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I write to commemorate Gunner Leonard Danby (Service Number 1700316 born in Nottingham 1912), my wife's great uncle, and a POW at Kuching POW camp 1942-45 who endured 3.5 years of harsh conditions at the hands of his Japanese captors, only to die a few days after the Japanese surrender but before the camp could be liberated. Len died at age 33. So close to freedom and to returning to his wife, child and family. He gave the greatest gift of all, the gift of his unfinished life.

Hi Matthew – re Sapper Leonard Cresswell, 2079237. Taken prisoner at Singapore at the capitulation on 15.02.1942. He remained in Changi until 15.05.43 when he embarked on the hellship Wales Maru, in Party J, and sailed for Saigon in Indochina, and Takao in Formosa. After a brief stop they sailed on to Moji in Japan, arriving 07.06.43. The 950 prisoners had suffered extreme cramped and hot conditions locked down in the holds for the journey. Moved on to Hakodate 1B camp in northern Hokkaido on 10.06.43, named as Ashibetsu POW Camp, where they were enslaved into a coal mine.
On 09.02.1945 Leonard was subject to disciplinary action for attempted theft of coal. He was given 2 days confinement/detention and a minor penalty sentence.
53 POWs were to die whilst imprisoned in this camp.
Liberation occurred on 02.09.1945. Between September 11-13 1945 he was taken to Chitose Naval Air Base for repatriation. At this point I do not have documentation to confirm the next part of his journey. He may either have been flown to Yokohama for medical checks onboard a hospital ship, or flown to Okinawa. It is possible he was flown all the way to Manila in the Philippines, where documents next pick him up.
On 24.09.1945 he embarked as passenger 172 on the USS Admiral Hughes and sailed via Hawaii for Vancouver in Canada.
No documents thereafter survive, but from other POWs diaries they took a 5 day train journey across Canada to Halifax or New York. Most then embarked on Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth or Ile de France. All 3 ships arrived Southampton. Copies of files available if required.

My grandad John George Taylor was a pow, served in Burma, can’t find any record of him. I think he was with the DLI as he would have lived in Darlington at the time. His brother in law James mullet would have also been with him, they became best mates and married his sister Elizabeth.

Hi
I am trying to find some information on my grandad, Leonard Cresswell he was in 287 field coy royal engineers. He was captured in Singapore

Any information will be great
Thank you

Hi Mike
Thank you for the info regarding Fatty golding chindits . I have just found a sítě, chindits operation longcloth 1943 were a private golding is mentioned as a pow in raangoon jail . Im not sure if this is my great uncle ?

I"m looking for records on my grandad, Herbert Arthur rowson. He was a member of the chindits in Burma campaign during WW2. HE WAS PART OF PARASHOT REGIMENT

Simon, re ‘Fatty Golding’. I cannot guarantee I have the right man, but a few facts add up to point in this mans direction. Private Percival Claude Golding 6024996 was awarded the Burma Star. He lived at Glemsford, Sudbury, Suffolk. He was with the 2nd Queens Regiment who were Chindits. I cannot see any evidence that he was a POW, so documents are limited to be able to check. Post war he joined the Burma Star Association.

This site has been extremely helpfull in the research of my great uncle Arthur john jaggard who was on Ambon island pow camp and who eventually died on the Taian maru on 23/08/ 1944 . So now i would like to research another family member but this is going to be a tough one , the only info i have is the nickname
So any information about Fatty golding from sudbury suffolk, he was in the Chindits during ww2 . His sister my naň was dolce golding who necháme dolce rice .

sorry, his last name is Hobson. He was a civilian.

He lived in Singapore and was taken as a POW, after the war he stayed in Singapore for a little while, then came to Melbourne Australia in the early 1950"s I believe.

Sally Hobson, was he in the military or was he a civilian? Where did he live and therefore probably enlist? Did he come home?

I am hoping to find details of my grandfather who was a POW in Changhai prison: Douglas Edward Harry Hobson. I dont know any other details I am afraid.
Sally Hobson

RE: Gunner Samuel Macgregor Summers QX9812, 2/10th Field Regiment, 8th Division R.A.A 
This is my father.
He wrote to his sister in a letter dated 4 September 1945, and headed:
C/- Australian PW Reception Unit
Bangalore, India Command,

but he said that he was in Rangoon, and had flown there the previous day.
His records at Kanchanaburi show that he was recovered at Prachuap Kiri Khan, having been assigned from Nakhom Paton to the Mergui Road construction.

Are there records of the POWs received into the British Hospitals in Rangoon in August and September 1945?

I am wanting to identify whether he flew there from Prachuap Kir Khan or Nakhom Paton.
The first repatriation flights from Prachaup to Rangoon left on 18 August 1945. He flew there on 3 September 1945. 

