Guestbook

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

Hi Mike thank you for your help and answers which have been very informative and helpful.I would be interested if you could tell me the location of Malai camp number 5.Henry Thomas Reeves who"s fepow story you were so helpful with sent a postcard from there.in march 1945.I can"t find it in.the list of any of the Changi camps many thanks Deannaf

Hello, I am looking for information on my grandad William h coates, service number 2345796. Thank you

I have: BOYS R.C. [Richard Charles] ‘Dick’ born 1908 Streatham, London. Engineer. Assistant, National Cash Register Dept. Brinkmann & Co. French Bank Building, Singapore. Enlisted VF 1937. Pte 13622 S Company1SSVF POW Singapore to Thailand with D Battalion 12.10.42. Died in captivity 1.7.43[34] Chungkai. ...So Singapore Volunteers [1SSVF] since 1937 - working in Singapore since then. No information on the firm in Siam. .

Hello,
I am trying to investigate the death of a cousin, which I have recently discovered was in the Chungkai camp, where he was working as a POW on the Thai-Burma railway. His name was Private Richard Charles BOYS. He died on 1/7/1943, but had been a POW from 1940. His service No was 13622 (Straits Settlement Volunteer Force)

I am interested in a comment on the Colonial Office Register of his death as it states that he was with the SSVF but adds "John Molonoy & Co, Siam". Does this mean anything to anyone? Although he was born in the UK, how would he have ended up in the SSVF? And how do I go about finding out exactly which camps he may have been in (or would he have been sent to Chungkai?) I"d be really grateful for any assistance.
Although I have other family members of the forces who perished abroad during WW1 & WW2, Richard is the first I"ve discovered to die outside Europe and I don"t know what resources I should be checking out. Any help much appreciated.

Joanne, can you please post again but give every piece of information you have, so time is not spent looking for unnecessary information. The more information you give may lead to the more information you may get.

I am looking for info on Joseph Gill he was a prisoner of war in Japan.

Thank you Mike, I was unaware of the site you recommended in 
relation to finding out about my father.

I forgot to add I have a book called The Burma-Siman Railway, the Secret Diary of Dr Robert Hardie 1942 - 45 in which my grandfather is mentioned. Do you know this book?

Thank you SO much. That"s far more information than I have been able to obtain. Or my brother who for some years was digging into my grandfather"s war history before he died last year of cancer. I really appreciate this information. Thank you angain.

Hi Anna. Ref: George Basil Adams. Right from the beginning I was confused how anyone would be able to enrol in 1942 when the Japanese were already so advanced or even already into Singapore. I was even more confused when I saw that he was with the 5th Field Regiment who were a Regular Army regiment. The London Gazette states that he re-enlisted on 17/02/1941, (NOT 1942). When I found his Japanese Index Card it showed he was 51 years old (in 1942) and this led me to his WWI history. WOW, Military Cross awarded twice (Cross and Bar) and Croix de Guerre. His Index Card shows his contact to be Mrs LET Adams in Maidstone, but his Regiment Roll shows his brother in Cooksditch, Faversham. His rank was confusing as he had previously retired as a Capt, and was now a Regular Army Reserve, Royal Artillery, so this explained his re-enlistment into the 5th Field Rgt. His new rank back into the regular army was Lt, but this soon was promoted back to Capt., which appears on all the WWII documents. After being imprisoned at Changi after the surrender on 15/02/1942, and 9 months later was sent to the Burma / Siam Railroad as part of "L Party" on 6/11/1942. Unfortunately I have not been able to identify any of his camps, and hope someone else will be able to help. Alternatively you can contact the TBRConline who will have more information. The only further piece of information comes from his Index Card which states in Japanese "30/8/45 Bangkok United Nations Extradition". There is a 1946 September entry in the London Gazette where he is shown now as Major who displayed "Distinguished Service" as a POW, maybe this was an oakleaf to pin on his war medal. So it appears he was promoted to Major after the war for his services whilst a POW. Much respect.

I am looking for any information about my grandfather Major George Basil "Bill" Adams who was a prisoner of war. He had worked for the Asiatic Petroleum Company in Thailand prior to joining up in 1942 and being captured by the Japanese.

Jonathan, just to add to Mike"s information: D.J. Fleming arrived in Malaya in 1924.1924. He was Agent, Eastern Smelting Co.Ltd, Connolly Rd, Ipoh in the 1930s then Assistant, Eastern Smelting Co.Ltd, Dato Kramat, Penang. Wife Hester Leonie [b.1902] & 2 children evacuated to Australia. He was Sapper 5350 3SSVF [Penang Volunteers]POW Singapore to Thailand with D Battalion 12.10.42 – remained at Ban Pong 10.42. Later to Nong Pladuk then 1. 45 to Ubon. He was repatriated to the UK via Bombay on Dominion Monarch, arriving Southampton 9.11.45.

