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Hi Louis. A photo and enlistment was sent on Friday 21.06.24

Phil. re George Thomas Hillier no 1110022. I cannot find anything relating to him. All I can tell you is he enlisted with the Royal Artillery as that number belongs to them. He may have transferred and taken the number with him. I dont believe he was taken prisoner in 1941/ early 1942 with with the thousands of other allied troops. I have even checked the membership of the Burma Star Association from post war. I would suggest you now go down the route of the Chindits in Burma. See this site https://www.chinditslongcloth1943.com/

RE: Alexander Sinclair. Hi Mike thanks so much for your message it was really eye opening, thank you for the useful information, a photo would be great
My email is: Show email address, thanks again, Louis

Hello Mike, my sincere apologies I had made a mistake and copied information about my uncle george incorrectly. He was George Thomas Hillier no 1110022 born in 29th October 1911 and served in Burma and became a prisoner of the japanese. If you are still able to help I would be most grateful. Thanks Phil

Hi Louis. re Alexander Sinclair. He may have been a train driver in Scotland but he became a sheep shearer. He had joined the Australian 2/21 Battalion in June 1940 at Melbourne. He stated he was single, and lived at Birchip, north east of Melbourne. His service number was VX25223. He embarked for Ambon on 13/12/1941 referred to as Gull Force. He was taken prisoner on Ambon and later died there of dysentery. His death certificate was sent to Miss Margaret Sinclair in Caithness, who duly signed for it, and posted back to Melbourne. There is a photo of him if you would like it emailed.

Hi there Phil I was wondering if you be able to help,
I’m currently doing some digging into our family tree, My late grandmothers father abandoned her and his family when they where very young, so not much is know about him or his side of the family, however after receiving a hint in ancestry.com that lines up with our family timeline we now believe he died in Indonesia in 1944, this has led me to believe that he was a POW of the Japanese, his Name is Alexander Sinclair, Engine Driver, Died 6th November 1944, Born 12th December 1904 Caithness Scotland, hope you’ll be able to help!

Hi Phil. re Rifleman George Hillier. After spending time searching POW files for George, did you truly not know that he died on 30th March 1942, or did you just forget to inform us? George was definitely with the 1st Cameronians having arrived from India in February 42. I believe he died with 35 of his regiment over two days at the Battle of Paungde, The Japanese immediate objectives were to take the Yenangyuang oilfields, located in the Irrawaddy River valley, 250 miles north of Rangoon. The action around Paungde was fierce and lasted two day; Allied casualties were high. 1st Gloucestershire Regiment, 2nd Duke of Wellington"s, 1st West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own), all took heavy losses. Unfortunately, I very much doubt that the Japanese would have taken any prisoners at this time. There are now 27,000 men without graves, remembered on columns at the TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY in Myanmar.

My Uncle George Hillier no 3244603 was I believe

with the cameronians and served in Burma from 1942, I am told by family relatives that he was wounded and taken prisoner by the japanese but cannot find anything further, can you help me with my understanding

Thank you so much Mike! Your research and insight really means a lot. Much appreciated.

Hi Anthony. Re your grandfather Gunner David Callaghan. There seems to be very little I can add that you are not aware of already. He arrived in Batavia on the Warwick Castle. He was a member of 239 Battery/77 Heavy Anti Aircraft (77HAA). I have come across his service number as 1459945 several times. He sailed from Java on the Roko Maru as part of Java Party 13 to Singapore. He is listed as being in Changi in the liberation files of 5th September 1945. If you are intending to visit Thailand, I would contact the TBRC for his camp detail.

