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2589375
Signalman
John William Purcell
Known as Jack
1918/04/04 - Born Roby, Liverpool
Son of Philip and Barbara Purcell
Occupation Pressman, C.W.A. Mills
Royal Corps of Signals
attd. 3rd Indian Signal Corp
C Despatch Rider Section
Service
1940/05/19 - Jack wrote home from Saltburn by the  Sea. Having been sent from Catterick to here. He was billeted in Riftswood Hall. The hall opened in 1937 as a Youth hostel. A grade 2 listed Victorian villa originally built in the late 19th century for Mr William Eden Walker, a local ironmaster born in Stockton.
Jack writes ‘We are stationed in a big mansion called Riftswood there are about 50 in its 35 rooms.
There is not much to do only to patrol up and down the sea front for about an hour. There is plenty of enjoyment on the prom and beach, we are allowed out until 12 at night and the weather is smashing, we are all sunburnt’.
1941/01/11 - Transported from Britain with William Sail 5B Convoy
(William Sail Convoys were knicknamed Winstons Special Convoys)
The convoy consisted of:-
4 ships from Bristol Channel
6 ships from Liverpool
11 ships from the Clyde
1941/01/11 - Rendezvous at Moelfre Bay, Anglesey
1941/01/12 - Departed Moelfre Bay as WS 5B Convoy
1941/02/10 - Cape Town
1941/02/12 - Departed Cape Town
1941/03/03 - Arrived Bombay
1941/03/11 - Arrived Singapore
1941/03/17 - Message Jack had arrived safely
1941/12/08 - The Japanese landed from ships on the Thailand Malaya border
Quickly establising a foothold in Malaya they pushed the Allied troops back to Singapore
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
1942/05/11 - WO 417/43, Casualty List No. 820. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/06/14 - WO 417/62, Casualty List No. 1160. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 820 as Missing, 15/02/1942. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
Changi
PoW No. M-5262
River Valley Camp
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
Transcribed by Terry Manttan, Manager of TBRC
The front of the card shows us that he was captured in Singapore and would have been held initially in Changi POW Camp. In the Number box we see the characters for Malai POW Camp Roll 3, which I believe would have been River Valley Road. The Malai characters have been crossed through and replaced by the one for Thailand POW Camp 1. This means he was transferred to Work Group 1 (Allied terminology), or Camp 1 (Japanese terminology) on the Thai-Burma Railway.
1942/11/08 - Transported overland to Thailand with Great World Party, train 1
32nd train to Thailand
Group 1
New PoW No. I 10192
Rail Laying
New PoW No. I 13202
1943/08/06 - Taken ill
Extract from
‘THAILAND SLEEPER AND RAIL LAYERS’
BURROWS, NORMAN WILLIAM, L/CPL 2589933
‘Then came the cholera. Johnny Purcell, another DR, was the cleanest man you could imagine, always kept himself smart, and his mess tin was always sparkling. We went to bed that night and we were now …………under canvas. Twelve of us in the tent, and by the morning Johnny Purcell was dead, and three others were in agony with the cholera. You can imagine how we felt - the Japs were in a real panic’.
1943/08/07 - Died of Cholera at Kinsaiyok Station
Buried Kinsaiyok Station Cemetery, grave No. 4
(After the war the bodies were moved to Commonwealth War Cemeteries)
1945/10/11 - WO417/98, Casualty List No. 1881. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1160 as reported Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya. Reported ‘Died’.
Died
Age 25
1943/08/07
Cause of Death Cholera
Place of Death Kinsaiyok Station
Cremated
Loved Ones
Son of Philip and Barbara Purcell, of Roby, Lancashire
Memorial
8. H. 48.
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Thailand
REMEMBRANCE, GOD'S GREATEST GIFT. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
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Defence Medal
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Hilary Purcell
In 2008 I had a holiday in Thailand meeting up with my daughter living in Australia. Having done only a minimal amount of research I realised we should take the opportunity to fly up to Bangkok for a few days and go up to the cemetery in Kanchanaburi. With information from the CWGC as to his grave location, we made a day visit. I was very moved at the peacefulness, tranquillity and how beautiful it was kept.
Information
Hilary Purcell - Researching My Uncle John Purcell
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Tim Lloyds
Alan Hilton
Tan DingXiang
Japanese Transports
Thailand - Burma Railway
Commonwealth War Graves Commision
KEW Files:- WO 361/2172, WO 361/1526, WO 361/2053, WO 392/25, WO 345/42, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2190, WO 361/1585, WO 361/2165, WO 361/2165, WO 361/1623, WO 361/1585, WO 361/2063, WO 361/2190,
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