Genealogy Chat

Hi Everyone I would really appreciate your opinion on this! see below. Many Thanks

The family story has it that my great uncle died when the Japanese POW ship he was on was torpedoed by the USA and sank. After a 'chat' with my father's cousin she told me that my great uncle's brother in law investigated his death and the story was he was beheaded by the japanese aboard one of the so-called 'Hell ships'. A very good friend of mine made recent enquiries to an american site and response was this just didn't happen so I was wondering if anyone had any similar stories or any other comments on this matter would be gratefully received. thanks Kaz

Kaz I have googled *Japanese POW Ships 1939/1945* It brought quite a few sites up.2 of them are www.mansell.com/pow-index www.warsailors.com/POW/powcamps I also am looking for any info about my FIL who died either in a pow camp/shipor trying ti escape the Japanese in WW11. Hope this helps. Suexxxx

Have you thought about contacting the Australian War Memorial Canberra, they have lots of war time information - you will need the name of the ship though. Because of Australian involvement in Japanese prisoner camps they have a lot of information re this period of the war. Sandra

I also have a relative who died as a Jap POW. Unfortunately, it is very hard to get precise information and records are far from complete given the number who dies and the often remote locations.

Thank you all for your replies and advice! Sorry didn't get chance to come on earlier! I shall keep on looking but probably don't have enough info at the moment to take this further. My grt uncles wife and son lost touch with the family after the war and haven't been able to find them as yet! Thanks again Kaz :o)

Sad though it is, and shocking in parts, you will probably find this book answers many of your questions - Surviving the Sword (prisoners of the Japanese 1942-45), by Brian MacArthur. It is available in paperback. I bought it because my father's 1st cousin was a PoW in Java, and although he lived, he did not wish to tell the tale. Reading this book was the only way I could try to understand what he and other PoW's went through. The author consulted over 150 diaries, and interviewed many of the survivors so the research is as excellent as it is accurate. The book contains a chapter on the Hell Ships, and covers all the areas where there were Pow camps. K.

nudging....
for the person who recently asked about Japanese PoW's - sorry, I can't remember who it was nor can I find their thread now...senior moment on my part!!

K

I had a Gt.gt,. aunt, who was gauranteed safe passage to Australia by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in 1942, only for the ship she was on to be sunk by the Japanese navy. I would love to find anything about her.
Julia in Derbyshire

There is a card index of Japanese POWs at Kew searchable by name. They contain details of dates and place of capture, camp and cause of death if they died.

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War Office: Directorate of Prisoners of War: Priso... WO 392

Alphabetical lists of prisoners of war from all branches of HM Forces, including other nationals under British command, held in Germany or German-occupied territory, Italy and Japan or Japanese-occupied territory. The lists in this series were apparently
Date: 1944 - 1945 Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives

To anyone interested in finding info on POW's on the Hell Ships.

Fantastic site that list all the ships and if you click on the ships name you can look for the person you are looking for


http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Hell_Ships/


I have found my father in law's name on the list ..and a Rememberance to him....


Hope this helps someone else....

I was able to get my grandfathers WW2 records. He was a POW in Changi, he did survive. Is it possible for you to also get these records for your great uncle? The amount of information on these records is amazing.

Gail

I have just ordered this book and they are very cheap on Amazon, from as little as £1.

I'd always been told that my 2nd cousin GEORGE TAYLOR was killed in a Japanese POW ship but no details . I haven't been able to find him on the Hell ships site so I'll try and get more details.
heather