Hi John (Rush). Your uncle Gunner Patrick Rush was with the 85th Anti Tank Regiment. He was captured by the Japanese on 17th March 1942 on Sumatra. The 85th were never based on Sumatra so this must mean he made his escape from Singapore prior to the capitulation of 15 Feb 1942, and had remained free for a further month. The POWs on Sumatra formed themselves into what they called The British Sumatra Battalion. On 15/05/42 they were taken to the port of Belawain where they boarded the cargo ship England Maru, joined a convoy which contained Australians, and sailed for Mergui in Burma. They were enslaved to enlarge an aerodrome here. A couple of months later on 10/08/42 they sailed to Tavoy where aerodrome work was also done before sailing to Moulmein. A train now took them to Thanbyuzayat and camp Hlepauk, the Burma end of the Burma/Siam Railroad of Death. For the next 18 months the men worked in many locations on the railroad and continuously moved from camp to camp. Patrick states he was at Tamarkan from March 1944 to October, but thereafter I cannot trace his story. I believe his Index card states he was liberated into the safeguarding of Lt. Col. Eachern at Bangkok on 04/0901945. Unless there were medical problems, he would have probably sailed home from Rangoon.

Hi, trying to find out information about my grandfather who was pow in Singapore. His name was James McLaughlin d.o.b 14.02.1920 gunner 88th field regiment royal artillery service number 1464674. He survived but all he ever mentioned to us was burma railway any information would be appreciated thank you.

Hi Julie. re Signalman Herbert Ernest Watts. I have not been able to source much information about him, but hope this may fill in a few gaps. He enlisted at the age of 35 in 1941, and was married to Minerva Mabel Watts , living at Yeppoon. He embarked at Sydney on 29.07.1941 on H.M.T.-FF, which was the Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt. This arrived Singapore on 15.08.1941, and I believe the battalion were kept around Johore. After the Singapore surrender on 15.02.1942 I do not have the information of what part of Changi he was imprisoned. On 18.03.1943 he was entrained for the Burma/Siam Railroad as part of "D Force" and the POWs would have slaved around the camps at Tarsao, Hintock, Konyu and Kinsayok. After liberation and return to Australia, I believe he was admitted to the 102 Australian General Hospital at Ekibin, Brisbane.

Hi There, I"m visiting the far east later this year and with it being 80 years since my grandfather was held as a POW in various locations.
As far as I can tell he spent a year in java, then onto Singapore for a few months amd onto thailand, i"d really like to know where he ended up...
I"d appreciate your help if you possibly can help thst would be really appreciated...

My grandfather was a welsh soldier from senghenydd in south Wales, a gunner In The Royal Artillery,
I have 2 slightly different service numbers from 2 different sources, not sure which is correct..

David Callaghan
Service number is either 1439945... or .... 1459945

Hi Heather (Cook). Your Dad must have been one of the few men of the Welch Regiment in Malai in 1941/2. I imagine he had been seconded/transferred as he was actually with the 12.1. Infantry Brigade, rank of sergeant or sergeant major, making this a difficult story to follow and trace, as the Welch are not listed as being in the countries attacked by Japan. He was captured at Klang City, Selangor, a province of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 18.02.1942 and imprisoned in Kuala Lumpur Jail. I believe he was sent directly to the Burma/Siam Railroad on 14.10.1942 and joined the workforce of Group 1 (sometimes referred to as being in Thailand Camp 1). Group 1 were enslaved at the camps between Non Pladuk and Tamarkan, but I do not have details of his camp movements. From what I have seen there does not appear any evidence that he was ever in Changi. On 30.08.1945 it is recorded on his Japanese Index Card as "Bangkok, handed over to representatives of the United Nations". I have a few documents showing his name that I could send if you want them, although some are extremely feint as wartime documents produced in POW camps.

Hello, I am looking for information about my uncle Patrick Rush who was a POW in Burma from February 1942 until the end of the war. His army number was 4193827 and his date of birth, 10/6/1919. Any information would be very much appreciated.

