I am trying to help out a friend in finding out about his uncles death while in WW2. I have found his death on CWGC and have pasted it below. SUMNER, ANTHONY MYERS<O:p</O:p Nationality United Kingdom</ST1:p Rank Gunner <O:p</O:p Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery <O:p</O:p Unit Text 88 Field Regt. <O:p</O:p Age: 24 <O:p</O:p Date of Death 12/09/1944 <O:p</O:p Service No: 887115 <O:p</O:p Additional information: Son of Christopher and Mary Isabel Sumner, of Ingol <ST1:pLancashire</ST1:place<O:p</O:p Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead <O:p</O:p Grave/Memorial Reference: Column 31.<O:p</O:p Memorial: SINGAPORE</ST1:p MEMORIAL The only other information that I can add is that Anthony M Sumner was on a ship at the time of his death with other members of his regiment. There is a family story that Anthony was travelling either as a prisoner of war or was on the ship gaurding prisoners. Can anyone add any light to the above or help in finding how Anthony came to his death, and is there anything I can look up that will help Dave
Hi Dave If your man was a pow could he have been lost during this incident.... RAKUYO MARU and KACHIDOKI MARU (September 12\13, 1944) On September 4th, 2,218 Australian and British prisoners of war, who had survived the building of the Death Railway, were marched the three miles from the Valley Road camp in Singapore to the docks to board the two twenty-three year old passenger/cargo ships Rakuyo Maru (9,500 tons) and the Kachidoki Maru (10,500 tons). The Kachidoki Maru was the ex US ship President Harrison which had ran aground at Sha Wai Shan in China and was captured and salvaged by the Japanese. Both vessels were bound for Formosa. In the South China Sea, the twelve ship convoy, including three transports, two tankers and four escorting destroyers, was attacked by three American submarines, the Growler, Sealion and the Pampanito. The Rakuyo and Kachidoki were both sunk by torpedoes 300 miles west of Cape Bojeador, Luzon. A total of 1,144 British and Australian POW's lost their lives. Among those lost were thirty-three men from HMAS Perth. All told there were 1,074 survivors, 141 were picked up by the three submarines. The USS Queenfish and USS Barb arrived later and in heavy seas rescued another thirty-two before heading for Saipan. The Japanese destroyers rescued 520 British prisoners from the Kachidoki (488 POW's and crew had died) and 277 British and Australians from the Rakuyo, to again become Prisoners of War.
Would be a POW as 88 Field Regt RA was with 9th & 11th Indian Divs. See here. 9th Ind Div 88th Field Regiment RA - 1 Battery 11thInd Div 88 Fd Regt RA less 1 Bty with 9th Div COFEPOW - The Armed Forces - Malaya Command British Artillery Regiments <TABLE borderColor=white cellSpacing=0 borderColorDark=#999999 width=705 align=center borderColorLight=olive border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width=108>88 (2nd West Lancs) Fd Regt </TD><TD width=37>TA </TD><TD width=118> </TD><TD width=294>Preston 1938 - 55 Div France 1940 - 2 Corps Troops (Army Fd Regt) UK 1940-1 - 12 Corps Troops (Army Fd Regt) Malaya 1941-2 - 9 Indian Div </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> RA 1939-45 88 Fld Rgt 15 Feb 42 Captured
Thank you both. that has put a lot of meat on the bones for me to chew on. My friend will be amazed at what you guys have put up on the topic. I have spoken to him tonight and have told him that he should also apply for the Service Records of his uncle Anthony Sumner as that would give him a more indepth sight into his uncles Service while in the R.A. Once again thank you for all your hard work. I would never have known where to look for the information. Dave
Thats wonderful Peter, confirmation that Anthony was on the Rakuyo Maru. I have been asked by the nephew of Anthony Sumner to pass his thanks on you to both of you Peter and Owen, for the help you have given in this topic. Regards Dave
Hi Pete and Owen, Sorry for rattling your brains again but,I am now looking for the POW camp that Anthony Sumner was at. Would I be right in thinking, from your replies that he was captured and sent to the Valley Road POW Camp in Singapore? If my thoughts are right is there anyway of finding out when he was taken to the camp, and if they were issuied with any POW number.
