Rangoon evacuation

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by robin bird, Jun 1, 2016.

  1. robin bird

    robin bird Well-Known Member

    The barmaid in my local evacuated Rangoon as a baby early in 1942 and came to Britain aboard the Bibby ship Salwean. Her father was killed in the bombing raid of December 25 1941 on Rangoon and she lost touch with her mother and siblings coming to Britain. We are trying to retrace her footsteps, i.e. the route to India to board the Salwean and would appreciate any information on the subject. Her maiden (baby surname) was Friedlander. Thank you robinabird (also robin bird)
     
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  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Robin

    The closest I can find is 'Salween' but it appears to have spent most of its life in or around the Indian Ocean - http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hague/index.html

    Can you provide further details of full name, date and place of birth, parents names etc - it all helps when searching

    TD
     
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  3. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Hi Robin, has your friend thought about approaching the International Red Cross? What official documentation does she still have? As per TDs post, please add as much as you can so we can try to help.
     
  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Robin,

    There is a list of evacuees on line, which was published a few years back. I grabbed a copy of this when it was available and there are two Friedlander's recorded with the date 24th March presumably 1942. They were:

    Miss H. L. Friedlander of Rangoon, destination Cathedral High School, Bombay.

    Mrs. M. Friedlander of 313 Phayre Street, Rangoon who ended up at the Evacuee Camp in Saharanpur.

    These lists can be found on the Anglo-Burmese Library website:

    http://www.angloburmeselibrary.com/lists.html
     
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  5. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    The closest that I can find is Judy Anne Friedlander, born 1946. Left Bombay, 1947 on the SS. Strathmore bound for Southampton.
     
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  6. robin bird

    robin bird Well-Known Member

    thank you for the feed back. Jackie is an elderly barmaid in a typical Liverpool down to earth pub called The Old Poste House. Jackie's father was one of 13 Friedlanders. His name was Frank Laroche Friedlander, motor mechanic/engineer, who rans the motor fleet at Rangoon Post Office. Born January 12 1884, he died during the Japanese air raid on Rangoon on Christmas Day 1941. Jackie was only six months old and by 1942 had been evacuated to India and put aboard the Bibby ship Salween bound for Liverpool. During this time she became separated from the rest of the family. Interesting to learn about Judy Friedlander, this could be a cousin as Frank's brother ran a store in Rangoon up to the Japanese invasion. I have traced the names of the 13 Friedlander, their parents and many other Friedlanders in Burma at the time. Jackie has managed to contact some branches of her Friedlander family tree but cannot see the wood for the trees regarding her life between 1941 and circa 1944. Thanks again for the interest, robin, pp Jackie.
     
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  7. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Robin, there are 4 of 5 entries for the father on findmypast. If you've not already used this archive there is a free 14 day trial. Seems to be his birth details, two marriage entries 1909 and 1935, death, probate and burial details.

    Edit: there are two family trees on Ancestry for Frank, one publicly available, the other is private. His birth and christening details and his first marriage details are available for free on the website familysearch.org
     
  8. robin bird

    robin bird Well-Known Member

    Cheers. Frank's first wife died in a car crash, managed to find that out, his second wife likely to be Jackie's mother. Rangoon residents must have evacuated en mass
     
  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    OK

    There are 3 family trees on Ancestry with similar details

    Frank Laroche Friedlander

    Birth: 12 Jan 1884 - Burma (Myanmar)
    Death: 1942 - Burma (Myanmar)
    Marriage: 11 Feb 1935 - Bengal (West Bengal), India
    Spouse: Enid Maine Pullen (Note on 2 of them this surname is spelt Sullen)
    F: Hugo Friedlander
    M: Mary Laroche


    His first wife
    India, Select Marriages, 1792-1948

    Name Frank Laroche Friedlander
    Gender Male
    Marital Status Single
    Age 25
    Birth Date 1884
    Marriage Date 25 Jan 1909
    Marriage Place Insein, Bengal, India
    FHL Film Number 528122
    Household Members
    Name Age
    Gladys Myrtle Wilcox
    Richard Peel Wilcox
    Frank Laroche Friedlander
    Hugh Lareche Friedlander


    Gladys Myrtle Wilcox
    BIRTH 1887
    DEATH Unknown

    TD
     
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  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Second wife:
    India, Select Marriages, 1792-1948
    Name Frank Larock Friedlander
    Gender Male
    Marital Status Widowed
    Age 51
    Birth Date 1884
    Marriage Date 11 Feb 1935
    Marriage Place Rangoon, Bengal, India
    FHL Film Number 528991
    Household Members
    Name Age
    Frank Larock Friedlander
    H. L. Friedlander
    Enid Maine Pullen
    S. Pullen

    They appear to have had 3 daughters but they are presently shown as 'Private' so they are still living or the trees have not been updated if any of them have died

    TD
     
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  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Some of these databases are outside of my Ancesrty subscription area hence I cannot access the details

    All India, Select Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947 results for Frank Laroche Friedlander
    Frank Laroche Friedlander
    date date location Hugo,
    Mary


    Frank Laroche Friedlander in the England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921

    Name: Frank Laroche Friedlander
    Gender: Male
    Initiation Date: 9 Jul 1917
    First Payment Year on Register: 1917
    Year Range: 1910-1921
    Profession: Engineer
    Lodge: Star of Burma Lodge
    Lodge Location: Rangoon
    Lodge Number: 614
    Folio Number: 244


