the UK POWs who sailed in Java Party 20, but agree that all your research does seem to be correct. I have very little information of Dutch records.. Looking at his Japanese Index Card it looks to me that he was originally in branch camp II which I believe would possibly be Cilacap. His index card shows at least 3, maybe 4, different POW numbers, suggesting 3 or 4 camps, unless renumbering occurred at a camp (which did happen quite often). One strange fact has emerged, and that is I have a file dated 22.06.1944, marked Java Camp 2, and W.F.Commu, pow number 16353 is listed as being there. Looking at his index card this is obviously impossible. Sorry, none of this is of much help to you.

Iwan Kusters

Netherlands

Hello Mike,
I hope you can help me out. I'm looking for any information about my grandfather W.F. Commu ( N.I. 82782) So far I found out that he was captured on March 8th 1942 in Bandung and that he was on the NN Maru 17 on 18-05-1944 (from Batavia to Singapore (as a part of Java Party 20) Unfortunately I can't find any passengerslist so I can't be sure he was part of Java Party 20.
From there on he was on the Myo Maru, followed by the Tamahoko Maru (that was torpedoed) and he died (probably by drowning). As you can see there's a big gap between his date of capture (march 8th 1942) and where he went on the NN Maru 17 18-05-1944. I hope you can help me with that or give me some tips how to find it myself.
All I can find is that he was probably in the main camp of Java POW Camp 16353 but was he there for a day...a month? I have no clue.
Hope you can fill in some gaps for me, you would make me and my family really happy!
Greetings, Iwan

Jody

PERTH

Hi, I am trying to find any information from my Granddad's time as a POW. His name is Robert A Oders - service number WX13420.
Thank you

Cherie Hately

Canberra

Hi Mike, my dad, Dr Colin William Shaw served as a Captain with the Indian Army & was a POW in Changi prison along with some of the Australian medical doctors.

Mike

27.02.2017

Hi Jeannie. I can trace some information on your Dad, but unfortunately cannot get evidence of his camps, which is the main thing you want. 2/Lt J Rios was not with the main 2/10 Baluch Rgt. , but with HQ 8th Indian Infantry at the surrender of Singapore. He was sent to the Siam Railroad on 04.11.1942 as part of 'N Party', he joined up with the workforce known as 'Group 4' This group of men had their 'Base Camp' at Tarsao. From here they were made to work in many camps , namely Wampo, Tonchan, Kanu and Hintok. After the line was joined on 17.10.1943 some men went further north to Kinsayok and Krian Krai , but other worked southwards at Tamuang and Kaorin. Although he had 4 different POW numbers during his captivity, 1132 / 6805 / 9240 / 1322 I cannot match these up to camps, but would imagine they are Changi / Base camp Siam/ Group 4 / Final Camps. If you want any photocopies of files let me know.

JEANNIE

France

Hello Mike, My dad, Jack Rios, Service Number EC 3884, was a British Second Lieutenant of the 2/10 Baluch Unit of the Indian Army. He was captured in Singapore on 15/02/42 and liberated 04/09/45. He spoke sometimes of his experiences but it was obviously too painful to share precise locations and details. I do know that he worked deep in the jungle on the Burma line for most of his captivity and that he spent a lot of time working alongside Australian soldiers. He spoke of using explosives on special occasions to bomb the river in order to add fish to their meagre diet of unsalted rice. Some other stories were hellish. Would you have details of which camp/s he was in, please?
Thank you for all your time and work on this valuable research.

Mike

21.02.2017

Hi Matt. Although I have many individuals details, not much on regiment detail. I imagine you already have the journey details on HMS Andes and USS Wakefield. Upon arrival they went to Tekhock Village on Tampines Road. Many became infantry men as much of their equipment had been lost. They supported other regiments of the 18th Div. and were mainly located in the north-east of Singapore. You state your particular interest is what happened before they were sent to Thailand, but are you aware that 82 of the men were sent by hellship to Taiwan where 31 were made to slave in the copper mine at Kinkaseki and 8 men died. Also 65 of the regiment died when the hellships Rakuyo Maru and Kachidoki Maru were sunk by American submarines Sealion and Pampanito. 4 of the regiment also died in Japan and are buried at Yokohama.

Mike

21.02.2017

Pauline, Sgt Willmott died of Beri beri.

Mike

21.02.2017

Hi Pauline. Re Sergeant J J W Willmott. Address shown as 12, Sephton Street, Lostock Hall, Preston, Lancs. Civilian occupation .. Postman. After initially being sent to work on the Siam Railroad on 10.10.1942 as part of 'S Party' , he was later returned to Singapore and went to River Valley Camp. On 02.02.1945 he was put on the hellship Haruyasa Maru and shipped to Saigon. As you stated, he died on 19.06.1945, but it was here in Vietnam and not at Camp 4 Thailand. I cannot trace what he died through. He is now reburied at Kranji Cemetery on Singapore.

