Liberation of POW's/Rangoon Jail Newsreel Footage.

Well forum members, as you can see Matt has brought an immense amount of detail to the Utube newsreel footage. The names are mostly USAAF personnel and certainly do bring the film to life.

If any of the names included do ring any bells, then I know Matt would be very interested to receive the new info.

Bamboo.

 

Welcome Matt thats a valuble additon to Steve's post and will be most helpful in researching people in the film seems the Forgotten are not so on this forum!

 

This is an interesting photo of Australian personal reading a note left by the Japanese retreating from Rangoon Jail.

Australian War Memorial - SEA0242

 

Nice photo Spidge,

Are there anymore images of Rangoon Jail available?

The man whose face is slighly obscured on Lionel Hudson's right as we look, is Lieutenant John Murray Kerr. He was an officer in my Grandfather's unit, column 5, on Wingate's first operation in 1943. He was captured after an engagement with the Japanese at a village called Bonchaung in March.

Here is a copy of the letter the men are reading in your photo. I am sure there are other images of the letter in my records and I am sure that Matt may have something better.

 

You have probably seen them, but just in case..............................

Some of the jail and some others of personal with applicable writing underneath.

Japs Gone
Australian War Memorial - Search



British here!

Australian War Memorial - SUK14342

Australian War Memorial - SEA0244

Australian War Memorial - SEA0240

Australian War Memorial - SUK14323

 

Thanks mate,

You were right I have seen these in various different guises, but some of them are slightly different.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome, gents.

[25 Sept...I have made some necessary edits to my initial posting...corrected errors, explained things a bit clearer.]

Fortunately the families of some of the identified men in that video have been able to see the footage.

Photo SEA0242 shows four of the nine Rangoon Jail prisoners who voluntarily stayed behind in Rangoon for an extra day or so, while their other newly-liberated mates departed by hospital ship for Calcutta. Left to right:

P/O Eric Osboldstone, Beaufighter pilot, RNZAF with RAF 27 Sqn
W/Cdr Lionel V. Hudson, Mosquito pilot, RAAF, CO of RAF 82 Sqn
Lt. John M. Kerr, British Army, 13th Kings (ID'd by Steve, and thanks for the additional details)
F/Lt Cliff Emeny, Mosquito pilot, RNZAF with RAF 45 Sqn.

In addition to these men, five other ex- Rangoon Jail POWs stayed behind:

2/Lt R.C. Fullarton, FF4 BFF (per two primary sources)
WO2 (or CSM) J.J. Finnerty, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Sgt Norman J. Davis, B-24 flight engineer, RAF 159 Sqn
F/O Peter Mortimer Bellinger, Mohawk pilot, RAF 5 Sqn
2/Lt Richard D. Moore, P-38 pilot, USAAF 459th Fighter Sqn

The caption of SEA0244 lists eight of the nine named above, omitting Kerr, who is clearly in the photo. Four were involved in administrative duties (Hudson, Kerr, Fullarton, and Finnerty), and the other five oversaw the repair of Mingaladon airfield nearby -- which included clearing out the booby traps left behind by the Japanese. I can only positively identify the following six out of eight:

>>>> Shirtless, bottom of stairs: Davis. He was shot down on 29 Feb 1944 by a tandem of Ki-43 Oscars of the 204th Sentai (Bunichi Yamaguchi and Hiroshi Takiguchi) attacking from behind (in a well-documented shoot-down of two 159 Sqn Libs by these two). Davis and five of his eight crewmates aboard BZ926 baled out and were captured. Two died in Rangoon Jail and Davis and the three others were liberated from the jail. Davis died young of a heart attack, circa 1971. (The second Lib, BZ962, blew up at low altitude. All nine men died that night, including my mom's first husband, Sgt George Plank of Liverpool.)

>>>> Far left, looking to right, with beard: Hudson.

>>>> Smiling, next to Hudson, in light-toned shirt: Osboldstone.

>>>> Smiling, to viewers' right of Osboldstone: Emeny.

>>>> Far right, in dark shirt, looking toward Hudson: Kerr.

