Searching for information on my Grandad.

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by CATNUT, Oct 3, 2012.

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  1. jacksun

    jacksun Senior Member

    Nope, I get a bad gateway error and nothing on the screen.

    Wayne

    I was trying to find Sydney on the Cofepow database this morning, the database doesn't seem to want to load on my computer, is it just me?:mad:
     
  2. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    I thought I was getting close to knowing which camp my Grandad was in,with thanks to Jackson.. initials FU stand for Fukuoka, little did I know there are a number of Fukuoka camps.. gosh this is hard :(

    Cathy
     
  3. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Cathy,

    When the guys come back with his POW liberation questionnaire, this will hopefully tell you which camps he was in as they did tend to move around a bit, more so in the Euorpean Theatre

    I am in Kew next week pulling out a few Questionnaires for other members so if we do not have it by then, l will see what l can find.

    Regards,

    Nick
     
  4. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    Hi Nick,

    Thank you for your reply, yes I was trying to follow different accounts from his Battalion but it was a little conflicting in parts. I would love to visit Kew but it isn't really a possibility I couldn't possibly afford the trip as I am in Lancashire. I am hoping to visit his Barracks in the next week, but any help you guys on here good assist me with would be gratefully received, I am already pleased with progress so far.

    Regards
    Cathy
     
  5. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Kathy,

    As promised I looked for and found a POW form for Sydney Guest.

    The front of the form looks as though it has the imprint of something else over it, but the important bits are legible.

    [​IMG]

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    A bit of a Saboteur on the quiet was Sydney.

    [​IMG]

    I've typed up what was written, as it's not too easy to read.

    "SABOTAGE.

    Whilst at Keijo working on Station, switched labels on packages. Result - Goods sent to wrong destination. Carried out whenever opportunity arose. (KEPT OWN COUNCIL).

    Whilst at Kawasaki Ship Yards, Fused welding transformers, cut compressed air pipes. Fused large travelling crane. Carried out when opportunity arose. (ALWAYS KEPT OWN COUNCIL)."

    Hope this helps.

    Regards - Rob
     
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  6. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Looked at two files WO361/1396 & wo361/2117 recommended by one of the guys. The first is a typed transcription of information provided by Sydney about the deaths of men who were in the same camps as him.

    The second file is a complete nominal roll of the men in the 2nd Loyals. A bit faded, but I've photographed it and will look at trying to enhance the images tomorrow.
     
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  7. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    What can I say Rob your an absolute star!! I couldn't have found this by myself, it means so much to me :) :) I now know which camps he was in a precise times! He died before I was born, so I never knew him, and just over the last month I have found out lots that I never knew, I am very proud :)

    Thanks again
    from a very happy Cathy
     
  8. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    Hi Rob,

    You mentioned on your above reply that there was a typed transcription of information provided by Sydney about the deaths of men who were in the same camps as him. Did you say you had images from that?

    Regards Cathy
     
  9. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    HI Rob,

    You mentioned in your above reply about a typed transcription of information provided by Sydney about the deaths of men who were in the same camps as him. Did you say you had images from that?

    Regards Cathy
     
  10. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi Cathy,

    E-mail sent with all the images I found for you.

    Regards - Rob
     
  11. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Cathy,

    "What a star" a fitting description of Rob ( I have never knowingly met anyone from this forum. He once gave me some reputation points, so I have returned the favour after his generosity towards you and the rest of us.)

    The Liberation Questionnaire gives enough information to use in searches for other information. The ship which your grandfather embarked upon on 16th August 1942 was the "Fukai Maru." An account of the voyage can be found by searching for the phrase "Richard Swarbrick's War" on the internet. Swarbrick ended up in a different Korean camp, Jinsen, rather than Keijo. He was in the Loyal Regiment.

    An account of an escape attempt in a liberation questionnaire from a Far East POW is a rare thing, because escape for a westerner in the far east was next to impossible due to appearance and language.

    A search at the Imperial War Museum for the camp names on the form may bring up other references. Because there were Australians on the Fukai Maru you may find more information at Australian Archives ( I have not tried. ) Mansell.com gives an account of the numerous Fukuoka camps.
     
  12. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    Hi Papiermache,

    Yes Rob has been a fantastic help to me, I cannot thank him enough. You have also been a great help too. Yeah I found Swarbrick last night, there are so many accounts from different pow's. Mansell is a good site too.

    Well Just finished and couldn't wait to get back to my research, thanks to you guys on here I have some great documents and information to help me through.

    Kind Regards
    Cathy
     
  13. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    Hello again friends on WW2 talk :)

    Since I last wrote on here I have been slowly piecing together my Grandads life, thanks to all the information I received from you guys. I have found excerpts in pow stories whom were there at the same time as my Grandad. I seem to have hit a barrier though, I am upto 1943 July 18th when some of the pow's are moving on they move from Keijo on the 18th July arriving at Kawasaki (Kobe) on the 20th July 1943. I have trailed through the internet and found nothing??? Maybe I am searching in the wrong places :( Any Ideas would be really appreciated.

    Thanks Cathy
     
  14. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    Hello friends on WW2 talk :)

    Since I last wrote on here I have been slowly piecing together my Grandads life, thanks to all the information I received from you guys. I have found excerpts in pow stories whom were there at the same time as my Grandad. I seem to have hit a barrier though, I am up to 1943 July 18th when some of the pow's are moving on, they move from Keijo on the 18th July arriving at Kawasaki (Kobe) on the 20th July 1943. I have trailed through the Internet and found nothing??? Maybe I am searching in the wrong places :frown: Any Ideas would be really appreciated.:)

    Thanks Cathy
     
  15. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Cathy,

    It is possible to read lawyers' summaries of minor war crimes cases conducted by the United States online at a site run by the University of Marburg Germany.

    The original material is at an archive in or near Maryland, U.S.A. The files held there contain affidavits made by UK service personnel, and other allied men imprisoned by the Japanese. Apparently they are quite difficult to find, even knowing the case number, because of the way that files are held within boxes. It is a question of ordering all the files and ploughing through them. I have not been there ( or to America.)

    A search in the microfilm of witness names at Kew would help here. If your grandfather's name is not in the card index I referred to earlier then that would tend to suggest that he did not give evidence to a war crimes tribunal ( or commission, in American terms.)

    All archives holding war crimes cases index the files by the name of the defendants. This makes it difficult to get to material, such as affidavits, which may mention family members.

    I have not found your grandfather's name in proceedings but the following cases may give you some background and information based on statements made within a few months or years of the end of the conflict.

    Your grandfather mentioned the following locations in his liberation questionnaire.

    Numbering of Japanese camps in Japan is rather convoluted.

    Cases appearing to relate to "Kobe": Docket Numbers: 134, 155, 162, 262.

    Cases appearing to relate to "Kawasaki": 248, 316, 352.

    A case relating to "Keijo" amongst others: 181.

    The two camps he mentioned in the Fukuoka Group did not appear to produce any specific cases.

    To get to the material search for "War Crimes Marburg."

    Go to "Startseite" then "Dokumente" then, at the bottom of the page, go to "Yokohama"

    This pulls up lists of defendants. To sort cases by number click on the head of the column. The files are in pdf. format and can go up to 200 mb.

    Good hunting. John
     
  16. CATNUT

    CATNUT Junior Member

    Hi John,

    Thanks for your information I will have a look later when I have time to, theres lots!!

    Kind Regards
    Cathy
     

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