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1817120
Gunner
Harold Charles Jeffreys
1903/11/01 - Born Cardiff
Son of Harold Charles and Elisabeth Jeffreys
1942/06/26 - Enlisted
Royal Artillery
3/6 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment
1st Line Reinforcements
Service
1941/11/04 - Sailed from the Clyde to Freetown on the Empress of Japan convoy WS12Z, signals section 6th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment. Supposed destination was the Middle East.
1941/11/28 - Convoy arrived Freetown with shore leave.
1941/12/08 - Japan entered war and attacked Malaya.
1941/12/18 - Convoy arrived Durban with shore leave. The 6th H.A.A. were now included into the 18th Division and ordered to Singapore.
1941/12/24 - Departed Durban for Singapore SS Narkunda convoy DM.1
1942/01/13 - Arrived Singapore and defended the south coast of Singapore a couple of miles in from Keppel Harbour. A mishap had occurred on route as their stocks of ammunition had already been sent ahead to the original destination in the Middle East. The gunners found their stocks very short. Integrating their borrowed guns with existing defences, they formed the eastern part of the outer ring surrounding Singapore City. Most were still in desert uniforms as there had not been time to issue jungle greens. Their sand coloured camouflage nets stood out in the green of their surroundings. No time was given to adjust as there was constant Japanese air attacks.
1942/01/21 - Their first casualties were sustained when two men were caught in a truck by Japanese air fire, Bombardier Oakley was killed and Gunner Anstree was seriously injured.
After the causeway between Singapore and Malaya was blown at the end of January. The Japanese were seen to arrive on the South West coast of Johor. The Japanese landed on the North west coast of Singapore and their aircraft had a free run of the air space, what planes were left in Singapore were withdrawn to Sumatra at P1 and P2 airfields.
Digging in both sides of the Keppel Road, their artillery weapons now indisposed, as the Japanese advanced closer the gunners became infantry in the trenches, but the end was in site.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered
1942/04/27 - WO 417/42, Casualty List No 807. Missing
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured
PoW No. VIII 348
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side 2
1942/04/04 - Transported oversea from Singapore to Saigon with British Group 3 (Roll 30). In Nissyo Maru with 1125 PoWs.
1942/04/09 - Arrived Saigon, French Indo-China
Commander Lt-Col. Francis Edgar Hugonin
New PoW Number VIII 9317
Rice was still their main diet but they had meat twice a week and eggs could be bought from the canteen.
1943/06/22 - Lt-Col. Hugonin left Saigon with PoWs for No.2 Jungle Camp Thailand but Harold stayed at Saigon.
1944/11/01 - On Thailand roll No. 8 Camp (Saigon)
1945/09/13 - Liberated Saigon
Dutch and British paratroopers dropped into the Saigon Camp and organised the PoWs.
They were flown via Bangkok (refuelling) and then onto Rangoon, then by ship home.
1945/11/09 - WO417/99, Casualty List No. 1906. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 950 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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Information
Aileen Thyer
Andrew Snow
‘6th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment’ Book by Patrick Walker
Japanese Transports
Liberation Questionnaire - COFEPOW
KEW:- WO 361/1987, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2196, WO 361/2168, WO 361/2186, WO 361/2068, WO 361/2172, WO 361/2027, WO 361/2061, WO 345/28, WO 392/24,
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