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4857321
Private
John Easom Massey
1915/10/27 - Born Markfield, Leicestershire
Son of Alexander and Muriel Grace Massey
Leicestershire Regiment
1st Battalion
Service
Upon the outbreak of the Second World War the 1st Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment was still in India. In 1941 it was deployed to Penang, and then to Jitra, in order to protect the rubber supplies in Malaya.
The Japanese launched their attack on the 8th December at Patani and Singora in Thailand, at the same time a landing at Kota Bhara in Malay. The defence plan ‘Matador’ was not applied by Percival and therefore withdrawals by the Allied forces took place.
On 11th December the 1st Battalion Leicestershires fought a major battle at Jitra, holding its positions until ordered to withdraw. At this point however it became separated into isolated groups, only some of which succeeded in escaping. The survivors were combined with the survivors of the East Surrey Regiment under 'British Battalion' on 20th December 1941, under the command of Lieut. Col. C.E. Morrison, D.S.O., M.C., of The Royal Leicestershire Regiment.
Then the long retreat to Singapore.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
Japanese PoW
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side two
1942/10/25 - Transported overland to Thailand in ‘X’ Party
17th Train from Singapore with 650 PoWs in Workgroup 2
Commander Lt-Col. C.E. Morrison, 1st Leicestershires
1942/11/01 - Arrived Ban Pong, Thailand
PoW No. II 2886
Camps? (require Liberation Questionnaire)
New PoW No. II 10923
1942/09/01 - Liberated Thailand
Information
Jan Sketchley
1st Leicestershires
British Battalion
KEW:- WO 392/25, WO 361/2167, WO 361/2167, WO 361/2172, WO 392/25, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2196, WO 345/35, WO 361/2062,
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