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178030
Captain
Jack Spalding
1899/06/05 - Born Kensington
Son of Harold and Katherine (nee Dixon) Spalding
Brother to Joan
Jack was educated at Forest Hill House School and Clifton College.
Receiving training at the Royal School of Mines as a scholarship student from 1920 to 1923, gaining a first-class A.R.S.M. and B.Sc. honours degree, and receiving the Brough Medal for mine surveying in 1922.
1929/05/16 - Married Frederica Margret Lyon in Bulawayo.
1930, March - They were blessed with daughter Joan, born in Rhodesia.
1933, August - They were blessed with son John, born in India.
1941/02/19 - Enlisted
Next of Kin:- Wife: c/o Army Headquarters, Delhi
Royal Artillery
1 (Indian) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Singapore Fortress
Service
At the age of 17 Mr. Spalding entered the Royal Marine Artillery, Woolwich, and passed out second.
WWI
Having fought in WW1, the photo is from that time.
He was commissioned in the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1918.
1918/09/20 - Noted as 2nd Lieutenant
Serving in 278 Siege Battery.
Resigning in May 1920, remaining in the reserve.
WWII
1941/04/04 - London Gazette
Jack was attached to 1 (Indian) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Singapore Fortress
1941/12/08 - Japan entered the war by attacking Pearl Harbour, Hong Kong and Malaya.
Japanese troops landed at Singora and Patani, Thailand plus Kota Bharu, Malaya.
The Japanese troops landing at Kota Bharu, soon took control of the airfield and the defending troops then had very little air cover.
The battle hardened Japanese quickly gained a foothold and pushed the defending troops back to Singapore Island.
On the 31st of January 1942, the Causeway joining Malaya to Singapore was blown in an attempt to halt the Japanese troops.
On the night of the 8th of February 1942, the Japanese landed on the North West side of Singapore Island. General Percival had made strong the North East coastline thinking that is where the Japanese would attack, but the Japanese bluff worked, as by the 15th February 1942, Singapore was forced into surrendering.
1942/05/19 - WO417/003, Casualty List No. 823. Reported ‘Missing’.
1942/12/30 - WO417/004, Casualty List No. 1019. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 823 as reported Missing, 15/02/1942 with rank as 2nd Lieutenant. Temparary Captain. Reported ‘Missing’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
Changi - Commander General Percival
PoW No. M-7068
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/11/05 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘M’ Letter Party, train 12
30th PoW Train to Thailand
New PoW No. I 24688
Work Group 1
Thailand Camps:-
1942/11/12 - Chungkai - 60Km from Nong Pladuk
1943, January - Wang Takhian - 81.10Km from Nong Pladuk
1943, February - Ban Khao - 87.93Km from Nong Pladuk
1943, May - Kanchanaburi - 52Km from Nong Pladuk
1943, June - Kannyu - 150Km from Nong Pladuk
1943, June - Chungkai 60Km from Nong Pladuk
Stanley Gimson writes that Jack made this Dentist Chair at Chungkai
1943/11/25 - Rail lines from Thailand and Burma Joined near Konkoita
1943, November - Nong Pladuk
1945, February - Kanchanaburi Officers Camp
1945 - Nakhon Nayok
New PoW No. I 1489
1945/09/04 - Liberated Nakhon Nayok, Thailand
Liberation Questionnaire written by Jack on being Liberated
1945/09/20 - WO417/9, Casualty List No.1863. Previously shown on Casualty List No.1019 as Prisoner of War Malaya. Rank Temporary Captain, ‘Now Not Prisoner of War’.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Far East Medals
Post War
On release he returned via Rangoon to India, collecting his son John Spalding, and they sailed back together on the ‘Pasteur’ arriving in Southampton.
In May 1946, he was appointed consulting engineer for Messrs. John Taylor and Sons. He also re-wrote the manuscript for the deep mining book.
In 1949 he assumed the position of mine consultant to the Tanganyika Government, and later his services were extended to the Government of Uganda.
He was now divorced and in October 1951, married Doris Millar in London but returned to Africa for work.
Jack was flown home from Dar-es-Salaam in October 1956, to undergo an operation, but did not respond to treatment.
Died
Aged 57
16th November 1956
Jack died in the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London.
Information
Richard Spalding - Grandson
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Thailand Burma Railway
KEW Files:- WO 392/26, WO 361/2196, WO 361/1979, WO361/1954,
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