J. Livingstone, of Cumberland - released Japanese P.O.W.

Came across this photo in the New Zealand Herald, 2nd November 1945. The caption for the photo was:
"BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR LIBERATED WAR PRISONER: Private J. Livingstone, of Cumberland, celebrated his 30th birthday at the Green Lane Hospital yesterday. With him at his party were fellow British servicemen who arrived in Auckland recently from Japanese prison camps."

Who was Private J. Livingstone? Was he John James Livingstone, born 4th quarter 1915, in the Cockermouth registration district?

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A good puzzle there. I assume none of the others in the photo were id'd. Nowt quickly found in an online search using the various jigsaw pieces.

The genealogy site I use shows your possible match was born in Harrington (near Workington), Cumberland; in the 4th quarter 1915 and was recorded as a POW in 1942, with the rank of Lance Corporal. The source is cited as:

Alas TNA search did not identify him and the cited WO file is not available for download.

Another search found a different reference:

Not available for download. However it has his Service Number as: 3855184

With the name and number he is on: Lg-Li Database
This shows he was captured 15/2/1945; the date when Singapore surrendered. There is a useful DIY guide to further POW research.

He was then a RAOC soldier and was in a POW Camp in Osaka at the Japanese surrender. From: https://www.fepow-addendum.info/RAOC_roll.pdf

He originally joined The Loyal Regiment. From: CMP Army Number Search

Wiki has:

From: Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) - Wikipedia

It appears he may have transferred to the RAOC when in Singapore.

Incidentally the RAOC had a large presence @ Longtown, some distance from his home town near the Scottish border. Could he have been employed there? He was 37yrs old when Singapore surrendered, possibly too old for infantry duties?

That is a good match I say!

 

Available documents for above soldier born 1st November 1915 (match) :-





Kyle

 

I hope you are well.

Please see attached page extract from Ancestry website.

 

Fortunately there is a Liberation Questionnaire ( The National Archives, or Kew, series WO 344 ) and the IJA card ( TNA WO 345 ). There is no WO 356 card - Q forms as listed by the Judge Advocate General, Military Department, in London ( not a complete index to all Q forms completed by returning PWs.) Q forms dealt with reports of war crimes.

Livingstone, John James

The IJA card has his last uncancelled camp number as IV: 403. This almost matches a listing found on the Mansell.com website:

Osaka POW Camp 13-B Tsumori

The said list has J.L. Livingstone, Lance Corporal ( J. "L." could be a transcription error.)

The Liberation questionnaire list camps as Changi, Singapore; Roberts Hospital, Changi, Singapore.

The Roberts Hospital records are in Kew Series WO 347.

Then other records supplied above show him on a train "X" to Thailand in October 1942 and return to Singapore in July 1944 ( these are records of the Bureau of Record and Enquiry or B.R.E., an organisation run in Changi by Allied P.Ws.)

On the LQ L/Cpl Livingstone states he left Thailand in May 1944.

In Thailand he was at Bampong, Chungkai, Wan Lung, and Takanun ( none of these are the correct names in Thai but those used by PWs.)

He is shipped to Japan from Singapore, date unknown.

The LQ is difficult to read but the IJA card has him at XIII: 5680: Osaka likely.

The LQ then has him at "Noitseu" which I interpret as Naoetsu 4, which matches the IV given on the IJA card.

He is evacuated to New Zealand to recover.

This is the basic story of his incarceration.

 

Henry St, Harrington was near the harbourside in Harrington. It was demolished in the mid 1960’s. It was part of a Victorian development originally built to accommodate workers at the nearby Ironworks that closed in the early 1930’s.

The cleared ironworks site and harbour area were one of 2 sites in the north of England (IIRC also Hartlepool) that were developed in the run up to the outbreak of the war to manufacture magnesite for use in incendiary bombs.

The WWII plant at Harrington for extracting magnesium from seawater

Steve

 

Thanks everyone for helping to identify him, and for all the extra information you've added.

Such a shame that the other men in the photo weren't named.

Have found a second report in the same newspaper, same date.

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A couple more photos from the New Zealand Herald, 27 October 1945.

WAR PATIENTS REGAIN THEIR HEALTH IN COUNTRY SURROUNDINGS: Living at the Raventhorpe Convalescent Depot near Drury are many of the British servicemen who were brought to Auckland from Japan by the hospital ship Tjitjalengka three weeks ago. These men have made good progress and are now well on the way to recovery. Upper: Some of the patients strolling along the drive at Raventhorpe. Lower: Servicemen pass the time pleasantly on a neighbouring farm.

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Alas no trace online now for a Cumberland Society in Auckland, New Zealand.

The New Zealand Herald is still going. You could always send them an email appeal for help. See: NZ Herald: Breaking & Latest New Zealand News - NZ Herald

 

Two photographs at IWM online showing named ex PoWs on board the Tjitjalengka on the voyage to New Zealand from Japan via Australia:

LIFE IN A HOSPITAL SHIP. 9 AND 10 OCTOBER 1945, ON BOARD THE HOSPITAL SHIP TJITJALENGKA, WHICH HAD BEEN SERVING WITH THE BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET.

Left to right: J Barnes of Sheffield, from HMS KING GEORGE V; F R Booth of Newcastle, from HMS FORMIDABLE; breakfasting with ex-Australian Army POW L J Keough on board the TJITJALENGKA. Barnes and Booth were both transferred to the TJITJALENGKA because of ill health.

LIFE IN A HOSPITAL SHIP. 9 AND 10 OCTOBER 1945, ON BOARD THE HOSPITAL SHIP TJITJALENGKA, WHICH HAD BEEN SERVING WITH THE BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET.

Surgeon Lieut Cutts, RNVR, has a word with Able Seaman Reg Rampling of London, during his morning visit to the ward.

No LQs found for J. Barnes, F.R. Booth or Reg Rampling: assume LJ Keough disembarked in Australia.

Other links to the voyage or ship.

The 16,700 ton British hospital ship Tjitjalengka. Built for the Java-China-Japan-Lijn line in ...

THE NAVAL HOSPITAL SHIP, TJITJALENGKA. LIVERPOOL, 24 SEPTEMBER 1942.

Hospital ship : memories of HMHS tjitjalengka during World War II / Jack Woolman.

Ship Name: Tjitjalengka Gross Tonnage: 10972 | The National Archives

BBC - WW2 People's War - My part in the end of ww2

Going Home

Looking for HMHS (HM Hospital Ship No 9) recorded on a service record is it Tittalenka?

FREED AUSTRALIAN P.O.W. ENJOY GOOD FOOD - Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1915 - 1954) - 2 Oct 1945

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17955140