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Looking for any information on my grandad Cecil Alfred charles Windsor

I am looking into my elderly mother in law's family for her. My mother in laws uncle was Alberton Middleton of the Gordon Highlanders (2 Battalion?). Family stories tell of him being in Singapore with his family prior to being captured in the fall of Singapore. Apparently his wife, Jean, and two children got onto the final boat to Australia. Albert sent to Changi prison camp. Notg knowing if his family had survived, Albert lists his NOK as his mother, Christina Margaret Cables Middleton.
Any help much appreciated. Alan

Hi, thanks for getting back to me.... my dad is finding some more stuff out... I'm dad says that after the ark royal he went into destroyers and is trying to find out more.... my grandad never really shared much of his war days but my dad said also try William John Norris or john William Norris as he used both.... he went into the navy when he was about 14 .... and was born either in Wiltshire or Dorset.... dad said he spent his childhood in Hindon Wiltshire ... he's also asking his sister his dob as he can't remember ... I will let you know anything else I find out

Hi Erika, The reference to your Grandfather being a gunner on HMS Ark Royal must be a separate wartime episode to him being a Japanese POW as this ship was sunk in 1941 off Gibraltar. From an initial search there were 7 J.Norris who were POWs of the Japanese. 4 of these can be eliminated as 1 was Canadian, 1 was Australian and 2 died in captivity. This leaves 3 who MAY be your grandfather. Can you post any further information ? e.g. middle name, where he lived, date of birth, parents christian names, wife name, job before war etc.

Hi my grandad John Norris was on the Ark Royal as a gunner in WW2 .... He ended up a POW in Japan... He never really spoke about his time there and unfortunately has passed away now ... If anyone has any information on this I would be very greatful.... I have asked my dad about it but he told me that my grandad never really spoke about it so I'm assuming it was horrendous for him and he blocked it out...

Wayne, is it the same Arthur Bancroft whose story is told on the 'Articles' pages of this website ? Served and sunk on HMAS Perth ? (copy and paste link:) http://www.pows-of-japan.net/articles/61.htm

Second cousin of Arthur Bancroft, a family treasure. Found two other Bancroft's on the Memorial in Ballarat. Any info would be appreciated.

Looking for any information you may have on Willem johanne koster who was sent to changi at the age of 13 as he was considered to be an adult. He was born in batavia on 23 Oct 1941. Any information would be appreciated.

Hi Mike,
Thank you very much for the information. It has been very helpful.
Kind regards,
Simon

Simon, Nike camp was 281Km north of the start of the railroad, just 19Km from the Burma border. Alternative spellings are Niike, Nikki, Nieke and Ni Thi.

Hi Simon, Private J Gore, address shown as (very feint) 57, Ingle Thorpe Street, Fulham, London SW6. Although the CWGC website lists him as REME, all the documents from Changi in 1942 list him as RAOC 14th Division. He is listed as being sent to the Siam Railroad in the ill fated 'F Party', on 29.04.1943, in train 12. 7,000 men were sent over 12 days, made up of 3334 British and 3666 Australians. they were to suffer the highest casualties of any group. They remained under the control of the Malay Command, not the Thai-Burma Command so they suffered in the distribution of supplies. Another factor was the forced march of some 300 kilometres in shocking conditions to their work area near the Burma border. The final disaster on top of over work, poor rations, and diseases rife in the area was the cholera epidemic, which struck during the wet season. 3,100 of 'F Force' died. James was one of those who died of cholera, and that is why he is listed on the Singapore Memorial rather than having a grave in Thailand, due to cremations.

Hi, I have just found this site, and was hoping someone could help me.
I am currently researching my wife's Grandfather, 7651411 Craftsman James Gore REME, who was captured in 1942 and is reported to have died in Malai, Nike, Thailand in August 1943.
Does anyone have any other information about him, or cn you tell me where this camp was?
I know that he is on the singapore memorial.
many thanks,
Simon

Hi Jenny,

Hi,
I am trying to fond out as much as I can about my Grand dad. His name was William John Bedford, from North London (Tottenham area). He joined up and was a Japanese POW. He died many years ago now as have all my family that would have known any information. I believe he was a medic . He never really spoke about the war years but from the little I have gathered his life was proabably spared because he was a medic and he used to do deals with the guards. Whether this is true or not is something that I guess I will never know for sure. Again going back years I believe the Japanese apologised for the PPW's treatment and in the event of his death the payment made as compensastion was made to my late grandmother. I know much about my grandmothers family during the war. Their house got bombed while her brothers were on leave and she los many family members. I am told that William John Bedford had a sister married to her brother and that they both died during this bombing along with other family home on leave. The mystery though is my grandfather and I would love to be able to pice together a bit about his life during the war so that I can pass the information onto my children . So many fought for freedom and yet so many stories are lost :-( If anyone can help me I would be eternally grateful. Many Thanks. Jenny

Thanks Mike. would you have any idea where the Honbu (HQ) would have been.

Maria, 'Honbu' is the Japanese for headquarters.

I have a list of camps/work areas from TBRC of where my father was, but recently found 2 more not on that list on FMP one was "Thailand or 4D Camp" which I see from other comments means Group 4, but what does Group 4 mean? and the other I found was "Honbu Camp" My father was with the AIF. thanking you in advance.

Thanks Mike for your help with information on Allen Capstick. You will be pleased to know that he settled in Canada with his wife after the war and brought up a family in Ontario.

My dad was in raoc in camp 1 &3 I know that from post card sent from cam
His name was William e Westwood service no 7633175

Rab, re L/Bdr John Anderson,

Hi Richard,

Hi Steve,

I'm seeking information about my little known step father Karel Lodewijk Goldbach,
He was a doctor and officer in the dutch army, lieutenant or captain. Karel was captured in Java in 1942 and eventually was assigned to a section of the Siam/ Burma railway. I never knew him, my mother and he divorced before I was born. I believ an ancestor of his was a former governor of part of the Netherlands Indies.I would greatly appreciate any information anyone may have, Many thanks, John

Looking information for a friend, her uncle was lance bdr John Anderson who was lost on the Lisbon Maru, any help would be appreciated.

Looking for info on my Grandad Peter Smith born 27th Jan 1916 died 1974 who was in Thailand in a camp in 1942 have an image of his index card from an ancestory website. I have no idea how to translate it .
Links to Bagworth and Ibstock in Leicestershire. I'm mainly wanting to know how long he was there what type of work he did there etc? Did he work on the railway