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10533288
Private - Craftsman
John Arthur Parsons
1918/10/10 - Fulham, London
Son of William and Ethel Parsons
Husband of Rosalind Irene Parsons, of Fulham, London
Born Fulham, London
Occupation Lift Engineer
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
1942 - Changed to:-
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
14 Section
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
1944/26/01 - WO417/71, Casualty List No. 1352. Previously posted Missing, Casualty List No. 788, 15/02/1942. Previously shown with Unit as Royal Army Ordnance Corps and Rank Private. Now reported ‘Prisoner of War in Japanese Hands’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. IV 5461
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1943/04/29 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘F’ Force, train 12
75th Train to Thailand
The route in cattle trucks to Thailand:-
1943/04/30 - Kuala Lumpur (0300 hrs), had rice and dried fish at Ipoh (1600 hrs)
1943/05/01 - Reached Pai (0200 hrs), arrived Haadyi (1700 hrs)
1943/05/02 - Water in cattle trucks very short, heat stifling in trucks all day..
1943/04/04 - reached Ban Pong
The PoWs were ordered off the Cattle trucks on arrival and after a walk of nearly a mile to a transit camp where they were then informed they would be marching North West along the railway route in 14 mile stages. Many of the PoWs tried to sell their possessions to the Thais but not at a good price as the Thais knew the the PoWs from ‘F’ Force were already in bad shape and could not carry their baggage for long.
1943/05/06 - After two days of walking through the night, as it was too hot in the daylight sun, they reached the small town of Kanchanaburi. Many who tried to carry their possessions left them at this staging camp.
Walking at night caused many problems as the track was uneven with bamboo shots cutting into their feet, in time tropical ulcers would form.
1943/05/16 - PoWs from train 11 party moved out at 1930 hrs.
1943/06/06 - Reached Songkurai, many of the PoWs had dropped out along the almost 300km route.
New PoW No. IV 8390
Kami Songkurai - 299.20km from Nong Pladuk
‘F’ Force had the most deaths on the Thailand Burma Railway
‘F’ Force Summery
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British
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Australian
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Total
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Departed April 1943
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3336
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3664
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7000
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Returned Dec. 1943 - Sime Road
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175
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165
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340
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Returned Dec. 1943 - Changi
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835
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2060
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2895
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Returned Apr. 1944 - Changi
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295
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411
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706
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1305
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2636
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3941
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Less Died at Changi
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17
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32
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49
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1288
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2604
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3892
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I.J.A. Custody (Including Changi Hosp.)
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11
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11
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Alive as at 30th Apr. 1944
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1299
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2604
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3903
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Died Thailand Burma Railway
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2013
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1014
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3027
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Died Changi
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17
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32
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49
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Missing
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7
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14
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21
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Total Casualties
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2037
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1060
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3097
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Casualty Percentage
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61.03%
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28.95%
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44.21%
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Died
Age 33
1943/11/01
Cause of death Pneumonia and Diarrhoea
Buried Kami Songkurai Cemetery, grave 356
After the war John was buried at Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery
1945/12/12 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1934. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1352 as reported Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya. Reported ‘Died’.
Loved Ones
Son of William and Ethel Parsons
Husband of R. I. Parsons, of Fulham, London
Memorial
B6. D. 1.
Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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‘THOUGH YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED HOME, YOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN OUR HEARTS. R.I.P.’
Information
Dan Parsons
Japanese Transports
Thailand-Burma Railway
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
KEW Files:- WO 345/40, WO 392/25, WO 361/1948, WO 361/2181, WO 361/2234, WO 367/3,
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