Anfield-Patrick-Francis

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

1470535

Lance Bombardier

Patrick Francis Anfield

1912/06/11 - Born South Africa

Next of Kin - Sister Miss M. Anfield, Durban, South Africa

Royal Artillery

11/3 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment

1942/04/06 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 790. Reported ‘Missing’.

1942/04/24 - WO 417/42, Casualty List No 806. Correction to Entry on Casualty List No 790. Initials should read P F.

1943/10/20 - WO 417/52, Casualty List No. 959. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 790 (Corrected by List No. 806) as Missing. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.

1943/10/25 - WO 417/67, Casualty List No. 1273. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 790 (Corrected by List No. 806) as Missing, 15/02/1942. Correction to entry on Casualty List No. 959. Rank should read Acting Lance Bombardier. Hand written note on original source quotes "M.C. amended".

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

PoW No. 111

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

Patrick’s Transport as a PoW

1942/04/04 - Transported overseas in Nissyo Maru to Saigon, French Indo-China

As part of the Saigon Battalion, 1125 PoWs, croup 3

Commander Lt-Col. Frances Edgar Hugonin, 3 H.A.A., Royal Artillery

This was the first PoW transport from Singapore

1942/04/09 - Arrive Saigon

On arrival half of the PoWs had dysentery, which had made the journey in the holds very unpleasant.

100 were sent to Hanoi to build an air strip and the rest were used to on and off load cargo from the ships in Saigon Harbour.

New PoW No. VIII 221

Camp 10 was situated on the Rue Catinat, which was a main thoroughfare between the native quarter and the French quarter. The huts were of timber construction except for the hospital which was of bamboo structure with an attapi roof. All the huts had electric light.

Baxter & Cassidy of the 3 H.A.A. Regiment escaped from the camp in 1942. Strong rumours in the camp that they were captured after 36 hours of freedom, brought back to Saigon and executed.

Christmas 1942 the Japanese sent four pigs, fruit and vegetables the camp.

In June 1943, 700 PoWs left the camp for Thailand under Lt-Col. Hugonin.

Those remaining were the chronic sick and some reasonably healthy officers.

New PoW No. VIII 2046

The Saigon PoWs were now under Thailand Juristriction.

Rice was still the main diet at the Saigon Camp diet but they now received meat twice a week and eggs to buy in the canteen, within no time their weight improved.

in April 1944, 49, 50 and 51 Kumies arrived overland from Thailand after working on the Thailand-Burma Railway, they were in very poor condition and were British, Australian, Dutch and American. Under command of Dudley Apthorpe.

The camp was now divided into two groups, the original Saigon Battalion were known as ERTs, English Resident Troops, and the Kumies from the railway were ‘Transit Troops’, as the Japanese intended to transport them to Japan.

In May 1944, Brigadier Varley arrived at the Saigon Camp with one Australian. There was talk of the ‘Transport Troops’ being sent to Japan but it fizzled out.

In January 1945 more British arrive from Singapore and are billeted in Hospital Camp.

In February 1945 another group of 2000 PoWs arrived from the Thailand - Burma Railway, this time via Singapore in the Haruyasa Maru and they were billeted in the docks.

In March 1945, all the officers left for the Kanchanaburi Camp in Thailand, near Bangkok.

Air raids were now becoming frequent with some very near misses to the PoW camp.

1945/09/13 - Liberated Saigon Camp when English and Dutch paratroopers entered the camp.

Flown via Bangkok to Rangoon Hospital and Recuperation

1945/10/22 - Casualty List No. 1890. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 959 (Corrected by No. 1273) as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.