Hi all I am looking for information for a friend of mine. His wife's Grandad was a Far East POW and they have little information about him. I have looked on the normal sites and cannot find anything on him. All I have been told is his name, James Henry Charles Lang and that he was in one of the Highlanders. I know this does give much to go on but any information or where I could find it would be great. Best wishes Chris Been told now that he was in the Seaforth Highlanders Can't find anything on him so maybe he was not a POW, if he was in the Far East he was likely in the 1st Seaforth Highlanders. Were they captured?
Hi Chris Do you have other details such as date of birth or even year of birth, where he was born (even just the country), is it known if he survived the war ?? TD
I have looked on ancestry, fold3 and the main Pow site Home, but found no James, or James Henry etc LANG listed as Far East Pows. The closest I could find was: James H LAING Pte 4864626 captured 15.2.1942, liberated 2.9.1945. Held in at least one camp in Thailand. However he may not be the man you are looking for, as this number is shown as issued by the Leicestershire Regiment between 16.10.1939 & 17.10.1940, although he would have retained it on subsequent transfers. Most of the 1st Bn Leicester Regt were killed or captured in the Malayan campaign of early 1942. From their entry on wikipedia the only Seaforths battalion that fought in the far east in WW2 was the 1st that was transfered to the defence of Malaya in November 1940, and were involved in the Burma Campaign. I've found nothing more specific about their involvement in the fall of Malaya/Singapore in 1942.
He survived the war. Do not know year of birth. I'm starting to think perhaps he was not captured but was in fact fighting. Thank you.
Yer I'm starting to think he was not captured, as you say he must have been part of the 1st Batt so was involved in the conflict around Burma.
To answer your original question then you need (or rather the family need) to apply for his service records - this would need a copy death certificate - would the family know where and when he died?? Request records of deceased service personnel TD
Although it will take a good few months, maybe the only way to be certain of his war record is for your friend to apply for his service records from mod. Death cert & possibly dob may be the min requirement. Who can apply & how much info they will get depends on when he died & if they are next of kin. Most close family members apply as next of kin anyway as Mod don't usually check. Requests for personal data and service records: a detailed guide Many members of the forum can advise on this better than I can.
There seems to be a J Lang who was a POW at Stalag 20B who was in the Seaforths. . (thats if you trust FWR information).
