|
2582072
Signalman
William Moffat
Born 15th January 1920, Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation Fitter
Released from his duties as his Day job in the yards on the Clyde to join up
Royal Signals
William enlisted on 28/4/1939 from the TA
The first letter received from Willie to his best friend was from:-
18th Technical Maintenance Section
3rd Indian Corps Signals
Malaya dated 12 October 1941
He was captured 15/2/1942
Japanese POW
PoW No. 4300
Imprisoned in Changi 17/2/1942 to 5/11/1943, camp Leader General Percival
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
Between March and May 1942 officers moved to Blakang Mati Island.
British CO Major W. Smith (FMSVF)
CO Major Douglas Oakley 2/8 Battalion (Australian Forces)
Medical Officers; Captain J. Mitchell (FMSVF) and Captain Horace Tucker (Australian Forces)
William transferred Blakang Mati 5/11/1943 - 22/8/1945, camp Leader Major D Oakey A.I.F
New PoW No. 7742
Blakang Island had over 1000 PoWs, 250 of these were Australians. The barracks and hygiene were good but the men were doing heavy work handling bombs, petrel and oil for the Japanese air force.
The first letter on his release was written from
No.2 Camp
RAPWI
HQ SE AC
dated 7/9/1945
Next letter on board ' Nieuw Holland' dated 5/10/1945
Telegram stating - Arrived homesafely dated 16 oct 1945
78 Transit Camp
Liverpool Transit Centre
Deyes Lane
Liverpool
Loved Ones
William was the son of Andrew Bell Moffat and his wife Rebecca nee MacDonald
He had a sister Elizabeth
Dumbarton Road
Partick West
Glasgow
On release William never went back to the shipyards but became a partner with his father in his Coal Merchant business in Partick - Andrew Moffat & Son - the red and black coal lorries
A year or so after release he met my mother and married
My mother had two daughters - I am one and later after marriage they had another two daughters. William adopted the two daughters from the first marriage.
Our ages at 2004, were 63 (Avril), 61, 57 (Barbara now deceased) & 52
My father died in 1959 of a Rupture of anterior communicating aneurysm - said to be due to repeated hammering of bayonets on the back of head whilst a POW
This young family were only one of many who were derived of their father as they grew up.
We were aware my father had suffered severely although he never would talk on the matters - my only knowledge was gleened when a fellow army POW would call on us and after a few drinks some of the horrors would be talked about between them.
William Died
Age 39
21st February 1959
Information
Avril Anderson (Daughter)
KEW:- WO 361/1947, WO 345/36, WO 392/25, *WO 367/3, **WO 361/1585, WO 361/2062
* Prisoners of War 1715-1945 Roll could find more names at Blakang Mati, contains William
** 3rd Indian Corps of Signals; nominal roll, contains William
|
