Ron - An email from Andy started a look at Abbreviations given in the Forces
Dear Ron,
My father, who was a prisoner of war from the fall of Singapore until 1945, has recently died. He was a private in the Royal Marines, part of the crew of H.M.S. Repulse until she was sunk on 10 Dec. 1941. On being taken to Singapore, he became one of the 'Plymouth Argyles' until the capitulation. I'm going through the papers and memorabilia he left, trying to sort these into order. I wonder if you could help me understand these papers?
Dad's notes record that he left Pratchai on 08 Sept. 1945, and arrived at "52 IGH" on the same date, probably via Bangkok.. It looks to me as if he's referring to a hospital here, but is it possible to discover where?
He left 52 IGH on 12 Sept. and arrived at "5 F.A.R.M.U." on the same day. We have no idea what 5 F.A.R.M.U. refers to, nor where it was.
On Sept. 17 he transferred to "N. Barracks". We assume these are Naval barracks, but can't be sure. I believe he transferred from Bangkok to Rangoon by air - could the N. Barracks be in Rangoon?
He sailed on 18 September, but doesn't say from where, though he does record a stop in Colombo, arriving 22 Sept and leaving on 23rd. His return home was aboard M.V. Worcestershire, but I don't know if this was from Colombo, or whether he'd gone aboard earlier. Do you know where the Worceshire sailed from in Sept. 1945? Was it Rangoon, on the 18th?
Finally, I've come across references to HQ ALFSEA - do you have any idea what this refers to?
I'd appreciate any help you could give me here, but I understand that Dad's abbreviations may be his own, and also, that your resources may not extend to answering such questions. I'll understand if you can't help.
Yours faithfully,
Andy Senior
Stuart - I can only help on ALFSEA = Allied Land Forces South East Asia
There are masses and masses and masses of ALFSEA documents at the PRO (and some interesting stuff still behind the veil of secrecy I would bet). A quick search at http://catalogue.pro.gov.uk/ the PRO site shows 58 classes of documents, amongst 6467 volumes in "War Office: South East Asia Command: Military Headquarters Papers, Second World War"
Ron - There is a page on abbreviations now at:
http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/html/abbreviations.htm
If any want to be added please email me.
Tony - I can only give a very little bit of help, but an 'IGH' is an Indian General Hospital. The MU mentioned next would be a Medical Unit.
Singapore is out of my sphere, so I can't help with locations.
Cpt. George Duffy - The prison camps in the Indies were organized according to the nationality of the senior officer present. In other words, at Tandjoeng Priok where the Germans deposited us, the ranking officer was a British colonel, so everything followed British protocol - commands, bugle calls, etc. At 'Cycle camp the top colonel was Dutch, thus that was a Dutch language camp, and Kampong Makassar with the RAAF Wing Commander Ramsey-Rae in charge was Australian.
We Americans, arriving at Tandjoeng Priok, were "assaulted" with many of the abbreviations Ron has just listed. I will add several others: OR - other rank(s), WO - warrant officer(s), BSM - Battalion Sergeant Major(s), RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major(s).
One evening, early on, a very properly attired RAF Lance Corporal came into my barrack looking for, of all people, me! When he found me, he inquired if I was an RC. I didn't understand his question, and replied, "No. I was the Third Officer in that ship."
Of course, he was the Roman Catholic Chaplain's assistant and was looking for potential attendees at their services. Therefore, I add two more entries to Ron's list: RC, as above, and C of E.
Ron - Thanks for the information and have added those abbreviations to the list. It is helping Alan piece his dads diary together.
If there any more want adding let me know.
The information is starting to make sense:
My father, who was a prisoner of war from the fall of Singapore until 1945, has recently died. He was a private in the Royal Marines, part of the crew of H.M.S. Repulse until she was sunk on 10 Dec. 1941. On being taken to Singapore, he became one of the 'Plymouth Argyles' until the capitulation. I'm going through the papers and memorabilia he left, trying to sort these into order. I wonder if you could help me understand these papers?
Dad's notes record that he left Pratchai (Thailand-Burma Railway) on 08 Sept. 1945, and arrived at "52 Indian General Hospital" on the same date, probably via Bangkok.. It looks to me as if he's referring to a hospital here, but is it possible to discover where?
He left 52 Indian General Hospital on 12 Sept. and arrived at "5 F.A.R.Medical Unit" ? on the same day. We have no idea what 5 F.A.R.M.U. refers to, nor where it was.
On Sept. 17 he transferred to "N. Barracks".(North or Naval Barracks) We assume these are Naval barracks, but can't be sure. I believe he transferred from Bangkok to Rangoon by air - could the N. Barracks be in Rangoon?
He sailed on 18 September, but doesn't say from where, though he does record a stop in Colombo, arriving 22 Sept and leaving on 23rd. His return home was aboard M.V. Worcestershire, but I don't know if this was from Colombo, or whether he'd gone aboard earlier. Do you know where the Worceshire sailed from in Sept. 1945? Was it Rangoon, on the 18th?
Finally, I've come across references to Headquarters Allied Land Forces South East Asia - HQ ALFSEA do you have any idea what this refers to?
I'd appreciate any help you could give me here, but I understand that Dad's abbreviations may be his own, and also, that your resources may not extend to answering such questions. I'll understand if you can't help.
Yours faithfully,
Andy Senior
Diary - Reading a prisoners diary I came across:
1945
1st September - Arrived Rangoon
2nd - Medical examination
4th - Lady Louis Mountbatten visits hospital.
5th - Left hospital by truck for Transit Camp (5. F.A.R.H.U)
6th - Issued clothing
14th - Left Transit Camp (5. F.A.R.H.U.) by trucks. Arrived Rangoon Docks - embarked on S.S. Corfu P&O Liner, 14,170 tons.