>>>> Head at very center: Moore.

That leaves two unidentified faces. Could one or more be Bellinger, Finnerty or Fullarton? Maybe...I just can't say. The guy in the cap above Davis -- I just don't know if he fits the bill for either Fullarton or Finnerty.

A recent thread on the RAF Commands Forum, started by Steve, gives some more info on Osboldstone and Emeny:

New Zealand Airman. - RafCommands Forums

Another photo taken at the time, SEA0243, has captioning errors. Simply flip the IDs of Kerr and Emeny, and the surname should be Osboldstone, not Osbaldstone. Likewise, this same spelling error is found in the caption for SEA0244.

Cheers,

Matt

 

Excellent work Steve and Matt! Quick question from a FEPOW newbie....Is it just coincidence that it seems like all POWs identified, bar one are Pilots/Aircrew? or were the majority of POWs in Rangoon from various Allied Air Forces?

 

Andy,

Matt has worked from the very beginning of his family research with a RAF/USAAF based connection. While I really began with my Grandfather and so have an Army based slant.

Aircrew were treated very differently in Rangoon Jail, almost as 'War criminals' by the Japanese. They were held mostly in a solitary confinement block for their time at Rangoon. The reason being that Allied bombing raids had just reached the Japanese mainland around that time inflicting heavy casualties.

Numbers wise I would hesitate a guess of 600 POW's in Rangoon Jail at the time of liberation, with approximately 200 left in the jail (Hudson letter etc.) while 400+ were marched away by their captors a few days earlier. These 400 are the men liberated in the newsreel footage that began this thread.

I would say that the non-Aircrew POW's out numbered the flyers by 3-1?

Bamboo.

 

The main block of Army POW's in Rangoon Jail came in 2 distinct blocks. Firstly, there were the men captured during the retreat toward the Sittang Bridge in 1942.

Here you have men from the following regiments:

KOYLI
DWR
Cameronians
West Yorks
Royal Inniskillings
KOSB

These men if they survived spent just over 3 years in RJ.

The other group to arrive after this were the 1943 Chindits including my Grandad. There were roughly 220 of these men captured. Only 65 came home from Burma.
Then there were some Lancashire Fusiliers captured during the Arakan offensive and some 1944 Chindits. Added to a sprinkling of other odds and sods, this basically makes up the Army side of Rangoon Jail.

The RAF/USAAF aircrew were the unlucky guys who got shot down or had to bail from their aircraft, as the Allies took back control of the skies in Burma during 1944/45.

 

Matt,

RSM J. Finnerty has very similar features to the man you name as Moore. So this may be where the confusion comes in? Finnerty was the Jail Quartermaster, such as that role went back then.

Geordie Fullarton was Hudson's Intelligence officer within Rangoon Jail after the Japanese had vacated and while the power struggle between Hudson, the INA and the Burma Independence Army took place for control of the city. I have no photo of Fullarton to compare, all I do know is he suffered from continuous toothache whilst in the jail.

I would have thought the man wearing the cap was an American airman? Or am I being a bit of an idiot thinking that?

Steve.

 

The main block of Army POW's in Rangoon Jail came in 2 distinct blocks. Firstly, there were the men captured during the retreat toward the Sittang Bridge in 1942.

Here you have men from the following regiments:

KOYLI
DWR
Cameronians
West Yorks
Royal Inniskillings
KOSB

These men if they survived spent just over 3 years in RJ.


Steve, I guess you mean on the Glosters instead of KOSB.

 

Hi Spidge,

I have from your post raided the AWM and picked out some great info on Aussie Chindits, so many thanks for that link.

Steve.

 

Back at home I have failed to find the source for the ID of Richard Moore in one of the well-known group photos of newly-liberated Rangoon Jail prisoners. The face linked to Moore is the same one seen in photo SEA0244. Here, for now, is a crop from the Rangoon Jail group photo showing the man identified as Moore. From my notes, here's what I wrote on Moore:

O-766627 2nd Lt Richard D. MOORE, P-38 pilot, US 459th Fighter Squadron. Hit by anti-aircraft fire 8 September 1944, forced landing. Along with W/Cdr Lionel HUDSON, Lt. John KERR, and six other ex-prisoners, MOORE stayed behind after the HMHS Karapara picked up their fellow prisoners on 4 May 1945, in order to oversee the repair of Mingaladon airfield to accept incoming Allied aircraft. They flew by Dakota to Calcutta after the task was completed.

