2358564 Signalman Frank Horrell, Royal Corps of Signals: Sig. Sec. 21 Lt. A.A. Regt., RA: 30/03/1945

Mod edit: some posts moved across from thread linked below in order to create separate research thread

• Royal Corps of Signals - Nominal Roll (Officers & Other Ranks), Fortress Signals, Singapore, 1942

Hi Tim,
The man's name is Frank Horrell.
Details: Signalman, service number 2358564, Royal Corps of Signals, 21 Lt. A.A. Regt.,
Captured 8 March 1942. Held at "BO" wherever that might be and later transferred to Sandakan where he died from malaria.



https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2677443/frank-horrell/
SIGNALMAN FRANK HORRELL
Service Number: 2358564
Regiment & Unit: Royal Corps of Signals, 21 Lt. A.A. Regt., R.A., Sig. Sec.
Date of Death: Died 30 March 1945
Buried or commemorated at LABUAN WAR CEMETERY
Grave Reference: T. C. 1.
Location: Malaysia
Additional Info: Son of John and Margaret Eliza Horrell, of Lustleigh, Devon.
Personal Inscription: HE BORE THE CROSS OF FREEDOM

 

Chris.
Found him. Bit of hassle as sometimes his name appears as Herrell. Briefly captured Java, transferred to Changi with Java Party 2 then to Borneo. Died Sandakan and buried there. After war body exhumed and reburied Labuan War Cemetery. Re your Post 28 - 'BO' = Borneo.
Let me know what info you already have and what you need and I'll copy and post the paper trail.
www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/atrocities/sandakan/H/html/ho_database_38.htm

Tim

 

Hi Tim,
Much appreciate your endeavours on this - so great to have someone in the know to provide assistance.
Thanks for the link (one of the few bits I already have); I also have the CWGC info, his POW record and an article about the treatment of Sandakan POWs.
I'm probably not going to find much about him after his capture and probably not his service record, so the best I can hope for are details of his regiments' movements - what took them to Java, how long they'd been there and what action led up to his capture.
Thanks
Chris

 

OK, give me a couple of days. I have a report by Lt Col Saunders (CO 21st LAA) which covers their time from leaving UK to capture in Java, which you'll find interesting. You can apply for Frank's Service Record. You will not need a Death Certificate as he died in Service, just quote the CWGC Ref.
Get a copy of military records of service

Tim

NB. Post quoted above - just an interesting fact about the maintenance of the Records by the somewhat undercover BRE organisation in Changi POW Camp. Nothing to do with Frank.

 

For the record, TNA have catalogued his service records:

Name: F Horrell . Service number: 2358564 . Date of birth: 5 September 1920 . | The National Archives
Reference: WO 423/194074
Description:Name: F Horrell.
Service number: 2358564.
Date of birth: 5 September 1920.
Date: [1939-1963]
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: ADH001311567
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Closed Or Retained Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Closed Until 2036
Record opening date: 01 January 2036

 

I don't understand the significance of 2036 - why that date before the record is reopened?

 

Presumably an automatic 115 years after Year of Brith.

Over 10 pages of discussion, best place for the question.
MOD ALREADY TRANSFERRING WW2 SERVICE FILES TO UK NATIONAL ARCHIVES 2021

 

Chris,
The file for Lt Col Saunder's report is too large (80+pages) to post here I'll have to send it by email transfer.

Tim

 

I'm wondering where you obtained the information that Frank went to Changi initially.

I'm putting the finishing touches to his biography and can't find any reference to Changi in any of the material I have uncovered.

I'd also be interested in knowing more about Java Party 2.

 

Attached extracts from WO 361/2208 - Java Party 2. Note Frank's name is misspelt as Herrell but the Service No. is correct.



Java Parties was the name given to the groups as they were transferred from Java.
Java Index

For Frank's burial at Sandakan and reburial at Labuan see the Concentration Report attached to Frank's listing on CWGC site.
Death Certificate


Tim

 

That's great, Tim, thanks.

I'd not seen the "WO 361/2208 - Java Party 2" record so that's very helpful.

You'd said previously that he moved from Changi to Borneo (BO), but do you know where this might of been as it would seem he didn't arrive at Sandakan (also on Borneo) until April 1943. BO must presumably have been a different camp?

Chris

 

These chaps didn't actually spend any time at Changi, they staged through Singapore:
Captured on Java in March 1942 during the Japanese invasion of the Netherlands East Indies. Transported on S.S. Nagara Maru on 22 September 1942 from Batavia (Jakarta) to Singapore in ‘Java Party No. 2’, then on S.S. Hiteru Maru (‘Java Party No. 1’ and ‘Java Party No. 2’) on 9 October 1942 to Kuching, Sarawak, and onward to Jesselton, North Borneo (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) (the ‘Jesselton Party’) and held at Batu Tiga camp (Jesselton Gaol). Transported by sea on 6 April 1943 to Sandakan, North Borneo.
Hope that's useful,
Nick