Researching POWs P-T

      Private George Thomas PAGE Page, George Thomas - Private

      Paminke, Aik  Paminke, Aik

      Peeters Jan  Peeters Jan

      Philpot, Herbert Arthur  Philpot, Herbert Arthur

      Harry Ramsey Ramsey, Harry

      Saxton Frank nelson Saxton Frank Nelson, Gunner 1736612, 69 Bty 21 LAA RA

      Shore, Jack Hamilton, Capt  Shore, Jack Hamilton, Capt

      Smith, Cyril, 13331 Smith, Cyril, 13331 1st(Singapore Volunteer Corps)Bn

      Stapeley, Owen William Stapeley, Owen William

      Steward. Jo, Royal Corps of Signals. attached to 135 RA Steward. Jo, Royal Corps of Signals. attached to 135 RA

      George Stoddart 542214 was in 27 Squadron Stoddart, George 542214 was in 27 Squadron

      Norman Taylor, Royal Artillery Taylor Norman, Royal Artillery

      Tinnion, Jim - H.R.A Tinnion, Jim - Royal Artillery, Heavy Ack Ack

       

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Page, George Thomas - Private

      Pageej - Looking for information on Regimental movements prior to and leading up to 6914090 Private George Thomas PAGE, 2nd Battalion Canbridgeshire Regiment being captured at the fall of Singapore, he died on 12th December 1944 while a POW, and is buried in the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.

 

 

 

Paminke, Aik

      Andrew - frogknot57@bigpond.com

      I have recently joined this list and wonder if anyone has information or experience of the above camps. I have had very little success after many web-searches. The main three that I find are in Dutch which, unfortunately, I cannot translate.

      My grandmother was kept at Aik Paminke (at least) and I am waiting for her diaries and letters to be sent from the UK. I gather she also has cards etc. with messages fro the other women in the camp. She was Agatha Simmons, (nee Mussell), known as May or Simmie. She and her husband, Arthur Simmons, were captured while Arthur was managing a rubber plantation in Sumatra.

      I'm not sure, yet, where Arthur was held. He had early onset Parkinson's Disease (before the war). Both he and May survived the camps and lived into the early 1960s.

      If your are interested, I would be happy to post excerpts from their letters etc. to the list.

      I hope that this is an appropriate use of the list.

 

 

 

Peeters Jan

       Jef - Metoo521@aol.com

      I wonder if you can help me. I am on a mission to find any information that i can on my uncle, he was a pow in burma, he was buried in kanchanaburi. number 7 h42. name is jan peeters and he was a private. and only 30 years old.

      Netherlands army! service # 91488# date of death 5th june 1943. buried in plot 111 row d grave 24

      I am the last link in the family. would love to know more about his death and life in the camp. in fact there where 2 uncles there one was lucky and escaped. they are all heros and i want them to be remembered, thank you so much for any help at all!!

     

 

 

 

Philpot, Herbert Arthur

      Tracy - tracytracylee@yahoo.com

      I'm doing some personal research regarding the Thai-Burma Railroad as my grandfather was in the English Army, captured at the fall of Singapore and spent the rest of the war as a POW and worked on the railroad. He recently died, and had destroyed the diary that he kept of his experiences (never having talked about it with anyone - he suffered a lot and was plagued with medical problems his entire life due to his mistreatment as a prisoner.) I'm trying to find out more about his experiences and hopefully find some survivors who remember him and were with him on the railway. Unfortunately I have very few details about his experiences in the war.

      His name was Herbert Arthur Philpot, and I believe he was from a squad from Norfolk, England even though he lived in Suffolk. Apparently he was deferred when the first wave of soldiers were drafted because he was married and older, but the second round had him joining up but not with the squad in his hometown. He was in the English Army, captured at the fall of Singapore, on a Japanese ship when it was bombed by the Allies, survived the wreck only to be picked up by another Japanese ship and sent off to Burma to spend how ever many years working on the railroad. When the war was over he spent time in a Canadian hospital before returning home to England.

      I don't know anymore I'm afraid, I'm hoping to come across someone (anyone) online who can either help me with more information or point me in the right direction.