I am trying to find any information on Malcolm Harper who was in the Royal Air Force and a Japanese Prisoner of War. Malcolm was from Northwich in Cheshire. Thank you for any help 

Hi, I am trying to find more information about my maternal Grandmother"s brother,
Herbert Ernest Watts, QX20432, 2/20 Inf Bn. I was told years ago he was a POW in Changi, however
I am unsure if he spent all his time there or elsewhere. He survived the war and I remember
him visiting when I was a child and I always thought he was unmarried. His wartime has affected
him greatly & he had left his family. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you Mike for your prompt answer I have found a few no 5 camps port dicson kinsai,yako,nakong yakong,though dates,don"t seem to match apart from making which is 1945,the others 1943 and 1944,the camps coming under .Thailand and Malaya,.Making seems to far away a days travel.I know he was in Singapore hospitals in 1945 feb .I presume kranji as it transferred there in 1944,Harry Reeves isn"t my dad.m,but my friend Pauls.lategrandfathr.Harry in the hosp was with mostly Dutch fepows andhe came home on thrOranje.I believe his last camp was Sime rd thank you again

Hi I’m trying to find out more information on my dad Frank William Gibson of the Welch Regime
Who was captured in Singapore . I always thought he was sent to Changi
but not sure. His no was 4077390. 
Many thanks

Hi Heather. You never gave us the name of your Grandfather, but I found him by number, Leslie Elms. There is very little I am able to give you, so hope someone else may come along to add information. Your grandfather had the rank of Bombardier A.C. which was Artillery Clerk. He was a Regular Soldier having enlisted in 1934. Without seeing his service records it has not been possible to establish what regiment in the Royal Artillery he was originally with but at the time of capitulation he was listed as being with "Head Quarters Fixed Defences". One document listed him as " 9 Coast Regiment " and as this was the Big Guns of Singapore, a transfer from this regiment would seem logical. (no evidence). He was entrained to the Burma/Siam Railroad on 24.10.1942. His liberation occurred on 05.09.1945 when he was entrusted into the security of Lt. Col. Eachern via Bangkok. Have you seen the photo of the handkerchief he signed before leaving Kaorin Camp ?

Hi Jade. You asked the same question on 10.05.2020, so rather than spend more hours searching, I will post the same reply. Signalman William Coates, Royal Corps of Signals attached to the 155 Field Regiment, service number 2345796.    Captured at the surrender of Singapore, 15.02.1942. Imprisoned at Changi for 6 months.  On 25.10.1942 a large contingent of the RCoS were amongst the 1100 men who were herded to the docks to board the Japanese hellship ‘England Maru’. A three week journey ensued locked down in the holds previously occupied by cattle (with all the remnants left behind). On arrival at Keelung in Northern Formosa, they were split into two groups. 523 were sent to the Kinkaseki Copper Mine Camp, and the rest, were sent to Taihoku #6 Camp in Taipei. Williams prisoner number at Kinkaseki was 106 which he thereafter had to refer to himself as, in Japanese. William managed to survive the brutality and starvations of Kinkaseki until March 1945, when he was sent to Shirakawa Camp which had generally become a hospital camp. His homeward journey started on September 6th 1945, when two American destroyers entered Keelung Harbour and ferried the POWs out to sea where they were transferred to the aircraft carriers USS Santee or USS Block Island, for sailings to Manila. Unfortunately I cannot trace his homeward ships.

Deanna. Im afraid I do not know where Malai camp 5 was, and I usually resist from giving an answer unless I have seen 95% proof. However, knowing your dad was in X-4-A party it may be worth your while investigating Orchard Road Camp as I have read the men of X4A stayed there. There appears to be very little written about Orchard Road Camp but there is a book available on Abe Books with a chapter devoted to it. The book is " Railroad to Burma" James Boyle.
(Australian POW). ISBN 9781863730082 . At date of posting this it costs £6.50 inc. postage. I would re stress that I have no evidence and would welcome corrections about Malai 5

I have recently been investigating my Grandads POW life I have discovered that he was sent to Chunkai camp but that is about as much as I can find.
His name was Raymond George Henry Goodale and served for the Cambridgeshire Regiment 2nd Battalion and spent a lot of the war as a POW.
Any information would be great as the work that people put into these informative sites is excellent.

Hi, I have found your site to be most informative. I am trying to find further details on my grandfather who was a POW in Koarin Camp, he was a bombardier #842428