6 (HAA) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Survivors

Here are copies of questionnaires from Lt. Col Hazell & Major Allpass to compare.

Also Gunner Pardoe's questionnaire mentioned by Major Allpass which helps the place names.

 

Thanks - until a couple of weeks ago, I knew very little about Roland, until Dad mentioned him. I started looking, and found a lot of references to 'Ronald', but I knew it was Roland. To actually see primary source material confirming his identity is quite stunning, and all the extra detail is really helpful.

 

here are the details of my great uncle
Lance sergeant Peter Connolly 1426523 15th battery 6 H.A.A..Buried in collective grave plot 4,row A 9-11 sai wan war cemetry hong kong....does anyone know how or why they were in hong kong??

 

Steve,

Connelly, Peter died 16.11.1942.

I am hoping that Pat Walker sees your post, as he is the expert on 6 HAA.

However, meantime, I can give some minor information, but it also leads to more questions.

Peter never saw service in Hong Kong, he was actually originally buried at Daichoku Cemetery on Formosa.
I know from ships lists that he was not on either sailing of the 'England Maru' to Formosa, so can only assume at this point that he was on the 'Dainichi Maru' that arrived on 14.11.1942. (I dont have the list).
As he is not listed as a POW of Formosa, I would also assume that he probably died at sea on the journey, although this would actually put his death date a few days earlier.
Hopefully Pat will be able to confirm or reject these assumptions.

The reason he is buried in Sai Wan , Hong Kong, is because EVERY burial in Formosa was raised and reburied on Hong Kong after the war.

Mike

 

Thanks for that Mike as I didn't know that burials in Formosa were reburied in Hong Kong. I am interested in 35th Regiment LAA who were attached to 6th HAA in Sumatra and Java and when looking up Peter Connolly I found several 89/35 and 78/35 also buried in Hong Kong. I'm checking my Java lists which may throw up some light.
I'll PM Pat Walker. If he doesn't know I'll try Tony Banham in Hong Kong.
Tim

 

Tim,
Are you aware there were 8 POWs of 35 LAA on Formosa.
BAIN, DEAKINS, EDWARDS, HOLLIS, LEMMER, MUIRHEAD, WHITMORE, WILSON.
I have not checked, which if any died, but if they did they would be buried at Sai Wan.

Mike

 

thank you so much for that information i was always puzzled by the fact that he was buried in Hong Kong.. before i had the relative information my grandfather..[fred connolly [peter connolly,s] brother always thought that he died on the burma railway i went one year in the early 90,s and searched every cemetery in the Kanchanaburi region of Thailand looking for his grave but to no avail...in 2005 we stopped of in Hong Kong on our way back to England [i live in NZ] to see him.....My grandfather [Fred] told me a story once that he was supposed to have been in Peters regiment but missed the ship, and he ended up in the 146th l.a.a regiment and went to north Africa and Italy but i can not find any information on this regiment anywhere.... thank you again...

 

Having checked the Java lists I can see that Peter Connolly was captured in Java along with the three 35th Regt men I started looking at (Gnrs Cooper,Kaye and Morgan). None of them has any other annotation that shows them as included in any Party leaving Java. From the dates of death I would assume they were all part of the 'Mystery Party' leaving Java in the Yoshida Maru for Singapore on 22 Oct 42. Arriving Singapore 25 Oct the Party was split with some going to the Dainichi Maru and the others to the Singapore Muru. Both ships sailed for Japan on 30 Oct.
From an affidavit by Lt Col Scott, who was i/c the Singapore Maru -
"12. Deaths continued up to the arrival of the "Singapore Maru" at Takow, Formosa, on the 13th Nov. where 8 bodies were sent ashore for cremation, the harbour authorities refusing to permit them to be buried at sea. A list of 100 seriously sick was compiled and a request for their immediate removal to shore hospital was submitted, but twenty-one only were put ashore."
As far as I am aware there is no complete list available for the Mystery Party.
Tim

Edited to add:
Only info I have of Mystery Party is in WO 361/2215. This says amongst others the Party contained Lt Col Hazel (i/c 6 HAA) and Staff, 12 Battery (complete) and 15 Battery (incomplete).

 

Post 26.Thanks Mike. I'll chase up those names. I've got the 35th LAA Roll compiled in Changi so I'll be able to get their Service No.s OK.
Tim

 

Dear Steve, I have your relative down as being buried in Formosa since this is where the CWGC have him listed. My book on the 6th HAA covers the whole regiment from 1939 - 1945 and has a comprehensive account of their actions on an almost daily basis for all three Batteries. Lots of pictures too from private sources so not seen by the public before. Patrick

 

thank you for your reply ...i have ordered your book from amazon last night and i cannot wait to read it...thank you so much...

 

Thank you for buying my book on the wartime story of 6Th HAA I hope you find it of interest. In passing I would say there is still a very active Java POW club association for all those who had relatives out there in any of the four services concerned. It is open to family, relatives or any one who has an interest in this theatre of the war. There are still an amazing group of survivors who meet during the year at Stratford On Avon and they are always looking for old comrades or friends. If you contact me I can supply further details.
Patrick Walker

 

D

Dear Steve, My thanks for the interest in my book. I do sell them from home too but will also sign and dedicate them for a person. Costs just the same !!

 

Dear Andy,I have been trying without much success to get in contact with you about my book on 6Th HAA. Your relative Cpl Roland Pilcher appears within the text and the book will let you see his movements for his war service. If you know when he joined then you can follow his whole story till release. Patrick Walker

 

bugger.....

 

Just found my grandfathers name in your lists, Charles Hayward 826508 Bombadier. Thank you

 

Hello Pat. Bought and avidly read your book. It was fascinating as well as saddening. Much is said of the Far East theatre and focus very much on the horror of the cataclysmic outcome at Hiroshima and Nagasaki but it goes without saying that before we pause too long to reflect those events, we should never forget the frankly incomprehensible treatment of Allied PoWs at the hands of these barbaric, animalistic, inhuman thugs. I am but one generation away from WW2 veterans (at 55) and books like yours illustrate why we and our successors should remain eternally mindful and grateful for the sacrifices our forefathers endured on behalf of our freedoms. We will never forget.

I am 37 years served (and still serving) in the Royal Navy. My dad was part of the mechanised push into France and through down to Italy in WWII with the Royal Engineers. My grandfather-in-law was Edward Arthur Roberts (545610), a Sgt in 3 Battery and I am interested in what happened to him. He is listed in some sources (as the book) as having died on 03 Sept 1942 in Saigon but other sources such as Forces War Records (Ron Bridge's collection) as him being of PoW Camp Malai 1 and commemorated at Kranji.

Do you or anyone have any further information on Edward?

Vic

 

Pat Walker may come along as he is the expert on 6 HAA. Meanwhile I can say the records show Sgt Roberts being captured Singapore 15 Feb 42. Transferred overseas on 4 Apr 42 in the Nissyo Maru in a Party under the command of Lt Col Hugonin (3 HAA) to Saigon. CWGC concentration report shows Sgt Roberts was originally buried Saigon War Cemetery. Reburied Singapore (Krangi)
24 Mar 54.
Casualty
(Scroll to bottom of link and look at concentration).

Tim

 

Hi Tim - that is good stuff, and thanks for this. I had no idea he was shipped to Saigon via a Maru vessel. I assumed it was via train. Looks like he was lucky (in a sense)

Any idea where I can find out what he died from?

Vic

 

"John Watson, post: 772521, member: 69979"]Just found my grandfathers name in your lists, Charles Hayward 826508 Bombadier. Thank you"