Looking for help with Uncle Sydney

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Leeds Andy, Sep 5, 2018.

  1. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Hi Everyone

    I looking for help gaining info on my Uncle, he served with the 1st Battalion West Yorkshire. He died of wounds whilst in a Japanese POW camp aged 23

    I've sent off for his Service Records from the MOD, awaiting their return. The info I have at present is as follows

    Sydney Osborne Beaumont
    1st Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment
    Service No. 4543330
    Reported on Casualty List No. 914 as Missing 19/04/1942
    Reported on Casualty List No. 1788 as Died of Wounds whilst Prisoner of War in Japanese Hands 03/12/1943
    He was re-buried in Rangoon War Cemetery 14/06/1946

    Would like to find out when and where he was taken prisioner and which camp he would have been held in?

    Regards

    Andy
     
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  2. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Andy,

    I was interested in your post today. I have been researching my grandfather, Pte. Arthur Howney, who died as a POW in Rangoon Jail in June 1943. He was with the first Chindit expedition with the then Brigadier, Orde Wingate.

    I have over the last 10 years or so collected together as much material in regards Rangoon Jail and can tell you that this is where Sydney was held and where he died in December 1943. He would have been captured during the retreat from Burma the year before, but I'm afraid I do not know how or where, as this is outside of my research area. However, this is probably something that other members might help you with.

    Sadly, Sydney does not seem to have a POW index card (not that I have found in any case). These cards give details of each prisoner held by the Japanese during WW2 and often show the cause of death, if indeed the POW perished in their hands. He does feature on the lists held at the Imperial War Museum, showing the men who died inside Rangoon Jail. Being one of the men captured during the retreat, he was held in Block 3 of the jail and as you know he died on the 3rd December 1943.

    The typed pages of these lists are heavily smudged and the details for each POW are hard to decipher. I have a photocopy of these lists and believe the information for Sydney (page attached) is as follows:

    4533330 Pte. Beaumont S. W. Yorks. 3.12.43. Wounds. Captain Western

    Firstly, please note the incorrect digit in the service number. I believe this is simply a clerical error made at the time of recording. Wounds, is placed under the heading for the cause of death and Captain Western is the officer who recorded Sydney's death and was probably responsible for organising his funeral/burial. As an example of a POW index card mentioned above, I have attached that of Captain Western.

    Sydney was buried at the English Military Cantonment Cemetery (grave no. 125), located near the Royal Lakes in the eastern sector of Rangoon. It was situated very close to the city zoo, which the surviving men remember because the animals could be heard during the various funerals held there. To read more about this cemetery and the POW burials, please follow this link to my website, which contains some maps and images of the location. The sections on the Cantonment Cemetery and Rangoon War Cemetery are towards the bottom of the page:

    Memorials and Cemeteries

    I also have a page dedicated to POW's, but only those who were Chindits I'm afraid. However, the page should be of interest for general information and photographs of Rangoon Jail:

    Chindit POW's

    As you are aware, all of the graves at the Cantonment Cemetery were relocated to Rangoon War Cemetery after the war.

    I am going to leave things there for now, but hopefully you will find something of interest from the above.

    Best wishes

    Steve

    West Yorks:Rangoon Jail. copy.jpg 012 copy.jpg Western BJM. JIC1. copy 2 2.jpg
     
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  3. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Steve
    You are a Gentleman Sir, the information you have supplied is brilliant and very much welcomed and gratefully received.

    I would one day love to visit Uncle Sydney's grave to pay my respects.

    Thank you again for the information.

    Regards

    Andy
     
  4. Rothy

    Rothy Well-Known Member

    Hi Andy

    I have part of a file from The National Archives which holds correspondence relating to those men of the 1st West Yorks who went missing during the 1942 campaign in Burma.

    Contained within a statement by Lt. Robinson is a list of men who were reported missing on 27th April 1942 on what he describes as the last day of the "Battle of Yenangyaung", south of the Pin Chaung. Private S. Beaumont 4543330 is one of the missing men on the list. Private Beaumont is described as one of the drivers in the M.T. (Motor Transport) section.

    I don't have the full file so there may be further details. The file is WO 361/204.

    Here is the photo of the page I have

    judd pro 081223 007.jpg

    Rothy
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2018
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  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Andy,

    I'm pleased you have gained something from my post. I should have said earlier, the other list I attached is of all the 1/West Yorks held in Rangoon Jail as POW's. I was so disappointed when I realised that Sydney did not have a POW index card and that his name appeared on the Block 3 lists that are so difficult to read. This prevents us from knowing exactly how he died.

    The 1st West Yorks War diary for 1942 is held at the National Archives in London (Kew). These are not available to read on line unfortunately, but might hold some information about where the battalion were fighting in April that year. Here is the reference for your records:

    Burma 1942: Infantry: 1 West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) | The National Archives

    Sydney's entry as having died of wounds on the 3rd December 1943, sparked my interest this evening. On the list of deaths Block 3 attached above, almost all the men entered above Sydney died as a result of friendly fire. On the 28, 29 and 30th November and again on the 1st December, Rangoon was heavily bombed by the United States Airforce. A stray bomb struck the jail compound on the 30th November and sadly killed several POW's who were in that location at the time. I wonder if Sydney was caught in the blast and succumbed to his injuries a few days later?

