Hardy-Arthur-Francis

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

918165

Bombardier

Arthur Francis Hardy

Known as Frank

1920/06/07 - Born Sunderland, County Durham

Son of Thomas and Rose Hardy

Brother to Joseph John, James Bernard, Mary Eugenie, Thomas Gerard, Rose, Gerald Augustine

Occupation Storeman

1939/05/08 - Enlisted

Royal Artillery

125 Anti-Tank Regiment

Service

The 125 Field Regiment were formed on the outlook of war in 1939 and part of the 23rd Division.

After Dunkirk the regiment was deployed to join the 50th Division with training in Norfolk and had their name changed to 125 Anti-Tank Regiment. This changed their role and then trained on 2 pounder, 18 pounders and 4.5 Howitzer.

Tropical clothing was issued in 1940, it was believed for a oversea posting to the Middle East. The regiment moving in winter to Scotland.

Gourock was their next transport in March 1941, were the embarked on the liner RMS Strathaird. After 10 days on board they returned as the ship needed repairs. The regiment settled down training again and as the blitz was now on, the regiment were put on fire spotting in Glasgow, later moving to Liverpool and again fire spotting.

After Liverpool training commenced with new equipment after a move to Cheshire.

The next move was to Trawsfyndd, Wales where their training in Britain concluded and an oversea posting was again received, being now part of the 18th Division.

The regiment embarked in the S.S. Oronsay at Avonmouth and sailed at midday on 28th October 1941. Sailing with Convoy CT.5 from Liverpool on the 31st October, with 3124 troops on board, heading north west to Halifax.

1941/11/08 Arrived Halifax with no leave, they ere transferred to American liners.

1941/11/10 - Left Halifax with Convoy William Sail 12X, destination unknown, believed to be Middle East.

Above Photo of Convoy William Sail 12X 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)

They sailed down the east coast of America onto the Bahamas and through the Caribbean Sea to Trinidad. No shore leave as the ships were re-fuelled and then onto Capetown.

1941/11/23 - Crossed the equator with father Neptune ceremony receiving a memento card ‘Order of the ‘Shellbacks’.

An armed raider temporally held up the convoy and the heat was getting to the troop, many sleeping on deck.

After the delay with no action from the enemy raider they sailed south and the weather changed cooler with rough seas.

1941/12/09 - The Japanese had entered the war by attacking Pearl Harbour and Malaya, a day before the convoy reached Cap Town, South Africa. Four days shore leave was then taken near Table Mountain.

1941/12/13 - the convoy departed Cape Town and a British escort took over from the Americans. Near Mombassa some of the ships left the convoy. The destination was now found to be Singapore and not the Middle East. The ships left in the convoy were now sailing to Bombay, India.

1941/12/25 - Christmas dinner was turkey with all the trimmings as they sailed through the Indian Ocean in tropical conditions.

1941/12/27 - Arrived Bombay where four days shore leave was granted.

1942/01/01 - The troops entrained to East Ridge, Ahmednagar where training took place.

23rd January 1942 - Entrained back to Bombay, boarding the Empress of Asia. They sailed from Bombay in BM12 (Bombay Malaya 12) destination Singapore

*Troop Carriers*
*Empress of Asia*	**2235 troops and stores (18th Div. ammunition & supplies)**
*Felix Roussal*	**157 troops and stores (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers)**
*Plancius*	*987 troops and stores*
*Devonshire*	*1673 troops and stores*
*City of Canterbury*	*1053 troops*

26th-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

Empress of Asia

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 off Singapore Island. Salvage attempts failed to rescue any of the military equipment or supplies.

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese

1942/04/03 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 788. Reported ‘Missing’.

1943/09/07 - WO 417/65, Casualty List No. 1232. Previously posted Missing, Casualty List No. 788, 15/02/1942. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

Changi, Singapore

Camp Leader Maj Gen Beckwith Smith

PoW No. M-2932

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1942/10/29 - Transported overland to Thailand with Letter Party ‘T’, train 5

Commander Lt-Col. J. Dean, 125 Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

This was the 23rd train to Thailand,

New PoW No. II 6697

1942/11/04 - Wan Lan, 68.59 km from Nong Pladuk

Camp Leader Lt-Col. Swinton, East Surrey Regiment

1943/01/14 - Chungkai, 60 km from Nong Pladuk

Camp Leader Lt-Col.Williamson

1943/10/25 - Thailand and Burma rail tracks joined near Konkoita, Thailand

1944/09/08 - 201 km Camp

Camp Leader Lt-Col. Mapey, Cambridgeshire Regiment

New PoW No. II 8010

1945/01/10 - Nakhon Pathom Hospital

Camp Leader Lt-Col Coates, Australian Army Medical Corps

1945/08/02 - Bangkok Go Downs

1945/09/01 - Liberated Thailand

Flown from Bangkok to Rangoon to be shipped home.

Liberation Questionnaire filled in by Frank after being liberated

1945/09/20 - WO417/97_1, Casualty List No. 1863. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1232 as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.

Pacific Star

War Medal

1939-1945 Star

Far East Medals

Post War

Frank never married, giving his time in his teaching career to honour those in the Far East.

Frank met a priest in the POW camps, Fr Malcolm Leon Cowin (1906-1984), who was the Army Chaplain with the 196th Field Ambulance. After the war, the two met up again. Fr Cowin had vowed that if he survived captivity that he would build a memorial to the FEPOWs and he was now planning to fulfil that promise. Fr Cowin had been sent to the tiny parish of Wymondham in Norfolk and this is where he planned to build the memorial church. As well as the church, he wanted to produce memorial books listing all FEPOWs from all countries. This is the bit Frank took on, contacting families, groups and military organisations worldwide in order to obtain the names. This in itself would have been a massive undertaking in the days before email and the internet. Even getting them into alphabetical order without spreadsheets would be a very time-consuming job. All this before he picked up his pen to start writing.

The church at Wymondham was built in 1952 and has the book of remembrance.