6 (HAA) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Survivors

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Buteman, Nov 2, 2012.

  1. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Bombardier Hayward. Held Fukuoka 4B (Moji).
    About the Camp:
    Fukuoka #4B Moji - POWs of the Japanese
    Camp Fukuoka #4 was established on 28 Nov 1942 with the arrival of approximately 250 British survivors of the hellships Dainichi Maru and Singapore. The prisoners were extremely ill with dysentery and most were unable to walk. The YMCA building was used as a primitive hospital facility and the men received only minimal medical treatment from a small Japanese medical staff and one British doctor and three medical orderlies from the Dainichi Maru. The death rate was extremely high. Eighteen men succumbed the first day, and by the 1st of Dec more than 50 POWs had died. On, or about, 30 Nov, the camp medical staff was supplemented by 19 Allied medical personnel, including 2 Australian and 3 American doctors from the Zentsuji camp, and 14 American corpsmen who had been captured on Guam. Working under strict Japanese control, in appalling sanitary conditions, with only the most primitive medicines, the medical personnel could do little to help. By the end of January 1943, 120 POWs had died. (External link to affidavit of Dr. R.B. Williams Guam Med Corps.)
    Bombardier Hayward listed here on survivors roster:
    British & Commonwealth POW roster Aug 1945 - POWs of the Japanese

    Tim
     
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  2. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Sgt E A Roberts
    Hi Vic,
    File WO 361/1182 - Saigon Deaths - shows cause of death as 'Acute dysentery'.

    Tim
     
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  3. Vic Woods

    Vic Woods New Member

    Thanks Tim. 'Acute Dysentery' was a bit of an acronym for 'starved and beaten to death' though wasn't it?

    Vic
     
  4. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Vic,
    Whilst agreeing that your acronym could often be applied, in the case of Sgt Roberts I think the cause of death was actually 'Acute dysentery'. Saigon, being in French Indo-China and occupied by the Japanese with the collaboration of Vichy France, was considered by many to be a better (???!!!) place to be than most others.
    You may find the book 'The Prisoner List' of interest.
    About "The Prisoner List"
    Tim
     
  5. Vic Woods

    Vic Woods New Member

    Tim

    As ever, indebted to your information and guidance. I have passed on the details to Steve, my brother in law. We are also contacting Kintigern House to see if we can get his War Records too.

    Vic
     
  6. Patwalker

    Patwalker Junior Member

    Dear Vic,
    Apologies for late reply, I have only just seen your post.
    Glad you found the book of interest, so 3 years of researches not wasted !! I see Timuk has answered your post better than I could have with further details of Sgt Roberts. One thing I did come across recently in researches was Col Hugonin had actually been an Officer with 6th HAA previously in his career.
    37 years service , that is some achievement and will take some beating.
    best wishes Pat Walker
     
  7. Peter Beattie

    Peter Beattie New Member

    I have just found the 6th Regt. HAA RA after getting news of Pat Walker's regimental book whilst at the FEPOW annual Japanese Embassy reception in London. I have been attending this gathering for at least a decade or more and this year was a first to get any news of my father's old WW2 posting as Thomas Leonard Beattie Lt.(QM) of the 6th. He was a professional soldier WW1 and WW2 born 1896 at Alverstoke Hants. He survived from Fukuoka Camps 1/12 and later I believe Moji where he was listed as Capt. His last posting in UK was Lt-Col.(QM) HQ RA Woolwich where he retired in 1953 after 42 years service. He died at home at Kidbrooke Blackheath London in 1965 3 months after my marriage. Also I have just heard of Pat. Walker's book that I have ordered and look forward to reading it soon. I am not certain of father's exact responsibilities as a QM but I am assuming that each Battery had its own QM officer. Father hardly ever spoke about his army career! My earliest recollection of the regiment was as a child at West Frith Lodge opposite the barracks at Deep Cut Hants. (now Logistic Corps) in about 1938 recently commissioned as a QM. He was also a passenger on the troop ship Queen Mary on its return to Southampton about November 1945 and I was there to greet him with mother.

    Peter D Beattie
    RAFA Military Veteran
     
  8. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Welcome Peter,
    The Lt(QM) and his staff were attached to the Regimental Headquarters rather than a Battery.
    Your father is a bit of a mystery to me.
    His Data Card on COFEPOW site shows his date of capture as 20/03/42 whereas most captured in Java show 8/3/42. If his date is correct it seems he evaded capture for a few days. Maybe Pat Walker's book will throw some light.
    He is listed on the RA Roll and the RA(Java) Roll but in both cases the entry has been crossed out and includes the notation J/R which I have not seen before and do not know what it means.
    It is unlikely he spent time at Moji. Moji was the port of entry for FEPOWs into Japan and few were retained here unless sick.
    Where your father went to then I do not know. I do know that his final camp from which he was liberated was Fukuoka 9B, Miyata.
    My father also ended up at Miyata. He was in a group of British Officers transferred from Zentsuji Camp but your father is not listed on the Interim Roster for this camp.
    Miyata was a distinctly unpleasant camp to be in.
    Unfortunately your father's Liberation Questionnaire (if it exists), which will give more detail of his camps, has not yet been transcribed onto the COFEPOW website but (again if it exists) will be at the National Archives.