    Frank Laroche Friedlander in the England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921

    Name: Frank Laroche Friedlander
    Gender: Male
    Initiation Age: 22
    Birth Year: abt 1884
    Initiation Date: 12 Apr 1906
    Year Range: 1887-1909
    Lodge: Victoria in Burma Lodge
    Lodge Location: Rangoon
    Lodge Number: 832
    Folio Number: 33

    TD
     
  12. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    A little more on his first wife from an Ancestry family tree


    Gladys Myrtle Wilcox

    Birth: 26 February 1887 (26 Feb 1887) - Burma (Myanmar)
    Death: 12 April 1932 (12 Apr 1932) - Burma (Myanmar)
    Marriage: 25 Jan 1909 - Bengal (West Bengal), India
    Spouse: Frank Laroche Friedlander
    F: Richard Peel Wilcox
    M: (Name Unknown)

    TD
     
  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I can find nothing more on his second wife except what is shown on an Ancestry tree -
    Enid Maine Pullen

    Birth: 1912
    Marriage: 11 Feb 1935 - Bengal (West Bengal), India
    Spouse: Frank Laroche Friedlander
    F: (Name Unknown)
    M: (Name Unknown)

    So perhaps Pember and Jackie have more digging to do

    TD
     
  14. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    I googled Enid's name (born 1912) and found her on website www.myheritage.com having married a Frank 'Larock' Friedlander (born 1912) in 1935. Her father is listed as S. Pullen.

    TD, I'm thinking the 1909 marriage is the grandparents?
     
  15. robin bird

    robin bird Well-Known Member

    Thank you gentlemen. I will print off the information you have supplied for Jackie when I go over to Liverpool on Tuesday. I have talked through it with her on the telephone. Obviously as a toddler she cannot remember the evacuation but can remember Japanese soldiers in chains, circa 1945/46. She was told they had been 'very naughty' I will update you on her response after I see Jackie
     
  16. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    The marriage in 1909 is Franks first wife (born 1887 about the same year as he was ) who was killed in 1932.

    He was 26 when he first married and then 50 odd when he married the second time.

    Perhaps it would be an idea for Jackie to invest in a short term Ancestry subscription and for her to contact the owners of the family trees. Do you know the names of here sisters??

    TD
     
  17. robin bird

    robin bird Well-Known Member

    I THINK JACKIE IS (WAS) IN CONTACT WITH HER SISTERS. I WILL SPEAK TO HER AND UPDATE YOU. IT IS HER JOURNEY FROM RANGOON TO INDIA AND THEN TO LIVERPOOL THAT CRAVES HER KNOWLEDGE. I WILL PASS ON, TOO, THE INFORMATION AND ADVICE RECEIVED IN THE FORUM
    ROBIN
     
  18. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Hi Robin, if you don't get too squiffy over a few pints can you ask Jackie a few questions next Tuesday?

    What official documentation did she arrive with in England?

    Who raised her as a child and who was she originally boarded with? (Somebody must have received rations for her)

    Was she considered a British subject when she was born? If not the National Archives may hold information in the Home Office records regarding naturalisation.

    Is there a chance Jackie could contact the local authorities to view her primary school admission records? Could be clues there (was she adopted by school age?)

    She would also have had to receive a National Insurance number post war. Who supplied this information as she wasn't here or even born for the information gathered here in the UK on the 1939 Identification Register. The 1939 information was the data building block for the NHS and (now I'm guessing) the issuing of National Insurance numbers.

    She has to be on a ships passenger list somewhere. Anything local she can check? Is she aware of her exact date of arrival in England.

    Sorry, a long list of questions there, I'm just mulling over her circumstances. She has to accept that alot was up in the air at the time and official records might not be obtainable until her arrival here.

    We also need to determine the nationality of both parents. I see from Home Office records that the Friedlander name in their records seem to be predominantly German or Austrian applications for Naturalisation. Also what were her birth forenames? Was she called Jackie at birth or did she take this name on adoption etc?
     
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  19. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I think this is her can you check as the dates etc seem odd with your initial info:

    Miss J Friedlander in the UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960

    Name: Miss J Friedlander
    Birth Date: abt 1942
    Age: 11
    Port of Departure: Rangoon, Burma
    Arrival Date: 26 Jun 1953
    Port of Arrival: Plymouth, England
    Ship Name: Salween
    Search Ship Database: Search for the Salween in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
    Shipping line: P Henderson and Company
    Official Number: 165926

    There is also a Miss P Friedlander, both going to the same address :
    2a Ancaster Road
    Liverpool 17

    30807_A001299-00602.jpg

    TD

    edited to add:

    The info for Miss P Friedlander on same passenger list as above
    Name: Miss P Friedlander
    Birth Date: abt 1939
    Age: 14
    Port of Departure: Rangoon, Burma
    Arrival Date: 26 Jun 1953
    Port of Arrival: Plymouth, England
    Ship Name: Salween
    Search Ship Database: Search for the Salween in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
    Shipping line: P Henderson and Company
    Official Number: 165926
     
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  20. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Further to the info in post 19 - I also note that the Rodriquez family on the same passenger list have given their UK address as:

    2a Ancaster Road
    Liverpool 17

    Perhaps you could find out what the address was used for at that time - sounds intriguing

    TD
     
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