Guestbook

I have been researching the short life of my uncle Pte Bernard Murphy.

My father was in the RAAF and often stayed with the Borthwicks on leave.

I have a letter written by my father to his mother on 16/9/45 mentioning a good friend of his Colin Borthwick who was a prisoner working on the Burma Railway, it is a historical letter giving details of their treatment, food, and other things and naming a mongrel Lt. Col but name is hard to understand who was the most hated man in the war, the Japs were kinder. It looks like Ksewey but I cannot find it online. Any help as I would like to find out more. Thanks

Does anyone know my late grandfather

My late father Driver John Owen Jones of The Royal Army Service Corps Number T/121114 was serving in Malaya from November 1941 to Janaury 1943 he was then captured by the Japanese in February 1943 details surrounding this are sparse, but he appears to have gone missing in Netherlands, East Indies, his date of release is not known, but he arrived back in the UK 11th October 1945 to the port of Liverpool, my ninety year old mother thinks the ship was named "Tegleburg" (not sure if spelling is correct). She seems to think he was held in more than one prison and I would be interested to know whether anyone would be able to assist me with any information however small. My father died in 1952 when I was five as a result of his treatment by the Japanese, and I remember very little about him, except my mother told me he had a wonderful singing voice and would sometimes sing "Myfanwy." I must have inherited a little of him because I too love to sing.

I am looking for anyone that may have known my grandfather, William McNeill who was captured during the fall of Singapore.

Which

Dad was with the Lancashire TA, Royal Artillary in Europe and then Malaya and then various POW camps.
He painted to keep his sanity, so they are not depressing and we have scanned over 300 images he painted on to a website www.changipowart.com

This may show a bit of an insite into POW life. Please let your family and friends know of the site as we feel the artwork is quite significant.

i would like to find out all about my wife uncle
tom lee
who was intered in changi prison,
please help

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 Signalman John Conley service number 3129355 (nickname Bing) was captured at Padang Sumatra on March 17th 1942 and died in Changi July 7th 1944 and is buried at Kranji War Cemetery.I am quite fortunate as I am able to visit Kranji twice a year,if anybody requires a photo of a grave there I will gladly try and oblige.
I would be grateful for any information regarding my father

I have been reading your web site (and watching it!) with the greatest of interest, respect and emotion. I am currently wriitng up an "oral history" about my father's reminiscences of WWII, like many former POWs he was very reluctant to talk about his experiences. Dad was a Signaller (8th Div) and whilst captured in Singapore he became part of 'C" Force ending up in Noetsu, Japan. Not being part of the main 2/20th Battalion (at Noetsu) his name is sometimes omitted from books so I wanted his story remembered as well. I am also, in line with your sites focus, trying to get him to video his memories of "Sandy" Barrett - the Medical Officer at the camp for whom he has the greatest respect. Thank you for your work, I think the site is terribly sad but rather wonderful and unique, even you Guest Book makes me cry.

my father was william (bill) seymour and was a corporal. He was in changi jail then moved to build the burma railway . I dont know much more as he would never talk about it. He had a lot of scars on his head which he said he received from the guards whilst working on the railway. God bless every one of them, dead or alive. sadly he passed away at the age of 74 in 1990. regards connie armitage.

Im looking for a newspaper headline of ex pow eckle streatchy reguarding a soldier returning home to dundee scotland after prosumably being dead during the prisoner of war on the burma railway bridge

i was greatly moved by the sacrifice made by the brave men who built the railway .. RIP inc all the forgotten Asian people for whom there are no grave stones

I would appreciate any feedback on the A.I.F. 2/26 Battalion. My Uncle Athol Hoelscher was a member of that battalion and became a POW. I have been advised by Canberra that he died of an illness and buried at Thynbylat cemetary. My parents told me certain things about Athols service and eventual demise, but I have been unable to confirm. Any information to my email would be appreciated. I intend visiting the war graves in Myanmar in the near future.

My Great Aunt Jenny and Uncle Eric Geddes were civilian prisoners of war in Manilla. Any information you might have would be greatly apreciated. No one talked about their interment when I was a child so I know very little about what they went through. I believe my Uncle worked for Sun Life Insurance Co. and was from Great Britain. My Aunt was from Colton, Calif and was the daughter of Fred and Matilda Snider.

I'm am looking for any information on my Uncle Billy.
Signalman Clifford William James Cheshire age 21 NX46216 AIF. Signals 8 Division 2/20 Battalion Died 28 February 1942 off the coast of Java.
Anything at all would be most welcome

hi im looking for any information on my grandfather EDWARD JAMES PRESTON, he was a japanese prisoner of war and worked on the burma railway, as far as i know he escaped the day winston churchill and franklin roosevelt set sail together and he over heard a conversation between the two of them that made him jump ship and desserted with a friend i have his army number which was 5472470 but dont know what it stands for what regiment or anything else i would be so very greatful if someone could give me any information no matter how small many thanks jo

I would like to know more about the imprisonment of my Great Grandfather William Pullar, who served with the Royal Signals Corps and was captured and held as a POW by the Japanese sometime in 1942.
He survived and returned to Britain after the war but never spoke of it at all. He died 20 years ago now, so we don't know anything about it all.
I wonder if anyone can help? or even point me in the direction of who to contact? thanks

