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1426774
Gunner
Thomas John Boyle
1918/07/18 - Born Liverpool
Son of Thomas and Margaret Boyle
Next of Kin - Parents, Thomas & Margaret Boyle, 29A Eldon Street, Liverpool
Royal Artillery
12 Coast Regiment
Service
1940/12 - 12 Heavy Regiment was renamed 12 Coast Regiment and were transported to Hong Kong, There were three batteries 20, 24, 35 included in the regiment.
1941/02 - The 35 battery was renamed 965 Defence Battery
1941/12 - The 20 Coast Battery was converted to Hong Kong Singapore RA (HKS) due to lack of British coast artillery personnel.
Re-designated 26 battery Hong Kong Singapore (HKS) RA.
Batteries then set up positions at:-
1:- Mount Davies - 24 Battery with 3 x 9.2 inch Guns
2:- Stone Cutters - 26 Battery with 3 x 6 inch Guns and 2 x 60 pounder Guns
3:- Jubilee - 26 Battery with 3 x 6 inch Guns
4:- Belcher’s Upper - 965 Battery with 1 x 6 inch Gun
4:- Belcher’s Lower - 965 Battery with 2 x 4.7 inch Guns
5:- Repulse Bay - 965 Battery with 2 x 18 pounder Guns
6:- Tytam Bay - 965 Battery with 2 x 18 pounder Guns
7:- Stanley Bay - 965 Battery with 2 x 18 pounder Guns
8:- Promontory Bay - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun
9:- Island Bay - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun
10:- Deepwater Bay - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun
11:- Tai Ho Wan - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun
1941/12/25 - Hong Kong surrended to the Japanese
Japanese PoW
1941/12/25 - Captured Hong Kong
PoW No. 1797
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/09/27 - Sailed from Hong Kong in the Lisbon Maru with 1816 PoWs
On the third day at sea Diphtheria broke out.
1942/10/01 - A noise like air rushing out of a tyre woke the sleeping PoWs and they realised a torpedo had just missed the ship. A few minutes later there was a loud explosion and the ships engines stopped.
The submarine, USS Grouper SS-214 had attacked and hit the Lisbon Maru.
At 7.30pm the Japanese destroyer ‘Kure’ and the Toyokuni Maru took off all the Japanese except a machine gun crew who had their gun trained on the Battened down hold.
1942/10/02 - Lisbon Maru sunk
Chinese fishing boats picked up survivors and landed them at Woosung, Nr. Shanghai. They were later transported to Japan.
Thomas died between 1st and 2nd October
Lisbon Maru - 6 miles from Tung Fusham Island, off the China coast, 29°57'N, 122°56'E.
Died
Age 23
Died Between 01 October 1942 and 02 October 1942
1943/02/24 - WO 417/57, Casualty List No. 1067. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 885 as Prisoner of War - Hong Kong, now reported Missing.
1944/10/31 - WO417/84, Casualty List No. 1591. Previously reported Missing whilst Prisoner of War Date not reported Casualty List No. 1067. Date of Casualty recorded as 01-02/10/1942 on original source. Presumed ‘Killed in action whilst Prisoner of War in Japanese hands’.
Loved Ones
Son of Thomas and Margaret Boyle, of Liverpool, England
Memorial
Column 3.
SAI WAN MEMORIAL
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Linda Baker
Tony Banham’s books:-
‘Not the Slightest Chance - The Defence of Hong Kong 1941’
‘Sinking of the Lisbon Maru’
‘We Shall Suffer There’
Battle For Hong Kong
Lisbon Maru
Lisbon Maru Roll - Hellships
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
KEW Files:- WO 361/1744/2, WO 345/6, WO 392/23, WO 361/1744, WO 361/1744/2,
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