Guestbook

I am the brother of Ainsley Cornell, who posted earlier. Both Ainsley and myself are putting a trip together in honour of our father Private Edward Ainsley - E. A. Cornell WX16260 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion AIF. So far we have know he was transported to Burma but may have ventured into Thailan south of Three PAgoda Pass at Nike # 3 Camp. It is Ainsley's and my intent to base ourselves at Kanchanburi for about 4 days and see as much as possible. WE are considering a day trip to Three PAgoda PAss and overnight at Songlhaburi. It would be great to do a river return trip, but cannot find any info on how do this.
Keep up the good work, and hopefully we will get to meet over coffee.

Regards
Shane

My dad, Edward (Ted) Cornell was in the 2/4th Machine Gun and was captured in Singapore.
He spent time in Changi then on the Burma/Thai railway. we have cards from Nike Camp No. 3 and from Moulmein Burma.

My Grandfather was a prisoner of war held in Japan. My mum doesn't speak much about his ordeal but we do know that he used to get wipped at the back of the ears. His name was Victor Harold Newman and he was from Saltburn-by-the-sea in Great Britain. I never met him and i know no more information about my Grandfather apart from he was in the army.
Hope somone can help me please.

Hi .My uncle was captured by the japs in singapore and sent to changi jail then set to work on death railway, but he kept everything that happened to him and others in a diary that he kept hidden from the japs it has everthing in it [names of other solgers and so on once i have copied it i will try to post it some place on the net so others can see it. kind regards

Hi

Hello can anyone tell me where i can obtain war records for POW -

I served on Labuan Island during Indonesian 'Confrontation' 1965/66. I am taking my family there at Easter (2013) and we will lay poppies at the War Cemetary. Please let us know if you want us to visit any particular grave, otherwise please know that the younger generation, ie my 3 teenagers, will be carrying your and my memories forward. We shall also visit Sandakan, Brunei & Kuching. Best wishes.

hi, my grandad Albert John Bosworth was in Suffolk Regiment in World War 2. im told he was a prisoner of war in Burmah but do not know the camp name and was lookjng for further details, he was a motorbike dispatcher first in the uk and later was captured in the Burmese jungle, id be grateful for any info, thanks

hi, my uncle charles albert simpson, died on the hell ship toyfuku maru it was bombed and fired on by allied forces, ive been trying to find out where he was before the japs shipped the prisoners out i know he worked on the railway but don't no where or what camp he was in. if anyone can help it would b great, ialso no that his memoral coloum is 110 in singapore and that he was only 25yrs of age when he died

My father Alexander Auchinvole Russell moved to Malaya in 1937 and retired in 1967. Before WW2 he was a rubber planterand an engineer; Manager of Cicely Rubber Estates in Lower Perak, near Teluk Anson.

I am after any information about my grandad who was in changi prison during the war and was in the Royal Artillery his name was Harold (harry) George Spinner when i knew him as a child he was living on Hayling Island (uk) with his wife Eveline. If anyone recognises the name i would appreciate any information as i havnt been able to trace him through any websites so far. Thanks

I'm trying to find out which camp my granda john clark was in as a Japanese prisoner of war

Hi not sure if I'm on the correct site,I've been looking for my granddads name in the archives but can't find any website that has ex-british pow's of changi prison.
His name was Leslie gotts.

Portraits of Palembang Military POW

I am trying to find out about my grandmother's brother Ernest Edward Firmage. He was born in 1917 in Downham Market and served in the Norfolk Regiment. All I know is that he was captured by the Japanese and worked on the Burma Railway.
He contracted malaria which he suffered from for the rest of his life. If anyone has any information they could share with me I would be most grateful.

My father was a Capt, in the Signals Capt. Norman Cleveley , he was acting as radio officer on the SSMata Hari, when she was captured by the JAPS and he was interened in Sumatra if anyone has any information I would be grateful

We landed in liverpool,it was October,November time.I cant remember exactly.
We was told,all those going north to one side,all those going south come over here.
There was four

My grandad po arthur slater survived the sinking of HMS Repulse on 1o.12.1941 I am reserching him at the moment, and wanted to know it anyone knows what the survivours of hms repulse done after their rescue until their capture in feb 1942 .he was captured in palembang sumatra, but i believe he was also took to changi.

My comment was added on 7/10/2012,just so that you know that I am still marching.

I am a 96 year old Gunner of the Royal Artillery.

I was in F force.We marched 187 miles in 10 days and i am still bloody marching now.

If you have any questions ask my friend at his email address and i will try and answer them.

God save the Queen.

