Can anyone help with the location of a Japanese POW Camp please. Its named Hen-Da-Tai, camp 111, Siam. (Just later realised that 111 camp means 3 branch, so that does not help) edited. The only mention to it that I can find on Google is a NARA file , Box 2120, folder 10, which states report and map photographed. All I want is its location. Any help much appreciated. Mike (I have the roster of men from WO361-2171, but that that not show where it is)
Allowing for phonetics, closest I can find to Hen-Da-Tai is one of the railway camps: Hindato at the 198 KM point on the railway
Thanks Blutto. Seems a strong probability. I'm going to check some of the available Liberation Q and see if anyone states Hindato. Mike
Any help much appreciated. Mike Where does your original mention of Hen-Da-Tai come from? Does it only arise from the NARA file or is there something that started you down that path ? Can you scan and attach whatever you found it in?? Attached is a print from the National Archives of Australia (www.naa.gov.au - search term Hindato) the first file has been digitised and contains 270 pages - maybe check through that for names in common with whatever you are using for your original request
You could have a look through these files: View digital copy View digital copy They may give you a location.
Hi Dave and BFBSM, thanks for your help. The information comes from a NA file, number WO361/2171. I am attaching the first of the relevant pages that name the camp. Mike . .
BFBSM, Thanks, but that only seems to lead me to Hindato which I have lots of information about. I still have not 'official' confirmation that Hen-Da-Tai and Hindato are the same camp though. Although I believe the probability is very high, I have yet to see the names linked. Even on the sites that list alternative names for the camps, Hen-Da-Tai is not mentioned. So far I have only checked 3 Liberation Q of men who are listed on the Hen-Da-Tai pages, and none of then list Hindato (or Hindate). If you come across anything else please post it though. Thanks Mike
I agree and think Blutto was right and this is a phonetic transliteration. By the way Hindato also goes by the name Hindat. Mike - in WO 361/2171 the page before the one you have illustrated above is in Japanese - do you know what it says? Tim
Hi Tim, No I cant read Japanese, my limit is to interpret the dates only. I have posted it here in case anyone else is able to though. Mike
That page lists a handful of Australian PoWs, I looked on NAA for their files and a couple of them have been digitised but no mention of their various camps. Some files have a lot more info than others but those were a bit slim. A couple of the blokes had their Japanese internment cards digitised which once again aren't much use unless you read Japanese. My idea was that the large file linked by BFBSM would probably contain the names of Australian prisoners that provided testimony for the war crime trials - if any of those names are on your list then hey, presto. Otherwise you can look for the files for any other Aussies on your list to see if any of them contain anything mentioning the camps they were held in.
Hindato may not be what Enigma is looking for, apart from a translation of a document from the Japanese , so I hope this does not muddy the waters. Three references to "Hindato" found at IWM. More usefully, perhaps, the first Australian Archives link posted by BFBSM in post 6 above refers to information and papers of a Colin Clarence Pickstone who fortunately made a few notes of his movements as a POW, concerning which which I have made an attempt at a transcription: Australian Archives Item with Barcode 1919673 "Title PICKSTONE, Colin Clarence - members folder, Second World War Queensland army personnel - [Includes pay book annotated with movements as prisoner of war to Changi, Bukit Timah, Thailand, Camburi, Kinsao, Broncalia, Quimi, Hindato]" A possible transcription of notes found on Page 25 follows. " War commenced Malaya Japan & Britain 7/12/41 Changi Prisoner of War from 7/2/1942 to ? (sic) & camped at Changi Barracks. ( House No 18 ) to Sing May 7th Mt Pleasant [ "till" crossed through ] Caldecott Hill Est ( House No 66 ) [ a line deleted ] From No 3 16/9/42. Shifted to Bukit Timah & Race Course Village, camped in House above [ Fagden, Brisbane inserted ? ] working on Shrine at Bukit Timah. ( No 4 ) 2/26 Batt From No. 4 Camp to Changi 8th Oct 1942 to Havelock Road Camp 12th Oct 1942 ( sick in Camp 15th Oct to 19th Oct Rtn to Changi ) Left Changi 17th March to Thailand arrived Camburi 27th & left Camburi 31st March to Kinsao. Started work on R.ly Line 1st April, got Dysentry 25th April, & was left behind when rest of unit went to Broncalia, went into Jap cook house + worked at Kinsao till 12th August, & brought Ox up to Quimo then to Hindato "
Mike, I rather think your best option may be to contact Rod Beattie at the Thailand Burma Railway Centre in Thailand. TBRC Online: CONTACT US Tim
Ronnie Taylor at fepow-family has very kindly cross-checked some of the British names on Hen-da-Tai in WO 361-2171 against other information and can confirm that at the time they were in Hindat/Hindato. So confirmed Hen-da-Tai = Hindat. Tim
Thankyou all for your help, much appreciated. Good to now have it confirmed. I wonder why it was initially listed as such, and not by the more common name of Hindat. Mike