HMS Sultan Singapore 1941 and 1942

Discussion in 'War Against Japan' started by Gilbert John Bowman, Sep 27, 2012.

  1. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    Hi Linda and welcome,
    I presume it is this Thomas James Evans P/KX103624 b.1919, Wales. He is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 92 - he has no known grave. Death in Singapore 16 Feb 1942.
    evans.JPG

    The first thing to do if you have not already done so is to obtain his service record from the Ministry of Defence. Get a copy of military service records
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2019
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  2. Linda Connolly

    Linda Connolly New Member

  3. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    Linda, there are files at the UK National Archives in Kew in regard to missing naval personnel in the far east which may be worth checking out. Best viewed by a visit of course.

    Admiralty: Casualty Branch: Enquiries into Missing Personnel, 1939-1945 War
    Records of the Admiralty's Casualty Branch regarding enquiries into missing personnel during the Second World War.

    ADM 358/3811 -
    Singapore: miscellaneous casualties. Orderable at item level - Singapore: miscellaneous casualties. Orderable at item level | The National Archives

    ADM 358/4039 - Singapore: miscellaneous casualty lists. Orderable at item level | The National Archives

    Regards
    Hugh
     
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  4. cposa

    cposa Junior Member

    Thank you Roy for your account of Singapore 1942
     
  5. Julian Abbott

    Julian Abbott New Member

    Hi Linda I think we've met a few times most recently over 10 years ago at funeral in Reading. I was in Abercynon yesterday 10/10/2022 and so memories have come flooding back about the family.

    Many years ago I tried to find out more details about what happened to Thomas James Evans. Back then in my ignorance I started by trying to locate a ship name HMS Sultan only discover it was a land based ship in Singapore. I think it's now in Gosport (If it's still there).

    If My memory is correct I contacted Something like the "Japanese Prisoner Of War Association" and they were able to explain to me HMS Sultan and that James was listed along with his parents on the Portsmouth Memorial. They also had noticed that James DOD was 16th February 1942 which was a day after Singapore had surrendered to the Japanese (15th February 1942) Therefore they added him to their archives as a Prisoner Of War.
     
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  6. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member

    Hi Roy,

    Long time no chat!

    As you can see I am revisiting old information to refresh my memory. The above quote struck me as curious. Where did you find that some acted as naval reserves? It has sent me on a potentially sideways lead into Dad's antics.
    It is almost certain he was in Singapore as a Gunner in the RA under his birth name and not the name we knew him by. We sent a photograph to Sub. Lt. F.E.W. Lamert ho recognised him. However, he seemed to think Dad was in some form of Navy/ Further, it transpires that in the very last days before the Fall, the boat Dad eventually escaped on, was used to ferry late evacuees out fto larger ships in the Singapore roads.

    Therefore your comment "some acting as naval reserves" might be relevant to his story.

    Thanks Roy.

    Best wishes

    Hazel
    (Daisy 1942)
     
  7. Julian Abbott

    Julian Abbott New Member

    Just to add, family conversations in the past suggested he had been helping people escape the island and by the sounds of it got caught up in the harrowing scenes I've just read about on this very thread. I don't think he was actually a POW, that's for the records and can only pray his suffering was short.

    Apparently his Grandmother had some stained glass windows commissioned for a local church in Abercynon which I have yet to locate..
     
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  8. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Hi Julian,
    You are almost certain to be right that Thomas Evans was never a POW and died on one of the many small boats attempting to leave Singapore. See #12 on this thread where he is listed as MPK (Missing Presumed Killed) during the Singapore Evacuation.

    Tim
     
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  9. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member

    Hi Carolyn,


    If you are still living in singapore I wonder if you might try to find out a couple of things for me?
    Number one on my wish list is any information and or picture of DAISY (or her sister ship HEATHER). These were water boats that shipped fresh water out to the larger ships in Singapore Roads. They were owned by Hammer & Co. In the last days both were employed ferrying evacuees out to those larger ships. Eventually both escaped. DAISY carried some 13 people to the mouth of the Djambi River. Seven were civilians and all local business men. Six were "military/naval" of some description. My father in law was one of the "military/naval' group.

    Regarding your missing person Norman Mansfield Leonard, I am sure you are aware of the commemorative Associations for Prince of Wales and Repulse. however, in the meantime I shall have a look at the numerous books in my "Fall of Singapore" library to see if there is any more information about him.

    regards
    Hazel
    (Daisy1942).
     
  10. Julian Abbott

    Julian Abbott New Member

    Yes either that Tim or dare I say it effectively murdered. From what I understand the issue with the POW was one of bureaucracy in that anyone who was presumably in the forces (not sure if it applies to non-forces personnel) were listed as POWs.
     
  11. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Not so. The first Casualty Report would list someone as 'Missing'. This would not be changed and they would not be listed as a 'POW' until information was received via Red Cross or other informant that the person had indeed been captured and he would then be listed as 'Previously posted Missing now reported POW'.

    Tim
     
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  12. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member

  13. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member

    Further to my post 31 on this thread, it is now a fair bet that Dad (Dominic Cunningham Casey/Dominic Michael Stringer) was a gunner RA who arrived in Singapore onboard Empress of Asia. There is a listing I have seen that shows him as missing but has no further information. I can trace his movements to Emmerhaven/Padang some 2 weeks after the Fall of Singapore but there he vanishes.

    It would appear that escapees were "filtered" so civilians were transported onwards to Australia and many of the service personnel went to India. Can anyone confirm this?
     
  14. Roy Martin

    Roy Martin Senior Member

    Hi Hazel,

    I have posted most of what I have under Resources on this site, the title is Flight from Singapore. I think I may have sent it to you before?

    Good luck,

    Roy
     
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  15. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member


    Hi Roy,

    Yes i believe you have. I have now tagged it into my saved items for easier reference. Thanks again.

    Hazel
     
  16. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Daisy did you ever apply and receive service records
     
  17. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member

    Still waiting!
     
  18. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Ok will be interesting
    I know you have had a complete nightmare on this and hope you can get right to the bottom of it

    keep going
     
  19. daisy1942

    daisy1942 Junior Member

    I now have a definitive document showing what I have proved, what is guesswork and/or hearsay. Do I post it there, on Royal Artillery, Merchant Navy, under USA, war in the Far East or under HLI????
     
  20. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Daisy
    I would put it here Tracing the impossible?

    regards
    Clive
     
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