To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

Northumberland Fusiliers-tn

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Fusilier

George Alexander Hull

jcross

1921/01/24 - Born Belford, Northumberland

Son of Alexander and Isabella Hull

Occupation Farm Labourer

1939/01/09 - Enlisted

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

9th Battalion

 

Service

9th Battalion-tn

The 9th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers were formed in 1939 as an offshoot of the 7th Battalion. In August of that year they were amalgamated into the 18th Division and transported to Norfolk, defending the coast between Wells-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth.

 In January 1941 they moved to the Scottish Boarders for training with their HQ at Bowhill House.

Warwick Castle-2

1941/10/30 - Equipped for Middle East the 9th Royal Northumberland Fusiliers left Liverpool in the Warwick Castle, Convoy CT.5.

Orizaba-1

1941/11/08 - Arrived Halifax and after much debate amongst the troop at Halifax the 9th Battalion eventually boarded the USS. Orizaba, which was not a luxurious ship.

 

 

1941/11/10 - The 18th Division left Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X and was escorted by the US Navy.

Convoy William Sail 12x

Convoy Willam Sail 12X

(USS Ranger was flying on antisubmarine patrol for the convoy)

The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo, arriving at Trinidad on 17th November in glorious sunshine so our tropical kit came out, but unfortunately no shore-leave, the convoy left after two days of taking on supplies. On 24th the equator was crossed and there was a crossing the line ceremony.

1941/12/02 - USS Orizaba was refuelled at sea

After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. By this time the Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that they were heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.

1941/12/13 - The convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and arrived Mombassa where the troops disembarked and trained with route marches.

USS West Point-1

From Mombassa they changed ships to the West Point across the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay.

1941/12/27 - After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached and the troops disembarked for further training.

Felix Rousell-tn

1942/01/17 - Embarked  Felix Rousell and the convoy sailed the next day with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. Japan had entered the war by attacking Malaya on 8th December 1941, destination was the far East. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse had both been sunk by the Japanese off Malaya. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Samatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Jap Planes, there was no damage

1942/01/29 - The Convoy reached the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore on the 29th January 1942. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. The Japanese had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away from Singapore.

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese

 

1942/04/15 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 798. Reported Missing

 

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Bukit Timah Road, Singapore

PoW No. I 27049

Japanese Index Card - Side One

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Japanese Index Card - Side Two

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1942/11/07 - Transported overland to Thailand

Great World Party Train One with 630 PoWs

32nd train to Thailand

New PoW No. 11804

1943/04/23 - Wang Pho - 111 km from Nong Pladuk

1943/06/29 - Tha Makham - 38.60 km from Nong Pladuk

Commander Lt-Col. Toosey

1943/09/24 - Nong Pladuk

Commander Lt-Col. Flowers

1944/06/ - Transported back to Singapore

River Valley Camp

1945/02/02 - Transported oversea to French Indo-China in Haruyasa Maru

Commander Major William Edwin Gill

New PoW No. 42446

Saigon, Thailand Camp 10, French Indo-China (Vietnam)

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.

Saigon Camp 10-tn

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

1945/09/12 - Liberated Saigon Camp when English and Dutch paratroopers entered the camp

 

Repatriation

Flown via Bangkok to Rangoon and recuperation hospital

 

1945/10/09 - WO417/98, Casualty List No. 1879. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1150 as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.

 

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1939-1945 Star-tn

Pacific Star

War Medal

1939-1945 Star

 

Information

Jenna Flockhart - Great Grandchild

Mike Heather

Tan DingXiang

Japanese Transports

Thailand Burma Railway

Liberation Questionnaire - COFEPOW

KEW Files:- WO 392/24, WO 345/27, WO 361/2005, WO 361/2027, WO 361/2165, WO 361/2165, WO 361/2177,

*

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