    This is of course purely a guess on my part Andy, and should be treated as such in reference to your Uncle's sad demise.

    Steve
     
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  6. Rothy

    Rothy Well-Known Member

    Hello again Andy,

    Although the previous post refers to a statement that Private Beaumont was reported missing on 27th April 1942, the official report you have gives 19th April 1942. 19th April was the last day of the battle for the 1st Burma Division to cross the Pin Chaung, having previously been prevented from doing so by a Japanese roadblock. After a three day battle, on 19th April, the 1st Burma Division eventually found a way across the Pin Chaung but there had been many casualties and much of the motor transport was lost.

    The 1st West Yorks were part of the 7th Armoured Brigade and at least a company of the Battalion was involved in attempting to clear the Japanese roadblock from the north, together with Stuart tanks of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. It also appears that some members of the 1st West Yorks were south of the Pin Chaung, with the 1st Burma Division, and if so, would have been caught up in the awful traffic jam that built up as a way across the Pin Chaung was sought.

    Rothy
     
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  7. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Steve & Rothy

    Thank you both very much for all the information you have both shared with me this evening. It is greatly appreciated.

    Regards

    Andy
     
  8. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Andy,

    I was thinking about the various books written by survivors from Rangoon Jail tonight. If you would like to read about what it was like in the jail, the best title for you to read is probably, Operation Rangoon Jail, by Colonel K.P. MacKenzie. He was one of the Medical Officers held in Rangoon and was captured during the retreat in 1942.

    This title can normally be picked up on Amazon or eBay fairly cheaply, or possibly ordered at your local library.

    Steve
     
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  9. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Evening Steve

    Thanks for the book recommendation.

    Just ordered a copy from the Bay of Evil ;)

    Regards

    Andy
     
  10. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Don't know where you live, Andy, but there are a few fine Gents here that copy off files from TNA at a fraction of the cost of obtaining them through "direct" means if you are nowhere near London...
    Drew is one of the regulars... Steve...? Who's best to contact these days...?
    ATB
    Kenny
     
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  11. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi HC,

    Yes, if Andy wanted copies of the war diary, Andy (Drew5233) offers a very good value service.
     
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  12. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Andy,

    You probably already have this image, but I took the trouble of sending off for a photograph of Sydney's grave at Rangoon War Cemetery. This image was obtained via the website of one of our other forum members, Tony B. Home - asia war graves

    My intention one day is to produce a website about the men and women held inside Rangoon Jail during the years 1942-45, so obtaining the image of the grave was just as useful to my own research.

    BEAUMONT S.O..jpg
     
  13. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Huge amount of help here and as has already been noted, there seems to be an inconsistency about the date of Sydney's capture, and I would suggest the 19th fits better.
    A very brief outline is on Wiki about the battle, and how confused the fighting was for the Allied forces in almost headlong retreat against an enemy that was better able to exploit the terrain, plus the advantage of being thought unbeatable with the use of superior tactics and a fatalistic attitude towards casualties. A "Banzai" charge seemed to sap the will to resist and only once the Japs had been found to be beatable did the fighting spirit return.
    Battle of Yenangyaung - Wikipedia
    I was also puzzled that being captured in April 1942 yet dying of "wounds" 20 months later seemed an extraordinary amount of time.
    Casualties from USAAF bombing raids would therefore be a more likely explanation. It may not be much consolation, but these attacks on the Japanese paved the way towards ultimate victory, too late for Sydney though.

    Steve mentioned that raids occurred in late November and early December and it may be the same attack which is referred to here...
    www.pegasusarchive.org/pow/Rangoon/Rangoon.xls (doesn't list Sydney, but has other West Yorks mentioned.)
    RAF 919720 Sgt. Flower Albert. 1943.11.29. Anecdotal evidence. Coincidental email contact with Tony Beck/ Albert was unluckily killed by friendly fire during a bombing raid by Allied planes.
     
  14. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Kenny/Steve
    Thanks for the info about the service Drew offers, I had seen his tag line on his posts. It has now been added to my "To Do" list.

    Steve
    Thank You very much for the image of Sydney's memoril plaque, thats most kind.

    Regards

    Andy
     
  15. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Kevin

    Cheers for the info, off to have a read though it all.

    Regards

    Andy
     
  16. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Kevin,

    I'd forgotten all about my Excel uploaded to the Pegasus website in 2004. It was my first draft I do believe. :)
     
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  17. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Hi Steve

    Just had a quick look at the Spreadsheet, found five/six West Yorks, so far.

    Andy
     
  18. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Andy,

    The list I attached on my first reply in this thread is of all the West Yorks held in Rangoon Jail in WW2. Just come back to me if you would like any information about anyone in particular.

    Here's the list again:

    West Yorks_Rangoon Jail. copy.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2018
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  19. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    Thanks again Steve

    Andy
     
  20. Leeds Andy

    Leeds Andy Member

    As an aside, we spent today at the National Memorial Arbortum. Placed a Poppy Cross for Sydney at the Far East P.O.W. Monument.
     
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