JAPANESE POW - or maybe not

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Barney09, Dec 4, 2017.

  1. Barney09

    Barney09 Member

    I'm trying to find out more about my late father in law Robert Allison. I have a serial number of FX90078 and he was an Air Mechanic(o). I can find no information on Ancestry or Find my Past.... I understand he was a Japanese POW during the second World War..... Anyone point me in the right direction to find out more?
     

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  2. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Only one Robert Allison on the FEPOW (Far East POW) database. He was in the 5th Royal Norfolk Regiment and was captured at Singapore. Is this your chap?
     
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  3. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    where does the pow idea come from ? looking ar that photo he has a RN uniform which rules out the chap in the army . he also has the 39-45 Star ribbon up , which was first awarded in 43 so that photo probably dates from when the war was still going on as he has no other medal ribbons with it. I suggest apply to the MoD for his service records.
     
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  5. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Apply for his Service Records, as an essential first step for anyone to work out his background.
    It'll take a little while, usually and make sure you as for ALL available records for him, medical etc etc

    In the meantime, piece together all that you can, photo, memories, papers and also for Birth, Marriage and Death information on whichever family history site you can. (You probably don't need both, unless someone else is cross checking details)/


    For example, there is a Robert Allison born 10 May 1920 who died in the Westminster registration district in 1990, so age and location will help narrow it down. Do you know who his parents were and where they lived, in say 1911? There may be other relatives you may not yet be aware of.

    Owen has given you helpful information, you can see he's in the Royal Navy/Fleet Air Arm, so aircraft carrier, catapult merchantman and the like would be the sort of ships he was on. I don't think there were many Flight Mechanics captured by the Japanese, so that may be a bit of confusion with someone else, unless there's provable documentation etc. Certainly if he's wearing a medal ribbon issued in 1943, then it would be long after the fall of Singapore.

    (Evil question for Owen: If he has the 1939-45 Star ribbon in 1943, how did they know the War would end then? )
     
  6. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  7. Barney09

    Barney09 Member

    Hi ... No I don't think this can be my Robert as he was in the Royal Navy....
    1923–1984

    Birth 07 FEB 1923 • Darlington, County Durham, England
    Death 17 DEC 1984 • Bournemouth, Hampshire, England


    Thanks...
     
  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hmm interesting - Ancestry has him as :

    Robert Allison
    1923–1984
    BIRTH 07 FEB 1923 • Darlington, County Durham, England
    DEATH 17 DEC 1984 • Bournemouth, Hampshire, England
    The image attached to this tree is:
    [​IMG]

    TD

    Added:
    Rest of the tree details
    Robert Allison
    Birth: 07 Feb 1923 (7 Feb 1923) - Durham, England
    Death: 17 Dec 1984 - Bournemouth, Hampshire, England
    Marriage: Jul-Aug-Sep 1954 (Jul 1954) - Dorset
    F: Joseph William Allison
    M: Susan Todd
     
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  9. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Interesting uniform differences! Transferred from one service to another at some stage? Service Records definitely required.
     
  10. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    To help in dating original photo, I see he has one Good Conduct Stripe. This would have been awarded for 3 years (4 years from 1946) good conduct from date of joining or age 18, whichever was later, which dates photo to after Feb 1944.
    Tim
     
  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Is the photo of him in uniform I found his 'working uniform' - I have to say if it is why would he have a photo taken in it??

    TD
     
  12. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    I agree with SDP the uniform in TD's photo does not look like navy. Doesn't necessarily mean he was in another service, he could have been sunk/captured and re-outfitted with what was available.
    Tim
     
  13. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    .....or he could have even swapped his uniform with a brother/friend/etc for a family photo joke etc. Always "expect the unexpected" and all that. That's what makes Research fun and getting his Service Records all the more important.
     
  14. Barney09

    Barney09 Member

    I don't have much information but I have been told he was a Japanese POW and on return home weighed about 6 stone!! He suffered from what is now known as PTSD..... I have found a receipt for his uniform..
     

    Attached Files:

  15. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    The date of that letter is 13th April 1943. That makes the Jap POW aspect all the more intriguing. Avoid speculation: get his Service Records. Could end up going around in circles without them!

    Note: my own Uncle George was a Jap POW captured at Singapore so what you say about POW aspects - weight etc - not only confirms widely known impressions/facts etc about Jap treatment of POWs but also rings true at the personal/family level.
     
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  16. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  17. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    The rank of AM O translates to Air Mechanic (Officer) Class and therefore the Service Number you quote would probably be his NON commissioned number, and a different one provided when commissioned.
    It ties in with the Navy/Fleet Air Arm uniform photo and your receipt, but NOT with the Army lad who has the same? DoB and Death Dates you mention. Either that is incorrect, possibly another branch of the family finding a different photo or something is very wrong about your Navy chap DoB/Death.
    A Jap PoW would probably be more likely Army than Navy, we know your chap was still in the UK in 1943 in training, so to have him as a Jap PoW when we know he had a 1939-45 medal ribbon and the Good Conduct stripe pushes that to early 1944.
    He'd then have to be on a ship sunk by the Japs with air mechanics aboard, rescued and imprisoned.
    Most of the walking skeletons are chaps who'd been in captivity from Feb 1942, not '44.
    Your Army chap doesn't appear to have a hard time when that photo was taken.
     
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  18. Barney09

    Barney09 Member

    Hmmmm... That is strange..... Why is he not in the list?
     
  19. Barney09

    Barney09 Member

    I'm going to have a conversation with my mother in law... This is getting a little confusing now... All of my dates of birth and death are correct...
     
  20. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Before we get even more confused. Rating of AM(O) or Air Mechanic (O) is Air Mechanic (Ordnance). Service No. starting FX is Fleet Air Arm No. RN Officers never had a Service No. until pay accounts became computerised. Actually in the RN they were called Official No (ON) not Service No. This all ties in with the uniform receipt which is one for a rating's No 1 and blue collar.
     
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