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10558723
Private
Edwin Claude Jones
1921/10/08 - Born Litchfield
Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Jones
Occupation Driver
1941/06/19 - Enlisted
Next of Kin - Parents, T and E Jones, 1 Church Street, Forest Hill, Oxfordshire
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
18th Division Workshops
Service
The 18th Division Workshop were part of the 18th Division who were transported to Liverpool and sailed from Great Britain on the 30th October 1941 with Convoy CT.5.
1941/11/08 - At Halifax the they were transferred to American Liners.
1941/11/10 - The 18th Division 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)
1942/11/25 - Arrived Trinidad
1941/11/26 - Departed Trinidad
1941/12/08 - Japan entered war by bombing Pearl Harbour, invading Hong Kong and Malaya
The Japanese landed on the Thailand-Malaya border at Singora and Patani in Thailand and Kota Bharu in Malaya. The Japanese took control of the airfield at Kota Bharu. The defending troops had little air cover and the battle hardened Japanese troops soon gained ground.
The 18th Division were now diverted from the Middle East, their new destination was Singapore.
The 18th Division arrived at Singapore in late January and early February 1942 the causeway, between Malaya and Singapore was blown on the 31st January to stop the Japanese advance.
On the night of the 7th February the Japanese landed troops on the North West coast of Singapore Island and soon gained ground, General Percival having set his main defence on the North East of Singapore Island, being bluffed into believing that was where the Japanese had concentrated their forces.
The Japanese soon gained ground pushing the defending troops back towards Singapore City.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
1942/03/27 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 782. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/09/30 - WO 417/66, Casualty List No. 1252. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 782 as Missing, 15/02/1942. Now reported a Prisoner of War.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. M-4055
Changi
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/10/31 - Transported overland to Thailand, ‘R’ Letter Party, train 7
25th train to Thailand
Commander Lt-Col, A.A. Johnson, 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
New PoW No. Iv 4027
Attached to Work Group 2, then later Work Group 4
Thailand Camps:-
1942, October - Chungkai - 60 Km from Nong Pladuk
1943/01/29 - Ban Khao - 88 Km from Nong Pladuk
1943/05/08 - Tha Khanun - 218 Km from Nong Pladuk
1943/10/25 Lines from Thailand to Burma joined near to Konkoita
Now working on Line Maintenance
New PoW No. 9497
1044/06/06 - Kinsiayok - 162 Km from Nong Pladuk
1945/02/28 - Phetchaburi Camp
1945/08/30 - Liberated Phetchaburi, Thailand
Liberation Questionnaire, written by Edwin after liberation
1945/09/15 - WO417/97_1, Casualty List No. 1859. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1252 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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Post War
In October 1947, Edwin married Esme Proudfoot in Oxfordshire
They were blessed with eight children
Claude died 1984 in Oxford
Information
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Convoy William Sail 12X
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Thailand Burma Railway
KEW Files:- WO 345/28, WO 361/2196, WO 392/24, WO 361/2181, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2167,
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