      I did come across this book online which might be of interest to others re: the Thai-Burma Railroad:

      http://www.beverevivis.com/books/lestweforget/index.htm

      The History Channel recently aired a documentary about the Railroad called "The True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai" http://store.aetv.com/html/catalog/vp01.jhtml?id=42834 which had interviews with survivors and many photos of the railway and the prisoners.

      Keith - >Tracy, The answer to the question posed in the subject box is - you just did.
      Can you supply any other details at all.

      Ron - >Tracy. Welcome to the Fepow group, this has a free membership with a forum which is there to help others in their research, we will help you all we can.

      The first thing to do regarding your grandfather is to establish which regiment he was with.
      The Army Records are your best start here but they do require as much information as possible.
      Full name and army number if poss, the page at:
      http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/html/records_and_medals.htm
      will help you get in touch.
      Just lately they have not charged for this service.

      When you have his regiment either Suffolks, Cambridgeshires or the most probable Royal Norfolks as he was a Nofolk man, you can go alot further.
      The pages at:
      http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/html/the_rising_sun.htm
      are all my links and articles on the Far East during WWII and then there is the Thailand - Burma railway pages at:
      http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/research/Death_Railway/index.htm

      Read as much as you can but my advice is to start with his regiment before hand as there is so much information, you will find having a regiment's name will help and stop you going over the information twice.

      The Fepow Community has a database of the books written, this now has 360 books listed.
      When you find a book of interest, you do not have to buy it as the Norfolk Library has a great page at:
      http://norlink.norfolk.gov.uk/cgi-bin/norfolk-cat.sh
      where their database on books can be viewed, showing which books they stock. As more people have started to research the far East books are now very pricey, when and if they become available.

      Past Topics are listed and available in full on the Monthly Revue, you will find the Thailand - Burma railway topic very interesting at:
      http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/monthly_Revue/html/thailand-burma_railway.htm

      Hope this helps to get you strarted.

       

 

 

 

Ramsey, Harry

      Pete - Anyone know Harry Ramsey, lived in Worcester. im 1 of his grandchildren and would like to hear of anyone that knew him. i was to young when he was alive to get any other information, the whole subject was a bit taboo.
      Harry married Nora, and had sisters, Beat, May and Hilda.

 

 

 

Saxton, Frank Nelson

      Paul Saxton - sacko@multiline.com.au

      Thank you so much for your site. I have just started researching my fathers life in the Army durin WW2.

      He was 1736612 Gunner F N Saxton.When captured in Java, he was a member of 69 Bty 21 LAA RA.

      Service details I got from MOD included a photocopied form in my father's handwriting.Place of capture he has put as Tasik 9.3.42,then a camp in Java (name indecipherable)12.3.42-21.8.42. A camp in Japan (name indecipherable) 27.11.42-4.12.44. Ube 4.12.44-5.7.45.Motoyama 5.7.45-13.9.45.

      I wonder if there is anyone who still remembers him?

      Knows on what ship he got to Japan on.As a child, remember seeing a copy of an onboard newspaper he must have kept from his journey home.It was called The Sharks Teeth.Once again thank you for the site

 

 

 

Shore, Jack Hamilton, Capt

      Shore - from Fepow Message Board

      137 Field Regiment RA., Singapore

      Posted 1-2-2003 00:35

      It is nearly 60 years (15 Jan)since my cousin Capt Jack Hamilton Shore was killed in Singapore. I'm interested in any information you might have on Jack or 137 Field Regiment.

      Any replies very much appreciated.

 

 

 

 

Smith, Cyril 13331 1st(Singapore Volunteer Corps)Bn, Straits Settlements, Private

      Helen Dunmore - helen.dunmore@virgin.net

      My uncle, Private Cyril Smith 13331 1st (Singapore Volunteer Corps) Bn, Straits Settlements,

      We have only just realised that Cyril smith is buried in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, or possibly his ashes are buried there as the family was informed at the time that he died in an epidemic. He died on 2nd August 1945. My mother, his younger sister, would be glad of any further information. We have visited the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Site where we found out that he is
      memorialised at Kanchanaburi. If anyone knew him or knew of him it would be very good to hear.

