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7608599
Corporal
Arthur Thomas Fisher
1918/07/24 - Born Norwich, Norfolk
Son of Thomas Joseph and Ellen Jane (nee Denny) Fisher
(Father’s occupation Gardener for Mr Pope, Heinghame Hall)
Brother to Ellen Alice (b.1912) and Beatrice Elizabeth (b.1921)
Next of kin - Sister, Ellen Alice Fiddament
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
4 Ordnance Store Company
18th Division
Service
1941/09/09 - Tropical kit was issued and orders were to proceed to Liverpool.
1941/10/30 - The 18th Division sailed from Liverpool in Convoy CT.5.
1941/11/08 - Arriving at Halifax the men then embarked to the American liners, now troopships which were tied along side.
1941/11/10- The voyage continued with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way, destination still unknown.
Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Front Line Top to Bottom
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
Back Row Top To Bottom
USAT Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman
(USS Orizaba Ap-24 also sailed with Convoy though not pictured in photo)
The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo, arriving at Trinidad on 17th November in glorious sunshine so the tropical kit came out, but unfortunately no shore-leave. Left after two days of taking on supplies.
1941/11/24 - The convoy crossed the equator, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
Crossing the Line Ceremony Certificate
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa.
1941/12/08 - The Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that they were heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
1941/12/13 - The convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and into the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay.
1941/12/27 - After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached.
The convoy now split with the 53 Infantry Brigade leaving in the USS Mount Vernon for Singapore with Convoy DM1. Reaching Singapore 13th January 1942. The troops were soon into action.
The 54 and 55 Infantry Brigade troops disembarked at Bombay.
1942/01/17 - The 54 and 55 Infantry Brigades embarked back onto the ships which were now Task Force 14.2. The convoy sailed the next day with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. As Japan had entered the war, destination was the far East. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse had both been sunk by the Japanese off Malaya. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Sumatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Jap Planes, there was no damage.
1942/01/29 - The Wakefield was the first of the convoy to reach the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. The Japanese had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away from Singapore.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
1942/03/20 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 776. Reported ‘Missing’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. II 225
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/06/22 - Transported overland to Thailand with June Party, train 3
3rd train to Thailand with 600 PoWs from Southern Area
Commander Lt-Col. H.C. Pargeter, Royal Corps of Signals
New PoW No. II 6570
Arthur was attached to Group 2
Working first at Ban Pong then Chungkai.
Working up the Railway to the Tha Khanun area.
Then transported sick back to Chungkai by boat.
1942/12/22 - Admitted to Chungkai Hospital.
Died
Age 25
27th December 1943
Cause of death Acute Enteritis, Beri Beri
Chungkai Hospital
1945/07/10 - WO417/94-1, Casualty List No. 1804. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1142 as Prisoner of War in Japanese Hands. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya. Reported ‘Died’.
Loved Ones
Son of Joseph and Ellen Fisher
Brother of Ellen Alice and Beatrice Elizabeth
Memorial
Chungkai War Cemetery
Thailand
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Amelia-Jane Rose
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Ian E Scott - Photo of Plaque
Convoy William Sail 12X
Japanese Transports
Thailand-Burma Railway
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
KEW Files:- WO 361/1529, WO 361/2172, WO 361/2053, WO 345/18, WO 361/1979, WO 361/1954, WO 392/24, WO 361/2167, WO 361/2167, WO 361/1186, WO 361/2181,
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