Thank you so much Mike. This is fascinating. I didn’t know any details of where my grandad had been during the war. He never spoke about his experience ever after coming home. All the details you mentioned fit in with what I do know. My grandad was a lovely gentle humble man. Religion was a focal point and I understand this developed during his time under the Japanese. On a happier note, I remember he was a very skilled table tennis player and these skills I believe he learnt in camp! These camps must have had such far reaching consequences for so many, both the individuals unfortunate enough to be in them and their families, whether or not they came home. Thank you so much for this information. Best wishes, Jonathan 

Hi Syl. ref: Drummer John James Martin. 3055168 Royal Scots. You asked about after liberation, and although I dont have evidence of his initial ships we can probably assume he went to Yokahama and was then shipped to Okinawa. From there he would be shipped to Manila. At Manila his name emerges as being passenger number 869 on USS Admiral Hughes which sailed via Hawaii for Vancouver. This journey started on 24/09/45 and ended on 09/10/45.There is no paperwork thereafter for any taking this route, but the majority of diaries state they took a 5 day train journey across Canada to either Halifax or New York. The most likely ship was Ile de France from Halifax to Southampton on 26.10.45 arriving 31.10.45. There is a possibility though it was either Queen Elizabeth or Queen Mary at a later date.

Hi Jonathan, re: David Johnstone Fleming. A little information found but also leads to several more questions which I am assuming your family history confirms. He was a member of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Forces, service number 5350. Does this suggest he lived a civilian life on Singapore or area? I can see two contact addresses, one being a "care of" in Paignton, Devon, and another at a bank in Adelaide , Australia. His birth area is shown as Jarrow, County Durham. He was initially a POW in Changi for 3 months, and then moved to River Valley Camp for 5 months. In October 42 he was sent to the Burma/Siam Railroad. He arrived at base camp Non Pladuk and then remained there for 28 months. Whether he had a special role there, or maybe it was his age of 40 it must have been considered he was of more use where he was. In February 1945 he was sent to Ubon where a Japanese airfield was to be built. It was from this location he was liberated on 21.09.1945. His probable route home would have been air to Bangkok , then onto Rangoon, and chosen destination thereafter.

Hi Jim H. Ref: Gnr. Ronald Edwin Freeman. 943560. 135 Field Regiment R.A. Belgrave, Leicester. Note: although you named him as Roland, all documents name him as Ronald, including his Liberation Questionnaire which he wrote himself. Imprisoned Changi until 22/10/1942 when he was entrained to the Burma/Siam Railroad initially with the men of Group 1 but later with Group 4. His camps were Tamarkan (55Km), Konkita (258Km), Hindato (198Km), Non Pladuk II (Base camp), Tamuanang (39Km), and Pratchai. His card states his liberation on 30/08/1945 bought him through Bangkok, so I assume he sailed home from Rangoonhe came through bank

Sara. Re Frank Ellis Robertson. Sorry, but very little information found. Service number 12638, 2/A.A. HKSRA. Imprisoned Changi until 26/10/1942 when he was sent to the Burma/Siam Railroad in "W Party" consisting of 125 officers and 525 O/R. His Index Card suggests the first part of his liberation was to be flown by air to Bangkok around 31/08/1945. All the documents I have seen for him gives his rank as Major, so if you have documents showing Lt. Col., then he must have got promotion whilst a POW or after the war ended.

David Johnstone Fleming - sorry, I’m not sure that it was Changi that my grandfather was in. It might well have been another POW camp run by the Japanese. I’d really appreciate any further information. Thanks, Jonathan 

My grandfather, David [Johnstone?] Fleming was a POW in Changi camp. I would really appreciate if you could confirm this and also tell me any further information you may have. Many thanks, Jonathan 

My father, John James Martin, Royal Scots
 2 Battalion, taken prisoner in Hong Kong,
on Lisbon Maru and recaptured on an island
were soldiers were waiting then taken
to  Osaka Japan. Can anyone please help
with details of his journey after liberation?
Also i do not have any photos of him,
would there be one on file somewhere?
 Many thanks.

Hello, I believe he was a prisoner in Thailand, taken prisoner as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery. , Roland Edwin Freeman of Northamptonshire, my father"s cousin. Believed taken prisoner at Fall of Singapore in Feb 1942 and held in captivity until after Japan surrendered. Would value any info, greatest thanks