Hi my grandfather was a gunner in this regiment George Harry Priestner service no. 1111247 I am trying to find out which battery he would have been in what ships he sailed on if he was involved in any actions before the 15/02/1942 what camps he was interned in I have found two sources stating name, regiment, date of capture but have hit a wall on any more detail. I have attached the movements of the 135th up until the fall of singapore any suggestions much appreciated. Andy Shaw
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Re George Harry Priestner, 46 Woodstock Road, Altringham, Cheshire. 1941 Oct 30 Sailed from Gourock, on the Polish ship SOBIESKI Nov 9th Arrived Halifax, transferred to the USS MOUNT VERNON (previously known as the liner SS WASHINGTON) Nov 11th Sailed from Halifax, Nov 18th Arrived Trinidad. Nov 20 Left Trinidad Dec 9 Arrived Cape Town Dec 13 Left Cape Town Dec 25 Arrived Mombassa Dec 29 Left Mombassa 1942 Jan 4th Arrived Maldives, Jan 5 Left Maldives, Jan 13 Arrived Singapore. Main area of battle where many of the regiment were killed/missing was on the west coast of Malaya in the area between Rengit and Senggarang. George was sent to the Siam railroad on 29.10.1942 and this train was known as ‘T Party’ This party consisted of 650 men of which 148 men were of the 135th Field Regiment, and the others mainly from the 85th and 125th Anti Tank Regiments and the 6th Norfolks. A week earlier on 22.10.1942, his Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Toosey had taken the first train load and these became the main workforce of building The Bridge on the River Kwai at Tha Maa Kham (Tamerkan). However, looking at the Liberation Questionaires of several of the men from ‘T Party’ , they do not mention being at Tamerkan. I am unable to view Georges Lib Q, so you would need to apply for this to get his camps confirmed. Mike
hi I was hoping someone could verify my first bits of research into the 135th RA field regiment in 1941/2 from the start 1939 of the regiment it was part of the 18th Division? it was then given over to the 53rd brigade (part of the 18th division) whilst in england it was part of the first division to land on Singapore out of the 18th division on the USS mount vernon it was then sent to reinforce the 111 india corps at Ayer Hitam it was then withdrawn to Singapore where it surrendered on the 15/02/42 hhhmmmmm........
a few links here might be of interest http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/50185-135th-field-regiment-royal-artillery-singapore-1942/ http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/58593-135th-ra-field-regiment-ta/
>> Hi Mike, My Dad, William George Norways (1918-86) was in the 2nd Cambridgeshires, so also on the Sobieski and the Mount Vernon to Singapore. I was wondering where you got all this info from? Cheers, Toby