 

 

 

Stapeley, Owen William - AIRCRAFTMAN 1ST CLASS 1387375

      Hello Everybody,

      I have just joined your site and would like to put my Uncle's details
      on the message boards if that is ok with everyone.

      My "Uncle Bill's" (as he is known to me) details are as follows:

      OWEN WILLIAM STAPELEY
      AIRCRAFTMAN 1ST CLASS 1387375
      ROYAL AIRFORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
      DIED MONDAY 16TH JULY 1945 AGED 22
      SON OF FRED STAPELEY AND LOUISA ELLEN STAPELEY OF WALTHAMSTOW

      He is listed on the Singapore Memorial at Kranji.

      I have also found out now from a guy called Allan Cresswell a lot
      more information.

      My Uncle bill survived the Sandakan to Ranau death march and was then
      in Ranau Number 2 Jungle Camp where he then died. The stock answer
      was from Malaria and apparantly this reason was given by the Japanese
      for all deaths! Uncle Bill was buried at the Jungle Camp. I have
      found out that the bodies were recovered (although most
      unidentifiable) and are commemorated by way of a monument at Labuan.

      Uncle Bill was obviously identified as I found his column number on
      the Singapore Memorial via the War Graves Commission.

      What I would like to find out is if he has a named gravestone at
      Labuan or is just on the memorial.

      Is there anyone out there with any information no matter how small
      that can help me in my research.

      I want to do this for my mother's memory. My mother died very
      recently and could never bring herself to speak of her brother
      because of the pain she still felt and unfortunately she died not
      knowing any details regarding her brother and I would now like to do
      this for her.

      With kindest regards

      Jacqueline Hall

 

 

 

Steward. Jo, Royal Corps of Signals. attached to 135 RA

      Tom - Thank you for the inclusion to the Monthly Revue. Yes, add it to the Researching POW's. Also if it is possible may I add two more names of comrades that I have been trying to contact for a long time? Gunner Fenney 135 RA. Jo Steward. Royal Corps of Signals. attached to 135 RA.I would be grateful if anyone can help.Thanks again for the site, I am busy reading and learning and will help where I can to add to the story.

 

 

 

Stoddart, George - 542214 was in 27 Squadron

      Keith Stoddart - My Father George Stoddart 542214 was in 27 Squadron. I have posted a long message about his history and what he told me.
      Anybody have any information?

      My dad, George Stoddart RAF 542214, now deceased, told me that he escaped from possibly an island near Summatra where he was a POW. He said that the camp was not a proper one but that the POWs were jus in a large compound where they fended for themselves (mainly on pineapples) he escaped with some 60 odd Naval men by stealing some sort of boat (possibly a coal barge) and sailing eventually to Columbo in Celon.I have recently obtained his records and have had them "Interpreted"
      Here they are:You can see from his form's Mustering details that, having joined on 14 Jul 37 as an Aircraft Hand/Mate, by New Years Eve 37 he'd got to Aircraftsman 2 though still a Mate. 12 months on and as an AC2, he'd now got his flight rigger's ticket. Another year and he's got a step up to AC1, followed by Leading Aircraftsman/Flight Rigger another 12 months on. Steady progress in peace and war, at Home and O'seas, by Dec 43 he's got his Fitter 2A ticket and a step to Corporal - 2 stripes, though I forget the T/Cpl significance for the moment.

      From the Central Flying School at Upavon, he was off to India in Feb 39, on 4 Mar 39 joining No. 28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron (to use the full formal description). 28 Sqdn moved to Kohat , in Northern India near Peshawar & the Khyber Pass on 3 March, but had detachments all over the place, eg at Drigh Road (Karachi), at Peshawar and many others. They were flying Hawker Audaxes then (on charge from Jun 36 to Dec 41).

      By 14 Feb 41 he'd moved to No. 27 Squadron, which was just in the process of reverting to operational status. Having acted as a Flying Training School for about a year from late 39, with a mixed bag of aged Wapitis and latterly Tiger Moths and Harts, Nov 40 saw them re-equipping with Blenheim IFs ( the Mark I with the 4 gun belly pack) and working up to operational readiness. Achieving that state on 10 Feb 41, they were almost immediately (13 Feb) posted to Kallang (Singapore), also spending time at Butterworth (near Penang in northern Malaya, May) and at Sungei Patani (north of Penang, Aug).

