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T/271781
Driver
Eric Wilson John Hobbs
1920/03/30 - Born Cosham, Hampshire
Son of John and Lillian Rose (nee Peckham) Hobbs
1941/06/12 - Enlisted
Next of Kin - Father John Hobbs, Cosham, Hampshire
Royal Army Service Corps
18th Division
Service
1941/10/30 - Left Liverpool for Halifax in Convoy CT.5.
1941/11/08 - At Halifax 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)
1941/12/08 - Japan entered war by bombing Pearl Harbour, invading Malaya and Hong Kong
The Japanese landed at Singora and Patani in Thailand and Kota Bharu in Malaya. They quickly took control of the Kota Bharu Airfield, which took away air cover for the defending troops.
18th Division diverted from Middle East and sent to Singapore
By the time the 18th Division troops reach Singapore, the battle hardened Japanese troops had taken most of Malaya, which then forced the defending troops back to Singapore.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese
1942/04/01 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 786. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/08/24 - WO 417/65, Casualty List No. 1220. Previously posted Missing. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
Changi Camp
PoW No. M-6337
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1943/11/03 - Transported overland to Thailand with Letter Party ‘O’, train 10
Work Group 4. 07(M) Bn under Lt Col McOstrich, RCOS
New PoW No. IV 1703
Working in the Tha Sao area (Wang Pho North to Tonchan)
1943/10/25 - The Thailand Burma rail tracks were joined at Konkoita, Thailand
Then to Tha Muang in 1944.
New PoW No. IV 8630
Many Postcards sent home from Thailand
1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand
Flown from Bangkok to Rangoon to be shipped home.
Liberation Questionnaire filled in by Eric after he was liberated
1945/10/22 - WO417/98, Casualty List No. 1890. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1220 as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Far East Medals
Post War
1946 - Eric married Dorothy L. L. Dipnall in Gosport, Hampshire
Dorothy was a widower, her first husband John Dipnall was also a FEPOW and died in the camps.
Eric and Dorothy were blessed with two children Brian Eric (Cassandra’s father) and Sue.
Eric once told Granddaughter Cassandra, he really hated elephants. asking why and he replied, they had elephants supporting the jungle clearance work, dragging the big cut down trees out of the path of the railway. Unfortunately when dusk came the elephants wouldn't do any work so moving the cut down trees was left to the PoW's!
Eric died 1995 in Portsmouth, Hampshire
A Parting Gift
Cassandra has his Letter’s and Army Wallet which are full of his PoW Memories
His Candle Will Never Go Out
Information
Cassandra Coleman - Granddaughter
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Convoy William Sail 12X
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Thailand Burma Railway
KEW Files:- WO 392/24, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2169, WO 361/2196, WO 361/1987, WO 361/2069, WO 345/25,
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