To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

3859202

Trooper

Thomas Brown

1917/10/17 - Born Bolton, Lancashire

Son of Mary Jane Brown of Bolton

Occupation Labourer

1941 - Married Mary Hornby at Bolton, Lancashire

Next of kin: Wife, Mrs Mary Brown, 25 Hardy Street, Bolton, Lancashire

Reconnaissance Corps

18th (5th Battalion The Loyal Regt.) Regiment

18th Division

Service

1941/10/30 - The main body of the 18th Division left Liverpool for Halifax in Convoy CT.5. After being transferred to American liners at Halifax, they departed 10th November 1941 in Convoy William Sail 12X, their destination was believed to be for the Middle East.

The 18th Division military equipment and supplies were just finished being loaded into the Empress of Asia in Liverpool.

1941/11/12 -  The Empress of Asia sailed from Liverpool.

1941/11/13 - Convoy William Sail 12Z was formed off Oversay and included the ships with formation to sail to Freetown:-

13th-16th November 1941 - Escort was provided by the destroyers Badsworth, Exmoor, Vanquisher,  Whitehall and Witch

13th-17th November 1941- Destroyer Maori joined convoy

16th-19th November 1941 - Destroyers Foresight, Forester and Fury joined the convoy

21st November 1941 - Approaching Freetown, the destroyers Velox and Vimy joined convoy

22nd November 1941 -  the corvette Clover joined convoy

25th November 1941 - the convoy arrived Freetown

28th November 1941 - Convoy sailed from Freetown to Durban

28th Nov.-14th Dec. 1941 - The escort consisted of the destroyers Dulverton and Southwold

 28th Nov.-15th Dec. 1941 - sloop Milford and corvettes Hollyhock and Verbena joined convoy

15th-18th December 1941 - corvettes Aster and Marguerite joined convoy

 28th Nov.-18th Dec. - the battleship Royal Sovereign for full voyage to Durban

18th December 1941 - Convoy arrived Durban

24th December departed Durban in Convoy William Sail 12ZB to Bombay

6th January 1942 Arrived Bombay

23rd January 1942 - Sailed from Bombay in BM12 (Bombay Malaya 12) destination Singapore

16th-27th January - HMS Falmouth ((Anti-Submarine) joined convoy

27th-31st January 1942 - Light Cruiser HMS Emerald (Light Cruiser) joined convoy.

31st January 1942 - HMS Danae (Light Cruiser) joined convoy detached Banka Straits

31st Jan.- 4th Feb. 1942 - RNN Java (Light Cruiser) joined convoy, detached as low on fuel.

1st February 1942 - HMAS Yarra and HMIS Sutlej (Anti-Submarine) joined convoy

2nd February - Heavy Cruiser HMS Exeter joined convoy, detached Banka Straits

2nd February 1942 - HMAS  Vampire (Destroyer) joined convoy

HMAS Bendigo and HMAS Woolongong (Mine-Sweepers) joined convoy Banka Straits

1942/02/05 - As the convoy entered the approaches to Singapore, they were attacked  south of Sultan Shoal Lighthouse by nine Japanese bombers who centred their attention on the Empress of Asia causing a serious fire on board. Anchoring the damaged ship within the Sulton Shoal, crew and troops made their way to the stern to avoid the fire.

 The commander of the HMAS Yarra, Wifred Harrington, edged his ship to the stern of the damaged ship and managed to take off 1,804 survivors.

The HMAS Bendigo, which had been in the harbour, then rescued a further 78 and the escort vessel HMAS Woolongong took off the last two, the Master and the Chief Engineer.

There were sixteen deaths who went down with the ship, five miles south of Singapore Island. Salvage attempts failed to rescue any of the military equipment or supplies.

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese

1942/04/10 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 794. Reported ‘Missing’.

1943/10/04 - WO 417/66, Casualty List No. 1255. Previously reported Missing on Casualty List No. 794, 15/02/1942 now reported Prisoner of War. (Previously shown with Rank as Private but was officially a Trooper).

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

PoW No. II 746

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1943/04/27 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘F’ Force, train 10

73rd Train from Singapore to Thailand

The route in cattle trucks to Thailand:-

1943/04/29 - Kuala Lumpur (0300 hrs), had rice and dried fish at Ipoh (1600 hrs)

1943/04/30 - Reached Pai (0200 hrs), arrived Haadyi (1700 hrs)

1943/05/01 - Water in cattle trucks very short, heat stifling in trucks all day..

1943/05/02 - reached Ban Pong

The PoWs were ordered off the Cattle trucks on arrival and after a walk of nearly a mile to a transit camp where they were then informed they would be marching North West  along the railway route in 14 mile stages. Many of the PoWs tried to sell their possessions to the Thais but not at a good price as the Thais knew the the PoWs from ‘F’ Force were already in bad shape and could not carry their baggage for long.

 1943/05/05- After two days of walking through the night, as it was too hot in the daylight sun, they reached the small town of Kanchanaburi. Many who tried to carry their possessions left them at this staging camp.

Walking at night caused many problems as the track was uneven with bamboo shots cutting into their feet, in time tropical ulcers would form.

1943/05/16 - PoWs moved out together at 1930 hrs.

1943/06/05 - Reached Songkurai, many of the PoWs had dropped out along the route.

New PoW No. IV 2435

1943/06/05 - Songkurai Camp (294km from Nong Pladuk)

 To Kanchanaburi ‘F’ and ‘H’ Forces Hospital (49.6km from Nong Pladuk)

1943/12/14 - On transport back to Singapore

Thomas died  on the train returning him to Singapore

Died

Age 26

1943/12/17

Cause of Death Beri-Beri

Died on train, body handed to Japanese at Chumphon Railway Station, Thailand

1943/12/19 - Buried in unknown grave

1945/12/05 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1928. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1255 as reported Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya. Previously shown with unit as Reconnaissance Corps. Reported as ‘Died’.

Loved Ones

Son of  Mary Jane Brown

Husband of Mary Brown, of Bolton, Lancashire

Memorial

Column 96.

Photo supplied by Tony Buckley

Singapore Memorial

Information

Emma Hornby

Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre

Japanese Transports

Thailand - Burma Railway

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Tony Buckley supplied photo of Thomas on Singapore Memorial

KEW Files:- WO 392/23, WO 361/1946, WO 361/2234, WO 361/2201, WO 361/2176, WO 367/2, WO 361/2070, WO 345/07,

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