My name is Irene, I reside in Michigan. My father's name is Lodewijk Marinus Schlundt Bodien. He was born August 24, 1914 in Pekalongan, Java. My father was a Prisoner of the Japanese for 3 .5 years. He was captured in 1942. My father was a Sergeant Major for the KNIL Dutch Army under the command of Col. Drost. Through extensive research via Internet, I have researched documented and learned that my father was stationed in four different camps during the war. My father also worked on the Burma railway. Records indicate that after sustaining a severe injury to his leg, my father was sent to Nakhon Pathon, a hospital camp. Throughout my life, my father would share stories that seemed unbelievable. Stories of pain, torture and suffereing during WWII and how cruel the Japanese treated the many POW's. As a young child, these stories were very frightening and unimagineable. With tears in my father's eyes, I still recall the forms of torture my father experienced. The Japanese soldiers tied my father to a tree for days. They placed hot coals in his mouth and burned out his teeth. They lit cigarettes and burned his gums. His teeth rotted and fell out thereafter. My father was stabbed with a bayonet in his left thigh, leaving a deep 8" scar. This wound forced him to utilize crutches for over four years. As a young child, in the still of the night, I would hear my father quietly weep, still in pain from his inflicted leg wound. Or perhaps tears from the nightmares and trauma he received while experiencing flashbacks of war that he and his comrades endured. Another form of torture described by my father was repeated attempts to drown him by holding his head under water until he passed out. They would then jump on his stomach to revive him, only to inflict more pain. After the war and Bersiap period ended, both my parents left Indonesia with my siblings. They boarded the Johan Ode Barneveld Ship in 1951 to live in the Netherlands. On February 27, 1957 my father and mother and siblings boarded the Zuiderkruis ship to live a new life in the "Land of Opportunity", the United States of America in a small town known as Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was born in Michigan in the summer of 1957. After the war, my father played in several bands in the Netherlands. One band in particular was the "Black & White Swingers" band. While residing in the U.S. both my father and mother continued perform in various bands. My father had a beautiful voice and perfomed and sang Hawaaiin music. He played steel and acqoustic guitar. My Mother was a Hula Dancer. Their hearts truly never left Indonesia. His love of music and songs he sang of Indonesia truly exemplify this. My father passed away with stomach cancer in the summer of 1975. Through all the pain, suffereing and hardships my father endured during the war, I will always remember my father asking me to promise him that I would never hate anyone, no matter what ! My father forgave the Japanese for what they had done to him in a time and place when the world that was not a nice place to live in. I shall always remember, respect and honor this wish. On April 8, 1947 my father received the (OHK) Oorlogs Herinnerings Kruis . My father, a hero! If anyone knows or has any information about my father, please e-mail. Thank you very much.

I have been complet ing my family geneolgy on my paternal line and recently discoved that my great uncle Jack was a prisoner of war in Japan for three years.

I have recently discoverd some personnal documents that my late Uncle, Norman Dean had. He was captured on the surrender of Singapore in Feb 1942, his records show that he was at camp hospitals where two very famous Australian Doctors (namely Lt Col Dunlop and Lt Col Coates) were camp leaders.
I have the dates when he was at these camps and I am trying to identify there exact location.
O have also come across some interesting items in relation to this period in his life, currency notes for Singapore overstamped with Japan and the Rising Sun, a list of the medicals conditions he suffered etc.
Uncle Norman never spoke about the ward, I know he was an absolute skeleton when he was repatriated, and some of the documentation and other items (loin cloth and sandals) leave me in total awe of what these brave people endured.

I only knew Sgt Casey Hoyle, manchester rgt. caught twice escaped twice in malaya. caught on the causeway, changi, then the nasty railway, banpont to 3-pagodas pass. Out of some 470 in his bridge group, he was one of 4 to survive. He ended up being shipped to japan via vietnam, was in a pow camp near nagasaki. He killed on Jap guard by drowning him, others he said had their throats cut. getting rid of the rifle was the hardest bit. He remained with the army ending up in the Ordnance corps. a good man, eventually told me all I asked. a precious and unique individual for sure.

Would anyone know anything about my Grandfather. NX52439 Private Claude Anthony Gilligan, 2/20th Battalion, Australian Infantry. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of E Force. The 500 Australian and 500 British POW's who made up E Force, left Changi on 28 March 1943, on board the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15 April 1943. The POW's were held there until 5 June, when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The next day they were transferred to the 8 Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. Private Gilligan, aged 34, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 22nd May 1945. He was the son of James Gilligan and Maud Eliza Gilligan, of Coonamble, NSW. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 14. (Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves.)