Also attached is a tight crop from my print of the SEA0244 image, showing all eight faces, including the man I think is Moore above/behind the one Steve thinks must be an American airman. I agree with Steve, now that I see my scanned print. The guy is a 1st Lieutenant, right?? A single silver bar on his hat and his right collar. I'm very lame on insignia and all -- can't make out what is pinned on the left collar, either.

Note the bloke with specs, between Kerr and Emeny. Hmm...would either Fullarton or Finnerty have had glasses???

I have no known photo with a positive ID of either Fullarton or Finnerty.

I'm fading fast...need sleep...will post more when I can.

Cheers,

Matt

 

Andy,

Matt has worked from the very beginning of his family research with a RAF/USAAF based connection. While I really began with my Grandfather and so have an Army based slant.

Aircrew were treated very differently in Rangoon Jail, almost as 'War criminals' by the Japanese. They were held mostly in a solitary confinement block for their time at Rangoon. The reason being that Allied bombing raids had just reached the Japanese mainland around that time inflicting heavy casualties.

Numbers wise I would hesitate a guess of 600 POW's in Rangoon Jail at the time of liberation, with approximately 200 left in the jail (Hudson letter etc.) while 400+ were marched away by their captors a few days earlier. These 400 are the men liberated in the newsreel footage that began this thread.

I would say that the non-Aircrew POW's out numbered the flyers by 3-1?

Bamboo.
Thanks Steve, I really appreciate that break down. I can't begin to imagine the hell those men went through, specially those captured in 1942.

 

Steve, I guess you mean on the Glosters instead of KOSB.

Hi sol,

I had a quick look at my notes, this is what I have numerically:

1st Gloucesters-17
KOSB-13
1st Somersets-7

There are other regimental battalions represented too, but in small numbers.
Sorry I missed the Gloucesters out originally, I was just trying to give an overview.

Steve.

 

Hi All,

Having looked at the photo I have of RSM Finnerty, I don't think he is in the group picture at all!

So if the man wearing the cap is from USAAF, then Fullarton is one of the two men in the top of the photo, either with or without glasses??

How frustrating! Judging by their teeth (see previous description of Geordie) then it should be Mr.Glasses.


Attached is Major Finnerty, a photo taken in the 1960's. Similar facial features to Moore, but the hair is the big difference.

 

Hi sol,

I had a quick look at my notes, this is what I have numerically:

1st Gloucesters-17
KOSB-13
1st Somersets-7

There are other regimental battalions represented too, but in small numbers.
Sorry I missed the Gloucesters out originally, I was just trying to give an overview.

Steve.

If they were captured during 1942 then they were in Burma with some other regiment. Both 1st Somerset LI and 2nd KOSB entered Burma during late 1943.

 

If they were captured during 1942 then they were in Burma with some other regiment. Both 1st Somerset LI and 2nd KOSB entered Burma during late 1943.

I think you are correct, I have only collated the POW's by regiment from documents at the TNA. I have not really studied their capture dates too thoroughly as yet.

Thanks sol.

 

Hi All,

The one large group of POW's from Rangoon Jail, who I know hardly anything about are some 400 Dutch prisoners who arrived at the jail in October 1942. It is said that they were on board one of the Japanese transport vessels (Hell ships) when it was caught in a storm near Moulmein. I know that the POW's were in a very bad way health wise, with many of them suffering from dysentery in particular.

Many died fairly quickly in Rangoon Jail and were buried in the English Cantonment Cemetery in Rangoon. The others were moved out in early 1943, just prior to the first 1943 Chindits arrival.

The Dutch POW's have eluded me in my research, with just the odd mention in books or reports. I have made tentative enquiries on-line about them, but with little success.

Bamboo.