Mike I am very grateful for your help albeit with no results 
The only information I have is this-
Charles William Coles
In Burma 9th July 1944 saved a Gurkha who had both Legs blown off
by carrying him to safety in the jungle 
In London gazette 22nd September 1944
With 3/9th Gurkha rifles.
You are right Charles is my father,
he never spoke of the war had been stabbed 
multiple times on his back leaving large
Purple bluish ugly scars that had no medical attention 
He also had in his later life shrapnel coming to the surface 
of his skin.
The British Legion when I was young presented him with a
Candle stick
From an inscribed name (Chandra) an Indian name
also a Kukri I am sure this is the man my father saved
My father also had a scar extending from his ankle to knee.
I have seen his CS20 card and it was not any member of my family 
making the enquiry.
THANK YOU again Mike for all your help 
it is much appreciated!!!
Alan

Hi Alan........Unfortunately I cant help, none of my documents find anything regarding Charles. The only reference to him that I can see is next of kin applying for his medals in 1992 ?. I assume this is probably yourself. Could it be of benefit to contact the RE Museum at Gillingham, Kent. You had previously asked the same questions around June 2020 on this page, but unfortunately the page has corrupted and wiped answers out, but I believe it was negative answers anyway. (scroll down, a few dates show up). I would have expected to find some acknowledgements in THE London Gazette, but once again it is negative. IF he was ever a POW it was not in the 1941/1942 onslaught so must have been in the Burma / Kohima period 1943/1945.

Greetings Mike,
May I ask if from the source of information you have there is any reference to,
Charles William Coles,
Royal Engineers,
Service number 484670
Born UK see my recent request.
I believe he was a POW.
His Mentions in dispatches-
Indicates he saved a Gurkha who had both legs blown off,
By picking him up and carrying him to safety.
With my very best wishes from Australia.
Alan

Mike this means so much truly amazing information on my grandfather as he died at the age of 63 while living in the town of Alloa he hasd a daughter Catherine and a son Jack he worked in the glassworks and local brewery he had a diary which my Mum gave to her brother which unfortunately was never found again I remember him being a boxer and fighting the Americans also a few entry of being ill with dissentry can"t thank you enough for this information which I will pass onto the family

Jack, ........... Gunner Hugh Wright, 1710472, 48 Light Anti Aircraft (LAA), 242 Battery, Royal Artillery.
Taken prisoner 20/03/1942 upon the capitulation of Java by the Dutch forces. Transported to Singapore on 21/10/1942 on the Yoshida Maru, and then on 30/10/1942 sailed for Takao in Formosa. At Takao, (now Kaohsiung) a large number of UK Pow"s disembark and are taken to Taichu Camp, 100 are so sick they are transferred to hospital, and 285 USA Pow"s join the ship. The ship sails for Moji, Japan, arriving 25/11/1942. Taken to Fukuoka-6B camp which was a coal mine. The camp name was changed to Fuk-1D, then Hiroshima- 4D, and then eventually Hiroshima- 6B. His Japanese Index Card states he spent 7 days in the guardhouse for stealing a sweet potato. Liberation was effected on 15/09/1945. Hugh was found in Ota Town in the Yamaguchi Prefecture, by Major Walter Busby. Hugh was transported to Okinawa and then Manila in the Philippines.
From Manila he sailed east on 08/10/1945, on the USS Marine Shark, via Hawaii, to San Francisco, arriving 01/11/1945. Based on diaries from other Pow"s off the Marine Shark , they then took a train up the west coast to Seattle and Vancouver. A further 5 day train journey took them across Canada and down into New York. His final journey home was on the Queen Mary into Southampton. NOTE: Hugh was never a sergeant in the war years, he was always a Gunner (Private in Royal Artillery).

Sorry had wrong information he was a gunner sergeant ryal artillery pow
Bitavia island of java

Looking for any information on 
Charles William Coles.
Royal Engineers.
Date of birth 
8/12/1922
Possibly an officer
Service number 484670
Served North Africa and Burma
May have had a mention in dispatches.
With best wishes Alan

Jack, re Hugh Wright. 2 found, neither Scots Guards. Can you give any extra information. Date of birth? Parents christian names ? Where born ? Where lived ? Anything else?

Hi im looking for any information about my grandfather Hugh Wright also known as Jackie from what I know im sure he was in the Scots guards and was a prisoner of war was held in one of the camps in burma any information would be greatly appreciated

Looking for any information on my great uncle Alan Michael Middleton aka Middy.He was in the 2 3rd machine gunners

I met Peter during a visit to Adelaide.
We met up at Keswick Barracks and went out for a
meal at the nearby McDonalds.
Later, we exchanged books, my Dad"s to him,
his book to me.
I remember him as a lovely man, passionate about
the Ex POW"s.

Henk, SS Chitral was a P&O liner and utilised for the repatriation of POWs. Its sailing was 2/10/1945 from Rangoon, 6/10/1945 Colombo, Suez, 28/10/1945 Southampton. The Thailand POWs were flown to Rangoon.