Japanese POW

Morning ladies and gents, Any experts in the titles heading? I have a family friend who is trying to research her Uncles military history, this is the message she sent me.

Hi Kieron
Hope you and your family are ok.
My great uncle was Albert John Pearce . My mum was told that he was captured by the Japanese and died as a POW and was buried in Thailand.
Many thanks Julie

Can anyone help me find out events leading up to his capture and sadly his death?

Thanks in advance
Kieron

 

Died of Malaria and inhumed. Thailand.

 

Then send of for his service records details here
Get a copy of military service records

they wont require death cert they can use the download commemoration cert on CWGC below which says "download certificate"
PRIVATE ALBERT JOHN PEARCE
Service Number: 6083482
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Army Ordnance Corps

6 Army Field Workshop

Date of Death
Died 23 December 1943

Age 34 years old

Buried or commemorated at
CHUNGKAI WAR CEMETERY

3. J. 5.

Thailand

• Country of ServiceUnited Kingdom

Download certificate

 

Here is his Japanese Index Card:

This is his entry on the RAOC Pilot Roll maintained at Changi. It shows he was sent OVL (Overland) 31 Oct 42 to the Railway in 'Letter Party' R.


If you contact the very helpful Thai Burma Railway Centre they should be able to give you a data card with the camps that Albert worked in.
TBRC Online: THE THAILAND-BURMA RAILWAY CENTRE

Tim

 

Not a 'Japanese POW', but a prisoner of the Japanese or a Far East Prisoner of War. A Japanese PW was something completely different.
'6 Army Field Workshop' was not a unit that served in the Malayan campaign. Note that the Japanese Index card states only RAOC 18 Division.

 

Firstly thanks all, my friend will be over the moon with all this information, she really will thank you.

Cheers Kieron

 

Just got this from my friend, I didn't take the credit and accredited it to the group and gave her the link to here, thanks
again all, much appreciated.

"That is amazing Kieron . Thank you so much. Obviously I didn't know him, but my Nan always talked about her favourite
brother, none of us really knew what happened apart from he died in Thailand and he was on the railway. Sadly my Nan
is no longer with us but I know she would be very interested. I love history and I can't believe you found out all that
information. Thank you so much"

 

I contacted the Thailand and Burma Railway as suggested by a couple of members here and with absolute amazement I have just received this email, I am totally taken back.

Hello Kieron

Thanks for your email and request for information about Albert John Pearce for the benefit of his sister.

Private Albert Pearce was captured at the fall of Singapore on 15th Feb 1942.
On 31st October 43 he went by train to Thailand with Letter Party R and on arrival at Ban Pong on 4th November 43 was allocated to Work Group 2.
On 6th November 43 he went by truck to Kanchanaburi and went into Chungkai Camp, being the Grp 2 Base Camp.
These men worked on embankment construction for the railway until Albert''s group, under Lt Col A. A. Johnson, went on to Ban Khao, via Wang Lan and Wang Thakian.
Worked at Ban Khao and Wang Thakian until late March 43 when they went to Pukai.
After a month or so this group went much further north to the Tha Khanun area (203 KILO).
Without hard evidence it is assumed that Albert followed the movements of his group and was most likely amongst the 170 sick men evacuated to Chungkai in September and October 43..
He was recorded as admitted into hospital there on 14th October 43 and discharged on 29th October 43,
However, he was re-admitted with chronic enteritis on 9th November 43 following which he sadly died on 23rd December 1943 at age 32.

Please find attached the following documents for his sister and family:
1. Japanese Index Card (front and back). The back shows his sickness leading to his death started in September 43 which would fit with his suspected evacuation from Tha Khanun in that month.
2. Hospital records summary for him.
3. Actual recorded entry in Admissions register for his hospitalisation that led to his death
4. Our PoW Record based on our research

I hope this helps give some long-awaited information to this lady about her brother who sadly didn't return home from the war.

We will help ensure nobody forgets these men and their sacrifices.

Best regards
Terry

 

Dear Kieron

I have just returned from Thailand and a survey of the 203 Kilo camp area at Tha Khanun, (Thong Pha Phum). I have been researching and searching for the camp cemetery for many years and have finally formally located and recorded it. The 203 camp is adjacent to the Tha Khanun Japanese transport and supply camp, estimated to be 200 metre apart. The cemetery is now confirmed, however, still trying to pin point the exact location of the camp.

The 203 camp was a tented railway work camp from May to August 1943, after which, it was abandoned and the work parties were sent up the line, many to base camp, 3 km above. Given Alberts evacuation dates, it was most likely from the Base Camp Hospital.

The Japanese carried out a chainage survey when the railroad reached Tha Khanun and a correction of 17km was adjusted, therefore, the 203 camp became the 220 Km camp, as described in the 1945 war graves diary. Tha Khanun is mostly reference at 218.5 Km, which is Tha Khanun Station.

The camp is described with great detail in John Coast's Book "Railroad of Death", page 120, chapter 10 of the latest edition.

All the best

 

Thank you so much, I am amazed how quick all this information has come together, I think my friend is still trying to take it all in

thank you again.

regards Kieron

 

Sorry to drag up an old post Kieron Hill but I'm so glad you posted this, for me to find in a web search. I'm looking up family history via the MyHeritage & Ancestry sites, and this Albert (and your friend's nan) are my 3rd cousin, twice removed!