Hello, researching my Grandad: 2074492 Sapper Russell F WATSON, 251 Field Park Company RE

He was in the 251st field park company, 18th division. POW after the fall of Singapore. Very thankful that he survived. I'd be very grateful for any tips on how to research for further information. I'm a total newbie at this.

 

Welcome aboard.

I’m sure others with knowledge of your grandfather’s unit and Division will be along shortly, but I would strongly suggest applying for his service record, if you haven’t already done so, of course:

Get a copy of military service records

You may want to wait to apply until 1 April as, apparently, if you apply before then it will cost you £30, but applications after that date should be free.

This thread may also be of interest to you with regard to records, which are currently being transferred from the MOD to the National Archives:

MOD ALREADY TRANSFERRING WW2 SERVICE FILES TO UK NATIONAL ARCHIVES 2021

Best of luck with your research.

 

Welcome.
Your grandad was captured at the Fall of Singapore.
His Japanese Index Card:

Here is his entry on the Rolls maintained by the BRE (a POW organisation in Changi). OVL S 30.10.42 means transported overland to the notorious Thai-Burma Railway on 30 Oct 42 in Letter Party 'S'.

Here is his entry on the 'S' Party list:

(63 is a cross reference to the RE Roll)
His Service Records will contain little or no information on his time as a FEPOW.
You should contact the exceedingly helpful Thai-Burma Railway Centre who will be able to provide information from their data files on the Camps he was held in.
TBRC Online: THE THAILAND-BURMA RAILWAY CENTRE

Tim

 

Prompted by Tim’s reply above, have you also taken a look at the COFEPOW (Children & Families of Far East Prisoners of War) site?

https://www.cofepow.org.uk/

Cofepow

Mind you, the website is not loading up for me at the moment…

 

Thank you all so much . Very grateful for the help

 

Something here for you, if you’ve not already seen it. The 251st’s arrival in Singapore was not an easy one!

18th Division Royal Engineers | COFEPOW

I wonder if your grandad was indeed one of those rescued from the Empress of Asia?

SS Empress Of Asia | COFEPOW

RMS Empress of Asia - Wikipedia

Empress of Asia

She sailed from Liverpool to Bombay, via Freetown and Durban, on 12 November 1941 as part of convoy WS 12Z (See “Winston’s Specials”), but I am not sure whether the 251st was onboard her for that part of her voyage.

WS (Winston Specials) Convoys in WW2 - 1941 Sailings

The account below, from members of 125th Anti-Tank Regiment (18th Division, indicates that on 28 October 1941 they sailed on the SS Oronsay to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Convoy no. CT 5?) and then to Bombay, via Port of Spain, Cape Town and Mombasa, on the US ship Joseph T Dickman in what I think was likely convoy WS 12X.

Whether, as part of 18th Division, 251st Field Park Company was also on that voyage, I don’t know, but I’m sure there are wiser heads than mine who could advise on that. If your grandfather did take this same route, then it sounds like a truly epic and eventful journey!

Empress of Asia sailed from Bombay to Singapore, departing 23 January 1942, in convoy BM 12 and it seems your grandad’s outfit was certainly on her at that point. The story of the voyages, included below, is a most interesting and informative one.

125TH Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery | COFEPOW

 

Wobble, thank you so much. He was indeed one of those rescued from the Empress of Asia. Im grateful for any information trying to piece together the route he took to Singapore. sorry its taken me as while to reply.
lorraine

 

Could someone possibly help me with the names of the camps my Grandad was in please? I cannot read them. appreciate any help.
Watson, Russell Frederick

Thanks
Lorraine

 

Best to keep to one thread: I'll reply on the one you started with.

 

You asked about camp names on a liberation questionnaire on a new thread to-day. Best to keep it in one place. I make it ( Tim may have better eyesight, he usually corrects me, although I recently went from Poundshop glasses to £2.99 Deluxe glasses.)

Changi 15/2/42 - 13/3/42

River Valley Road 13/3/42 - 10/8/42

Changi 10/8/42 - 21/10/42

Thonchan 7/11/42 - 5/4/43

Chunkai 12/4/43 - -/5/43

Tamuang -/5/43 - 10/6/43

Bangkow 11/6/44 - 18/6/44

Tamuang 19/6/44 - 10/5/45

Nakompaton 10/5/45 - -/7/45

Bangkok Harbour -/7/45 - 16/8/45

 

Thank you so much Papiermache, that's brilliant.