Finding information on jap pow and other family members

Hi I have been trying to find info out on Donald Roberts Gnr ( typewriter Mechanic)
He was my wife's Grandfather and my children's great grandfather. I was look
ing at his discharge papers and that was marked RA Lt AA stamped in Hereford. He was called up December 1939
I know he was in pow camp in Japan and have found that camp Hakodate #1b
I have found that a lot of the coal produced was for Nippon Steel who are today one of the biggest world steel suppliers.
I would like to trace as much about him as pos as he never talked about the war but was still taking tablets until his death in 1999 from cancer which his sone always blamed on his treatment at the camp.

We have info on other relatives who did not survive WW2
Stoker john McBride HMS Repulse 10 Dec 1941 age 22 my Nan's younger brother.

Gnr Erwin Alexandra Collins. KIA 13th August 1942 on one of the merchant ship he was with 1 maritime regt RA.The ship was Waimarama
At this time he was on carrying petrol and supplies to Malta( Operation Pedestal)That convoy delivered much needed fuel and 36 spitfires to Malta eventually helping Malta survive and help cut off
the axis supply lines

With all of these any other info would be good.

What other locations / ships were they all on?

 

Hi,

I had a quick search for him on the FEPOW database, there is one Donald Roberts with the rank of Gunner. You have probably already seen this anyway, but here is the link:

http://www.cofepowdb.org.uk/cdb2/Controller.jsp?action=showfepow&id=35867

At the National Archives, there could be at least two documents in respect of Donald's time as a POW. One is his Japanese index card, the other his POW liberation questionnaire. These will give you information such as the camps he was held at, place of capture etc.

For any other information you would probably have to apply for his Army Service Records, which are held at the offices in Glasgow. Here is a website link that tells you how to apply for these:

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html

Hope this helps in some way.

Steve

 

Hi,

From the Cofepow link that Steve gave, this immediatly identifies by date that it is NOT a Singapore capture, but probably Java or Sumatra.
I will look at my Java files soon for you.

Mike

(Sorry, no success. Several Roberts but no "D" and service number also checked. Also checked the Java Party 1-26, not listed on those sailings)

 

Details of sailings for "Waimarama"

http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=WAIMARAMA~armain



13.8.42




WAIMARAMA


Bombed by German a/c and sunk, 83 dead


TD

 

SS Waimarama.

There is a file at the National Archives with details of the sinking and casualties:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C11430117

 

Thanks everyone.
I think i will have to look up Donald's service record.
I have seen his discharge papers and the service number is correct.
His Son 6(my difes dad) seemed to think he was taken in Java, he was a typewriter mec so he may have been with a hq unit.
Maybe 20th March 42 was a processing date and he was taken a week or so earlier.
Very interesting stuff. He would never talk about the war days.

 

One strange thing. On his discharge papers he is down as Douglas Roberts called up in late 39. His sone ended up being called Douglas. This was also the name of his older brother who was in the Navy

 

Did I upset someone with this information?

 

The date of capture given in these COFEPOW records is often different from that recorded on the MI9/JAP questionaire. 20/03/42 normally relates to Java, but most actual dates are either 08/03/42 or 09/03/42, although it seems that some did float around for some time until they were rounded up.