My journey has spanded over 20 years, so find out more about my Grandfather "
Pte William Forbes Schuberth"
NX 2567
2/30th Battalion A Force, who was shot attempting escape from a camp near Mergui Burma in July 1942, he was 35yrs old whilst working on the aerodrome in Mergui,
I have recently returned from a trip there and thought I would be happy to get that close to where he would have worked, but the thirst of interest still chews at me and I now want to get more info of what the camp name or village was where he worked closely and eventually met his fate. I went to a village (Bauchow) along side of the airforce base, but not sure if this was the village or not. One day I will return there when I have found the village name or camp he lived at, If anyone can help me, plse contact me and I would be greatful for any info or people who he might have worked with at the time.
Kind Regards
Janis Gordon (nee Schuberth)

I would love to hear from anyone who might have known my dad VX17884 Frank (Bluey) Phillips who was a prisoner of war and I believe Changi. He didn't speak much about his time abroard, and it saddens me that I really know nothing of what he and his mates went through.

Anyone know where I can find information about my Great Uncle - QX9887 Arthur Harold James Weeks, 2/26th BTN and a member of "F"Force. Any info kindly appreciated.

Good Evening,
Re: Sjt. Francis Joseph Kelly Executed in 1943, Fusilier Timothy Kenneally Executed in 1943, Sjt. Edward Reay Executed in 1943 and Private Patrick Fitzgerald Shot while escaping from village they were hiding in 08.03.1943. I have been researching the executions/murder of my Uncle and his three co escapees.
I have just returned from a visit to my Uncles Grave in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand.What it was - my wife Sue was at a Conference in Hua Hin - we arrived on Sunday 11th March and had to return the evening of Thursday 15th.
It was too good an opportunity to miss to visit my Uncles grave, so I tagged along - we only had time for a fleeting visit to the Cemetery before we had to get back to the Airport at Bangkok for our flight home.
My father, Staff Sjt. J.P.Kelly - who was a career soldier himself and served in Africa and Europe through the war always planned to visit his brothers grave when he and Mum retired but never got the chance and he died suddenly in 1978 aged 62.
He tried to do his own research after the war but in those days it was a very slow process but I believe certain diaries/paperwork he managed to recover are now held by the Imperial War Museum in London.
I always told him that I would go and visit his brothers which I have now done - so I know he and Mum would have been made up with that.
Franks (Francis) daughter managed to visit his grave with her husband but Franks two sons didn't manage to get there - they have all passed away now - but he still has grandchildren, great grandchildren and just last year has his first great, great grandchildren.
If I had been a bit more savvy I would have done far more research before I got to Thailand and planned my visit in a bit more detail but I suppose I had it in my mind that to visit the grave was the main objective.
I should have visited the execution site which, from the print out supplied at the Death Railway Museum in Kanchanaburi, I now know to be at Khao Pun Execution Site - something I didn't know before - I had no idea how close to the cemetery the museum is.
The bodies were exhumed from Khao Pun and re interred at Kanchanaburi in 1956.
I really didn't know about the museum until I was at the cemetery and saw it over the hedge.
Arthur Lane an ex FEPOW and author has sent me one of his books which outlines the details of him witnessing the executions so there is a bit of detail there but I am sure there is a lot more.
I would be very interested to see any further information you have on the events of those sad days for my uncle and his mates - Arthur referred to them as the "four rebels" - presumably something to do with them all having Irish surnames?
I would like to let the families of Kenneally, Fitzgerald, and Reay that I have visited their graves on they are in immaculate condition although the dates on the headstones conflict with some of the information I have gathered.
(if you want to let anyone who has an interest in this incident or are relative of these men my email address is here and that is fine)
By all accounts the four were hiding in a Thai village but were sold out to the Japanese - the first time the Japs entered the village the four ran away - it was at this time that Private Fitzgerald was shot dead on 8th March 1943.
The others still believing the village to be a safe haven returned to it only to be sold out again and were recaptured - some accounts say they gave themselves up.
What is not in doubt is that they were badly beaten before execution by firing squad - consisting of some 32 men and murdered/executed at Khao Pun - the dates are not clear as the headstones say the 23rd of March 1943 but a lot of accounts say the executions took place on 27th March 1943.(anniversary tomorrow)
I have also found out that Major General Makoto Sasa was executed at the Singapore War trials for giving the go ahead, without a court martial or trial for these four brave men. The museum at Kanchanaburi has a lot of documentation and eye witness accounts.
As an aside - While I was in the cemetery I met a wonderful Dutch couple who noticed the four flower posies made of purple orchids I was carrying that I had bought from the museum (they really were nice) and they asked if they could return to the graveside with me.(I had already put a rose on each grave)
Turns out this man as an 8 year old had been a prisoner, along with his Mum, of the Japanese and witnessed the most terrible atrocities.He asked if he could say a prayer which of course I agreed - it was probably the most moving moment of my life when we stood there by the graves praying and all of us were crying.I will never forget him and his wife - I just wish I had asked for his contact details.
Memories are made of moments like this!
Anyway - hope this is of interest to you,
Kind Regards,
John Kelly

Looking for any information regarding my uncle, Jack Cady, who was with the Suffolk Regiment, and was a prisoner of war in CHhngi, with "F Force". Died on the railway, 12 Aug 1943.