      Latterly they were operating from Butterworth and then Kalang in December 41, as the Japanese advanced rapidly down the Malay peninsula. In common with other RAF units, by 24 Jan they are shown as having withdrawn to P2, ie near Palembang, in Sumatra. They are then recorded as having disbanded on 18 Feb, which puts them at Kalidjati in Java, as the Japanese rapidly overran Singapore (fell 15 Feb) Sumatra (16 Feb), and Java (8 Mar). Bear in mind this was a most
      difficult period from which few records survive. Flying Units of the RAF/Lake shows them dispersed from P2 in Sumatra. Perhaps the more detailed background of the main books will tell you more.

      By some stroke of fortune your father was one of the lucky ones evacuated from Java, making it back to Drigh Road (Karachi) by 21 March. Of about 12,000 RAF personnel on Java in late Feb 42, about 7,000 were able to be evacuated, while 5102 fell captive. Tanjong Priok, the port of Batavia (Jakarta) was closed from about 27 Feb, while Tjilatjap continued to evacuate personnel by ship and by air (with some losses) until 3 March. From the dates, you father was one of those taken to India or Ceylon - others went to Fremantle in Western Australia and took rather longer to get back to Ceylon or India.

      In the aftermath of these defeats, there was period of rapid re-organisation and slow rebuilding of RAF units in India and Burma.
      Your father joined 258 Squadron just 2 months after they re-formed at Ratmalana, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), on 1 Mar 42. They too had taken a flogging in Malaya (en route Nov 41 per HMS Indomitable, arriving Jan 42 via Palembang) and then in Sumatra and Java, to disband at Tjilitjan, Java 18 Feb 42. Operating Hurricane Is, IIBs and IICs, on re-forming 258 spent time in Ceylon, mostly near Colombo (Ratmalana and Colombo Racecourse) later moving to Chittagong for the Burma campaign, and other posts near Burma like Cox's Bazaar.

      They took on Thunderbolts from late 44, but there's no endorsement for this in your Dads quals list - he'd been posted to GRAN (General Reconnaissance and Air Navigation) School, India on 25 Sep 43. The School was set up in 24 Oct 42 at Andheri by merging the previous (Jun 42) GRS and ANS - all part of the push to recover from the disasters of the previous 6 months. They flew Dominies and Ansons (your dad had an endorsement for the latter). As to the periods in Hospital, there are a number of them: some quite short, some a week or so, all during his service in India. They seem not to have held him back in any way re postings and trade courses.

      The sources for the Unit info summarised above are RAF Squadrons/Jefford and Source Book of the RAF/Delve. As well, the operations of 27, 28 and 258 Sqdns all get fair coverage in Forgotten Air Force, Bloody Shambles, Glory in Chaos (Ch 6 eg), and briefly in War Without Glory. 258's story in Sumatra and Java is told in Hurricane in Sumatra, the books already noted, and for Burma, see Forgotten Air Force.

      The full Author/Title/publisher details of these books can be found on the 211 site and I'd be extremely surprised if you could'nt get them all by interlibrary loan in the UK - see the Enquiries page for some hints.

      That's about it from me. I don't usually reply further to non-211 queries. All the best with it.

      Regards
      Don Clark
      211 Squadron RAF site
      http://users.bigpond.com/clardo/

 

 

 

Taylor, Norman , Royal Artillery

      laridae65 - My great uncle, Norman Taylor, was in the Royal Artillery initially based in HONG KONG at SHAMSHUIPO camp and then onboard the Lisbon Maru. I believe he died in the sinking. If anybody in this wonderful community knew of him and can provide any further information upon him I would be most grateful. His Sister in law (my grandmother) talks about him often. I have found his name in the memorial page, and know the details of the Lisbon Maru, but wonder if there is anyone who survived and knew him? He was Scottish and 21 years old on the 2nd Oct 42. Please do get in touch if you did.

      Ron - Have included the Dept of Honour from the Commonwealth War Graves. This shows the date of his death as the same day the Lisbon Maru was hit, she sunk on the 2nd October.

