I remember speaking with author, Phi Chinnery back in 2010. He met with Calvert several times and enjoyed many of the stories he had to tell.
Many thanks for taking the trouble to respond Steve - much appreciated. Keep up the great work! Thanks also for sight of Sinnett's POW card (yet another spelling variation!) - I found its harsh starkness rather poignant.
My grandfather's was much the same (see attached). After spending about 3 years going through all 56 boxes of POW cards at Kew back in 2008-2011 and picking out all those for Rangoon Jail, I began to piece together an understanding of the Longcloth related cards. These scantly detailed cards were I believe compiled after the deaths of the 30 or so soldiers involved, who had already perished before the main body of Chindit 1 POWs had reached their final incarceration destination at Rangoon Jail, or who died on route, or shortly after reaching the jail. The POW card collation for Rangoon Jail took place in March 1944 and so I believe that the 'Maymyo' cards (as I call them) were completed from the memory of whoever could recall the soldier's details by that time. Hence, Cinnett/Sennett and in my family's case: Harney instead of Howney. Thankfully, his age was correct and the details on the reverse provided the correct date of death and other information.
Thank you Steve. I had wondered whether that was why the card was so sparsely populated and your notion that they were likely compiled after death makes sense. I can't imagine how you must have felt to actually hold your grandfather's own card amongst those boxes!
It was the first real breakthrough for my research and yes, a tearful moment but filled with elation. A few years later in 2010, the WO361 series were released and the doors were flung wide open.