Pauline Keyworth

Surrey

Hi, I'm trying to help a work colleague with her family history.
Her GGrandfather Joseph William Willmott died in No 4 POW camp.

matt janson

newcastle

Hi i'm after any information ref the bedfordshire yeomanry,148 filed regt RA particularly their arrival in Singapore just before the surrender and any action they took part in defending the island and then also what happened to them prior to be sent to thailand, im planning a trip to singapore and what to retrace the units steps.

Mike

17.02.2017

Bob, I dont think I am able to help, but before giving up, can you supply a few more pieces of information. Do you know if he was Hong Kong or Malaya/ Singapore ? I cant see him listed on any of the Singapore files, and Tony Banham has detailed lists of men in HKSRA who were captured at Hong Kong and he is not listed there either. Was he perhaps captured later in the war ? Do you know what POW Camp ? Have you got his service number ? What was his date of birth ? Any other useful information ?

Bob Ullah

Glasgow

Dear friends, my father, Rahmat Ullah,

Mike

15.02.2017

Its becoming concerning that folk are posting requests and then never seem to return. Should we stop wasting our time ? Probably not, as for some the information that we supply ensures their relatives story will be told to family members and remembered so the men did not go through years of suffering for no avail. But for those posting and not returning, can I suggest you bookmark the site as a memory jogger to return.

Ann Goodall

Scotland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPbhPDfdWtU&t=22s My father is the man laying on the bed on the still. His name was Douglas Haig Goodall. He was in Omori/ Shang Shui Po and Osaka POW camps. This film is excellent. We were overjoyed to have found it with footage of my Dad.

Erik Buttars

Queensland Australia

Looking for any information and images of my Dutch late father-in-law, Claude Belloni. Claude was captured in Java and later sent to Chango. From Changi he was shipped to Japan with 700 plus POW, his ship was sunk by a US submarine as the ship approached Yokohama Harbour, Claude was one of the few survivors. He was then interned in the Nagasaki camps till the end of the war, and survived the Atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

Mike

05.02.2017 UK

Hi Gwyn. Gunner William Burgess of the 49th Battery, 48 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery. Address shown as Braich Tregarth, Bangor, North Wales. His Japanese Index Card shows a capture date of 20.03.1942 (which seems unlikely), whereas his own handwritten Liberation Questionnaire shows the date of 08.03.1942. His own date seems much more likely as this was the date of the surrender of Java. He lists his POW camps as Glodok, then Saint Vincentius Hospital,(1942) then Mater Dolorosa Hospital (1944) before ending up at Cycle Camp in 1945. He therefore spent all his imprisonment on Java, and probably about 2 years in hospital, but I have been unable to find what he was suffering from.

Gwyn

Noth Wales

I'm searching for any information on my late father William Burgess . He was a gunner in the Royal Artillery (service number 1796042).
I know he was captured in 1943 and I have a postcard which he sent home in 1944 indicating he was imprisoned in Java but no further information about his imprisonment between 1942 - 1945 .

AMY

TEXAS

Looking for further information on my Grandfather, Frederick Charles Bailey, captured on Timor, taken to Jave, from there, taken to Fukuoka 3 where he remained till 1945 OEGAOA MESMO? Commanding officer Australian Lt/Col Leggett 23/2/42- 23/9/42 Grandad Bailey POW # 4335 camp 1923 Gunner Royal Artilllery @Timor, date of capture 17/2/23 4344644. Fred was bought home on HMS Indefatiguable to Hull after he repatriated to Canada, coming home after 6 months recuperation after 4 years of being a POW. His brother James William Bailey, Gunner #9 field regiment RA taken prisoner by Japanese @ Changhi

Mike

23.01.2017

Alan, Lance Sgt. Turner of 88 Field Rgt, had the christian names of John Andrew, not Anthony John. Can you add any further detail about your relative ? Date of birth/ home town/ mothers name/ etc

Mike

23.01.2017 UK

Paul, Pte Albert Sharp 4750794 1/5 Sherwood Foresters, I'm sorry but cant help much. Address shown in files as 1, Linden Road, West Cornforth, Durham. The only information I can trace is that he departed Changi for the Siam railroad on 09.10.1942, and then moved to another camp on 28.10.1942. No other information.

Alan Turner

Surrey

I am looking for any information for

Lance Sergeant Anthony John Turner of 88th Field Regiment

Paul Farrow

London

I am looking for any information on a friends Grandad, Pte Albert Sharp 4750794 1/5 Sherwood Foresters. He was captured at the fall of Singapore and liberated 2/9/45. We have a number 45070 and Camp TH. Where would this be? Are there records of his movement if any? Many thanks

Andrew

Perth W A

Thanks Mike the tracing his steps certainly would

Mike

17.01.2017 UK

Hi Andrew. You didnt state he was British army. Gunner J V Harrington of 19, Wendover Way, Welling, Kent was a member of the 118 Field Regiment Royal Artillery. Incarcerated at Changi until 19.04.1943 when he was sent on train 12 of 'F Force' to the railroad. Men in very poor health had a 200 mile march to their destination so retracing his footsteps will be arduous for you. The terrible conditions and the story of the cholera outbreak can be found on the articles pages of this website. The file seems to suggest (not confirmed) that he returned to Singapore in December 1943.