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After recently discovering letters from my grandfather Alan Knight RA. I can now piece together some of his life but need to fill some holes. He was in Changi for a long period and at the end of the war was flown to Rangoon I believe. His last letter was the 7th Sep 1945 due to fly home the next day but the plane crashed over Burma somewhere. Anyone who can fill in more these letters are my most precious possessions, I just want to fill in gaps. Thankyou.

I am looking for information on my granpa Late Henry Phillips. The only information I have is that he served in the British Army and was in Burma and India.

Hi, I am looking for information about my grandfather Alexander Mitchel Johnstone who was an Argll and sutherland highlander and also a japanese pow camp survivor, he did not talk about the war and has sadly passed away , any information would be much appreciated

Hi Bethany, (re Ernest Raymond O'Brien). Your posting raised several questions. Firstly you stated that he was a Gunner in the Royal Artillery yet his service number shows that he enlisted in The Gloucestershire Regiment. Upon finding him in the POW list it showed his date of capture as 17.03.1942, which is not a common date compared to those who were captured at Singapore (15.02.1942) or those captured on Java (08.03.1942). Eventually the date of 17.03.1942 led me to a group who were captured at Padang in Sumatra, having escaped from Singapore in the final days before the surrender. The files from Changi show him as

Looking for info on my grandfather Ernest Raymond O'Brien. Born 9th February 1919, Stroud. Served in the royal artillery as a gunner. Service dates roughly are 1938-1945. His service number is 5182819. He served in Burma and was captured by the Japanese, escaped and then was re-captured. He was awarded the Burma star.

My Grand Uncle : Terence Patrick Mulroy, Lieutenant ,Number:203861, (Sherwood Foresters) was killed during the sinking of the Rakuyo Maru, on a website i found the initial's of BA next to his name, could be classed as a "Bravery Award " , the family story goes he went below deck to use the radio during the sinking to send out a mayday call ?, I do have 2 typed pages of the battle of Singapore which must be his ,it was found with papers from his Mum ( my Grand Mother) after she passed away.

Allen (re Frederick John Willey ) email sent on 21st.

i am desperate for help about Frederick John Willey born 28 Apr 1912 Service number T/36966 (English) Unit 5th Anti Aircraft Regt, B Company based in Hong Kong, he held the rank of Gunner.

He stated he was in Hong Kong when hostilities broke out with Japan in 1941 and became a POW of the Japanese from Christmas Day 1941 until August 1945.


He stated he held the following medals:
1939/45 Star
Pacific Star
Defence Medal
War Medal
Service Medal
Distinguished Conduct Medal (second only to the Victoria Cross)

He said he was repatriated to Australia in October 1945. Whilst he did live in Australia I can find no reocrd of him prior to 1958. I need to find out if in fact he was a POW. Thanks very much.

Hi Jill, re George Edward Goodman, 7262248, 35Company RAMC. Captured 14.02.1942 Singapore. Address of mother shown as Mrs Corrigan, 3 Caris Street, Gateshead, Co. Durham. He was sent overseas on 16.08.1942 as part of the Special Party B. This was the shipment that saw all the highest ranking officers leaving Singapore, including Lt. Gen. Percival, all the Maj. Generals, any many Brig. and Colonels. At the dockside they were all meant to board the

Hi I am trying do some research my partners grandfather
His number was 7262248 he was ramc corporal George goodman he retired as a regimental sergeant

Hi Julie,
I

I have been researching my mum's cousin WILLIAM H MERCER from Goole.

Hi Mike

Hi Jill (re Private William Roy Hopgood ). As with many members of RAOC the men did not stay together as a "regiment", but were attached in small groups to various regiments. Your Dad was attached to 137th Field Regiment, Light Aid Detachment. His address does not show up as Eastbourne in Sussex, but as The Post Office in the village of Cam, Gloucestershire.
He was one of the first to be sent to the Burma/Siam Railway on 22.06.1942, and this was known as the First Mainland Party, their task initially was to build the housing camp at Non Pluduc to house future work parties en route for up country. These troops were also involved in building the railway through to Kanchanaburi, assisted by Thai workers. You would need a copy of his Liberation Questionnaire from the National Archives to establish all his camps.

I am researching my fathers past Private William Roy Hopgood ROAC who lived in Eastbourne East Sussex he was in Japanese prisoner of war camp between 1942-1945

Hi, I am researching the diaries of my late father, George S baker, who was held at Keijo prison camp.
IF anyone has info or documents relating to the camp, I would be grateful to hear from you

Hi Sally. (re William O'Brien). There were 3 William O'Briens who were POWs of the Japanese. Can you supply any further information ? Do you know what regiment? What was his middle name? Do you know his service number? The regiment would be the most useful.

Hello,
I am currently looking for any information on my Grandfather William O''Brien who was awarded the Burma Star in the second world war and was also a POW. He was from Bradford Westyorkshire and returned there after the war. Many thanks

hi , my dad was in malai 4 ,does anyone no about this camp

Hi Sharon, I can tell you a lot about your Grandad as he was in the same regiment, and went through the same camps as my Dad. He certainly did not spend his prison days throughout the war in Changi. His service number was 1457078 and he was a member of the 80th Anti Tank Regiment. Initially imprisoned at Changi, he then sailed on the Japanese hellship 'England Maru' for Formosa, which was nearly a three week journey locked down in the holds. Upon arriving at Keelung, half the men were sent to Tohoku Camp 6, but your grandad drew the short straw and was sent to Kinkaseki Copper Mine Camp. Here he was given prisoner number 317 and was one of the few men who survived working in the mine for the next 2.5 years. When the mine closed, (due to all the mined copper being sunk on the way to Japan), he was then sent to build a camp in the jungle named Kukutsu. This was now June 1945. This was meant to be their final place for extermination if troops had landed on the island. On Setember 5th 1945, two American destroyers worked their way through the minefields at Keelung and took all the POWs out into the bay, where they transferred to the aircraft carriers USS Santee and USS Block Island. They were then shipped to a general hospital in Manila for onward routing home. There is a slight distortion to this, in that he states that he went to Tohoku camp in June 1945, but the records seem to state he went to Kukutsu for the final 3 months.

Hi I am looking for some information about my grandfather john mcallister from Glasgow who was a japanese POW in Changi throughout the war. We know little about his experiences he never discussed the war and died in 1991. I would be very grateful if we could find out some information about the years he spent there.

Hi,
I'm Lt. Col Pete Maisey's granddaughter. I was just wondering if you have a map of where the Bicycle Camp was,

Looking for anyone who knew my father, Vincent Coote, 8th Div Signaller NX53814 who was part of A Force.

Mike thank you very much for the information that you have given me about my uncle Reg Sanderson.

Elaine