3712982 Sgt. Albert J MORRIS: Medals for Japanese POWs

Hi,
I’m trying to find out a bit more about my father, for the BBC who are running a VJ Day event in 2025. He was a POW in Changi Gaol, Singapore. However, after he was repatriated and until his death in 1985, he didn’t ever talk about it. My mother had a few small anecdotes, and he told me the odd snippet on his deathbed, but basically I think he just wanted to blank it all out.
I know he signed up just two weeks after war was declared on 15th September, to the King’s Own Royal Regiment. Then there’s a very big blank. I don’t know where he initially served, but I do know by the time he was in Malaya in 1941 (because there were letters home) he had been transferred to the Indian Army - 11th Division. Why was that? The letters tell of being posted south to Singapore and eventually like everyone else being under Japanese rule in early 1942.
I have a few documents and records he brought back from Changi, but little else other than his Japanese dog tag, and I’ve found his Japanese prison record in the National Archive at Kew.
He travelled back to the UK on HMT (or S?) Tegelburg, arriving in mid November 1945
That’s about it.
He may have qualified for medals but he certainly didn’t have any. I checked that with my mother, who survived him. Maybe that was another part of his blanking out process. Should he have had medals?
Any help, or ideas/input would be great to fill in the gaps.
He was Sergeant Albert J Morris 3712982

 

You may have all of these already, but thought I’d post them up for you

 

Hi,

U.K. MOD are still issuing WW2 Campaign medals to entitled next of kin so you ought to apply to U.K. Medal Office for your fathers entitlement via this link -

Apply for or replace a medal or veterans badge

The above screen print from Forces War Records should not be considered to be an accurate reflection of his medal entitlement. He may be entitled to the 39/45 Star, Pacific Star or Burma Star (depending on the geographic locations he served) plus the 39/45 War Medal. I am less confident that he may also be entitled to the Defence Medal based on a combination of his home and overseas service.

Steve

 

John,

Welcome aboard and I refer to this passage only:

No unit of the King's own Royal Regiment (KORR) served in Malaya and their 2nd Battalion was moved from the Middle East to India (Ceylon) after the surrender of Singapore (as part of the British 70th Infantry Division).

See: 70th Infantry Division (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia , King's Own Royal Regiment Museum and King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) - Wikipedia

I wonder if he was part of a draft of KORR soldiers being sent to the Middle East, to join the 2nd Battalion, as part of the move of the 18th Division from the UK, but some of the ships. with the 53rd Brigade were diverted to Malaya in an emergency move. They fought and duly surrendered. See: 53rd Brigade (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

The 11th Indian Division served in Malaya, two of the three brigades had a British infantry battalion (not KORR) and three Royal Artillery regiments (one from West Lancashire).

See: 11th Infantry Division (India) - Wikipedia and https://www.britishmilitaryhistory..../124/2022/07/11-Indian-Division-1941-42-1.pdf

Only, hopefully, will his Service Record explain what happened. We always recommend applying for the subject's full service record. Yes, it may take a year to arrive - either from the MoD or National Archives (TNA). It is not available online and is the definitive record. There is nothing you can do about the wait.

Others can identify his likely joining up date from his number. I note from the next post he joined up after was declared (15 September 1939). I think it likely that he was promoted to Sgt when posted to the Indian Army Corps of Clerks (IACC) - as id'd by Temujin.

Research found the IACC was the 'least glamorous' unit in the Indian Army and had both a British wing and an Indian Wing (almost equal size). It was a mainly civilian formation until 1942, when it was militarised (alas not clear when in 1942) and clerks filled posts in commands and districts. Later in the war British Other Ranks would be promoted to Lance-Corporal or Sergeant - even when their original rank was Private.

From a review by Alan Harfield in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol. 81, No. 327 (Autumn 2003), pp. 291-294 (4 pages). This is available after registration with JSTOR.

I now think his posting south from the 11th Division to Singapore was a result of the militarisation of IACC in Malaya, following an announcement and suitable candidates being found. Do you know what his civilian trade was? .

 

The IJA card has his civilian occupation as "Clerk": translation from the Japanese is in pencil.

His Liberation Questionnaire is here: Morris, Albert John

Hospital records for Changi are at The National Archives in series WO 347 and there is an index created post war.

Search results: Changi | The National Archives

Index volume 85: Monne, H - Morris, R L | The National Archives

 

Thanks, it’s all grist to the mill.
According to this document, he signed up just after war was declared on 15th Sept. He was not present at his home address when the 1939 Register was taken on 24th Sept. So presumably had already gone to a camp somewhere.
His occupation was trainee solicitor/solicitor’s clerk. So that fits.

 

Now to:

It was the S.S. Tegelburg, a former Dutch ship assigned to the Burma Theatre. From: Troop Ships

It did become H.M.T. (Troopship). See short history and B&W photo: HMS Tegelberg

Slightly more:

From: KPM, RIL - MS Boissevain, Tegelberg & Ruys - Part 2 - 1942 to 1968

Arrived at Princess Wharf, Liverpool 1945/10/11 - 1530 hours. From: Destination

 

Just for the record, TEGELBURG despite the websites out there that say otherwise was never a commissioned ship and was never called HMS.
TEGELBURG was chartered by the Ministry of War Transport in 1940 as a troopship and returned to owners in 1945.

Regards
Hugh

 

Some of the above information on the index record is incorrect. I know it wasn’t created by you, just pointing out anomalies such as the DOB and camp. He was in Changi from the fall of Singapore to the Japanese surrender. We have letters sent to home, as proof.

 

Good afternoon. FinL was captured in Singapore - after being demobbed no medals were offered, he had to apply for them! So refused. He talked a lot about how he had to count in Japanese, how they survived by eating the maggots in the rice or when they could catch snakes. Dad was moved from camp to camp from Changi ....... to build the Railway.

Lizzy

 

Lizzy,

John278 has not logged in since late February 2025, so I will send him a Private Message asking him to return. You get access to create a PM after x5 posts, though you can receive them.

 

Tnx for the info..

 

You are confusing Changi POW Camp with Changi Gaol. Changi POW Camp was centred around Selarang Barracks and is where your father would have been held. Changi Gaol was used for civilian internees until 1944 when they were moved out to make room for POWs who returned to Singapore from the Thai-Burma Railway.

Tim

 

Interesting - thanks.

 

John278New Member
New
I watched the BBC Antiques Roadshow VJ Day special last week.
I think three people said that their father/relation who were POWs in Far East, were told upon their return, not to talk about their experiences.
I wonder why that was? I don’t think soldiers and/or POWs from Germany, Poland etc., weren’t told not to talk about it.
Was it something to do with the Geneva Convention?
And I wonder where the instruction come from, the government or the military?