Medals for Japanese POWs.

Discussion in 'War Against Japan' started by John baxter, Jun 13, 2019.

  1. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    I had just been thinking about it. My previous comments applied to those held in Japan. Many from Hong Kong went via Australia. Those held in Singapore, Java, Borneo etc usually came the other way by sea via Suez with the very sick being landed at Ceylon or India to recuperate before continuing on home.
    Congratulations on finding your uncle on the passenger list for HMS Implacable and I see he embarked at Manila.

    Tim
     
  2. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    I did not have that, so thank you for posting the copy. I have the index cards which are mainly in Japanese...
    Regards,
    John
     
  3. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    Hi Tim,
    The way I now see it is he went by ship to Manila, then on the HMS Implacable on Sept 25th to Vancouver (ships manifest said via USA but that could have changed, and first hand accounts say via Vancouver) then by train to Nova Scotia and on to the UK. I will now try and find him on a ship in late 1945 coming in to the UK...
    What do you think?
    Thanks again Tim.. It is much appriciated...
    Regards,
    John
     
  4. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    From: naval-history.net
    HMS IMPLACABLE landed her air crews and aircraft in Australia and was converted to accommodate passengers. She was then deployed for repatriation of British POW and embarked 2,127 at Manila to take passage to Canada arriving at Esquimalt on 11 October 1945.

    It gives you another date. Esquimalt is a harbour on Vancouver Island. USA on the manifest could have meant Hawaii. then an annexed territory.

    Tim
    Edit: Just noticed if you do a bit of maths Tullybrone gave that date already.
     
  5. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    Thanks Tim,
    I am now pretty sure it was via Vancouver... I will now look for that passenger list which brought him into the UK. Thanks again..
    Regards.
    John
     
  6. Enigma1003

    Enigma1003 Member

    John,
    No passenger lists have yet been found for the ships arriving UK, except for the fare paying passengers. The military service men (and women) appear to have been on separate lists and these are 'missing'. IF they are at Kew, they have not yet been identified. The 3 ships that bought the majority back via New York and Halifax, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and Ile de France do not have any lists.
    The only ship arriving UK with a list is the hospital ship from New Zealand HMNZHS Maunganui.
    Mike
     
    timuk likes this.
  7. Woodcarver9

    Woodcarver9 Member

    They are the forgotten men John, but thats why you’ve had so many replies on here for your request for help because we won’t forget them
     
    SDP, dbf and John baxter like this.
  8. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    That's right... we won't forget them...
    I am writing a book about Charles Bennetts life, both in the army and in the prison camps and this is part of that research... I am going into the events both during the defence of Hong Kong and later in those camps in as much detail as possible... I want the stories to be written down and kept to reminder people just how hard their lives were... I certainly don't want them to be forgotten...
     
  9. John baxter

    John baxter Member


    Thank you for the information.. It is appriciated...
    Regards,
    John
     
  10. Woodcarver9

    Woodcarver9 Member

    Good luck John, the more thats out there the better
     
  11. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    Just wanted to upload the translation of the index card which was done today...
    It looks pretty straightforward except for who this John Martin is....
    Could he be the guy who is organising the repatriation?
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Woodcarver9

    Woodcarver9 Member

    John,

    On my grandads index card it states “Handed over to Man at Nishinomiya station”. This was Capt. Christopher Man who was a fellow P.o.W. With my grandad.
    I’d suggest that you have a search through the Liberation Rosters on the Mansell site to see if you can find a ‘John Martin’ and investigate from there.

    All the best

    Steve
     
  13. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    Hi Steve,
    Thanks for the help. After a quick look on the Mansell site I found this man. He was a POW in Oeyama... Do you think he is our John Martin? As an American POW in Oeyama could he have taken over as the Officer Commanding the group of POWs from Oeyama during their Initial phase of repatriation..
    Regards,
    John

    20190615_092840.jpg
     
  14. Woodcarver9

    Woodcarver9 Member

    John,

    Using what i told you about my grandad being handed over to a former P.o.W. Then its safe to assume that it would be logical that the highest ranking officer took control. Maybe if you could ask your translator to point out the kanji for “John Martin” and then maybe check out (if you can find them) the index cards of the the other John Martins on the list and see who they were handed over to and use a process of elimination.

    Steve
     
  15. Woodcarver9

    Woodcarver9 Member

    From google translate. Does this match your card?
     

    Attached Files:

  16. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    Steve,

    Here is another piece of information about Major John Martin... It looks more and more likely he was the one...
    On the index card it just said handed over to John Martin in Kanji...

    Regards,
    John View attachment 243768 View attachment 243768
     
  17. Woodcarver9

    Woodcarver9 Member

    Looks like your on the right track John
     
  18. John baxter

    John baxter Member

    Steve,
    Here is the translation..

    John
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Woodcarver9

    Woodcarver9 Member

    John, sorry. This is what i was trying to say. If you can find the index cards of the other John Martins and see who they were handed over to then you could potentially rule them out as being the man that your looking for,
     
  20. John baxter

    John baxter Member

     

Share This Page