      The pages I wrote nearly three years ago on Hong Kong includes a memorial list and he again is within this, it is therefore unfortunately established he was on the ship.

      http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/research/Hong_Kong

      The pages are very detailed, there is now more to add from Geoff Coxon, I will get to it in the near future.

      Dept of Honour Register

      In Memory of

      NORMAN TAYLOR

      Gunner
      881724
      12 Coast Regt., Royal Artillery

      who died on
      Thursday 1 October 1942 . Age 21 .

       

      Additional Information:

      Son of James and Mary Donaldson Taylor, of Edinburgh, Scotland.

      Cemetery:

      SAI WAN MEMORIALChina, (including Hong Kong).

      Grave or Reference Panel Number:

      Column 6.

      Location:

      Sai Wan War Cemetery on Cape Collinson Road. is situated in the north-east of the island of Hong Kong, about 11 kilometres from the centre of Victoria. The easiest way to reach the cemetery is by the mass transit railway (MTR) Hong Kong line to Chai Wan Terminus. From the Terminus one can either walk up to the cemetery following Chai Wan Road to the roundabout, turning west into Wan Tsui Road, then south east up Lin Shing Road, which leads to Cape Collinson Road. The CWGC road direction sign is fixed to a wall facing down Lin Shing Road. The Cape Collinson area has many cemeteries. Walking up this narrow one-way traffic road, one will pass the Catholic Cemetery situated on the hillside to the left of the road, and the Hong Kong Military Cemetery on the right. Sai Wan War Cemetery is about half way up Cape Collinson Road and faces the Muslim and Buddhist cemeteries. One can also get a taxi from Chai Wan Terminus and follow the same route. Alternatively, one can board a public light bus, Route No.16M, which runs from Chai Wan MTR Terminus to Stanley where the CWGC has another cemetery (Stanley Military Cemetery). En route to Stanley the minibus will pass Sai Wan War Cemetery, stopping only on request.

      Historical Information:

      Hong Kong fell to Japanese forces on Christmas Day 1941 following a brief but intense period of fighting. Most of those buried or commemorated on the island were killed at this time, or died later as internees or prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation. The SAI WAN MEMORIAL forms the entrance to Sai Wan War Cemetery and bears the names of more than 2,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in the Battle of Hong Kong, or subsequently in captivity, who have no known grave. Additional panels to the memorial form the SAI WAN CREMATION MEMORIAL, listing the names of 144 Second World War casualties whose remains were cremated in accordance with their faith, and the SAI WAN (CHINA) MEMORIAL, commemorating 72 casualties of both wars whose graves in mainland China could not be maintained. SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY contains the graves of more than 1,500 Commonwealth servicemen who died during the Second World War, more than 400 of them unidentified. A small number of First World War casualties are also commemorated in the cemetery. Both the cemetery and memorial were designed by Colin St Clair Oakes.

       

 

 

Tinnion, Jim - H.R.A

      TINNION - nicholas.cox@whsmithnet.co.uk

      THE HEAVY ACK ACK BOYS,ROYAL ARTILARY

      DOES ANY ONE REMEMBER MY DAD JIM TINNION HE WAS TAKEN PRISNOR WHEN SINGAPORE FELL HE WAS ON THE DEATH RAILWAY HE WAS UP AS FAR AS SECOND CAMP FROM THE END OF THE LINE WHEN THE AMERICANS LET THEM OUT,HE SAID THE JAPS LOCKED THEM IN AT NIGHT AND THE NEXT DAY THE AMERICANS LET THEM OUT THE JAPS MELTED INTO THE JUNGLE
      I HAVE A PHOTO OF HIM AND WE THINK 2 MORE POWS SURROUNDED BY JAPANESE AND WE KNOW THAT IT WAS USED FOR PROPAGANDER ON HOW WELL THEY WERE TREATING THE PRISNORS DOES ANY ONE ELSE HAVE ONEHE SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT TAKE THIS AWAY FROM HIM BECAUSE A JAPANESE OFFICER HAD TAKEN IT.ANY HELP I WOULD BE GRATEFULL
      SHELAGH HIS DAUGHTER

 

 

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