    Tim
     
  9. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    This is the returning POW form for T.L Beattie, M.B.E, M.M. :-

    BEATTIE, T.L - Copy (2).JPG
    BEATTIE, T.L.JPG

    P1000937.JPG
     
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  10. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

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  11. Kate Krowiak

    Kate Krowiak New Member

    Hi
    I've just started researching my Great Uncle who was taken POW. I've found his grave in Yokohama
    Name: EMERY, HARRY MARSHALL, Rank: Corporal, Service No: 10532593, Date of Death: 10/01/1943, Age: 22, Regiment/Service: Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Unit: attd. 6 H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery, Grave Reference: Brit. Sec. P. C. 8., Cemetery: YOKOHAMA WAR CEMETERY

    Where would the best place be to start finding out more information please such as what camp he was in and how he came to be there? thanks Kate
     
  12. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Hi Kate and welcome.
    Your great uncle is shown as being captured in Java 20/03/42. This date is a bit odd as most of those captured in Java show the date they surrendered as 8/03/42 rather than they date they actually went into captivity. I'll try and find time this evening to try and find out where he was held in Japan.

    Tim
     
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  13. Kate Krowiak

    Kate Krowiak New Member

    Hi Tim
    Thank you. Much appreciated.
    Kate
     
  14. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    He died in Fukuoka Camp No.1 in Japan. Some of the men managed to evade the Japanese before being captured in Java.
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2018
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  15. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    From Ramacal identifying Harry Emery's death at Fukuoka Camp No.1, this link gives the cause of death as acute colitis/dysentry.
    http://www.powresearch.jp/en/pdf_e/powlist/fukuoka/fukuoka_1b_fukuoka_e_001.pdf
    How Harry came to be in Japan is more difficult to discover as the only reference to him I can find is in Java in WO 361/2195. I can however make an hypothesis which (until shot down by others) am reasonably confident with.
    Lt Col Saunders, RA was the Senior British Officer at Fukuoka Camp 1 at the time of Harry's death. Lt Col Saunders was also captured in Java.
    On 21/10/42 Lt Col Scott, REME with 1,000 men, Lt Col Saunders with 500 RA men and W/Cdr Frowe with 300 RAF personnel left Java crammed in the Yoshida Maru for Singapore arriving on 25/10.
    At the Singapore docks the party was split. Lt Col Saunders with his party plus 200 from the RAF party embarked in the Dainichi Maru and Lt Col Scott with the remaining 1,100 personnel embarked in the Singapore Maru. Both ships left Singapore on 30/10/42 arriving Moji, Japan 24/11. Here they were split with Lt Col Saunders going to Fukuoka 1 (Kumamoto). It was usual for FEPOWs from Java to pass through Changi in Singapore where lists (which still survive) were made. Unfortunately those embarked in the Yoshida Maru never left the Singapore dock area and no complete roll was made. I am reasonably confident that Harry was in this Party.
    Affidavit by Lt Col Saunders
    Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Page 3
    Report by Lt Col Saunders
    http://mansell.com/pow_resources/ca...oka/fukuoka_01/Saunders_report_1945-09-08.pdf

    Tim
     
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  16. Kate Krowiak

    Kate Krowiak New Member

    Thanks Ramcal & Tim. Thanks for the details as the first link goes to a page error. I've gone to the main page POW Research Network Japan | Researches | List of Deceased POWs | List by Camp and it's only that one pdf that goes to error. All the others open fine.
    Thanks for the hypothesis and it's given me plenty to look in to to understand Harry's situation and the months before his death. Much appreciated.

    Kate
     
  17. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Sorry about the link. Here's the page as a screenshot. Only additional info is confirmation that he died at Fukuoka 1 (Kumamoto).
    upload_2018-11-23_14-38-38.png

    Tim
     
  18. Kate Krowiak

    Kate Krowiak New Member

    Thanks for that Tim

    Kate
     
  19. I have read through Patrick Walker's book, incredible detail. My Grandfather was George Muse 794833 captured on Java released from Sumatra. Any more information on him specifically would be greatly appreciated. He came home and continued in the RA leaving as RQMS, I was only 3 when died in 1970. His marriage to my Grandmother had dissolved long before and there little information within the remaining family
     
  20. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Hi Spencer and welcome to the Forum.
    I'm not sure if I can add much to Pat Walker's book.
    Your grandfather is listed in the Roll of British Army - Java (WO 361-2195) as a Sergeant with the notation PB.
    My Dad was in 78 Battery 35th LAA which was attached to 6th HAA in Sumatra and Java. Whilst Dad ended up in Japan and others of the Battery went to Borneo a few went to Sumatra and they also have the notation PB. PB meaning Pelambang, Sumatra. These I know went from Java to Sumatra to work on 'the other' (and not so well known) Death Railway. With reasonable confidence I think this is what happened to your grandfather.
    https://www.pekanbarudeathrailway.com/
    Pat Walker is a member of this Forum - I'll send him a PM in case he can add more.

    Tim
     
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