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4978257
Private
Frederick Stevenson
1918/07/27 - Born Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Son of Charles and Mary Jane Stevenson
Worked at Bonds Main Brickyard
1939/09/15 - Enlisted
Sherwood Foresters
1/5 Battalion
Service
The 1/5th (Derbyshire) Battalion was a Territorial Army formation originally serving with the 148th Infantry Brigade, part of the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. In December 1939, the battalion was reassigned to the 25th Infantry Brigade and saw service with the BEF in France and Belgium in 1940 and being evacuated at Dunkirk. In late 1940, it was again reassigned to the 55th Infantry Brigade, 18th Infantry Division.
1941/10/30 - The 1/5 Sherwood Foresters left Britain in ‘Orcades’ with
Convoy CT.5 from Liverpool to Halifax
Final Destination Unknown
1941/11/08 - Arrived Halifax
1941/11/10 - Transferred to USS West Point and departed Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X
Convoy William Sail 12X continued with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way, destination still unknown.
(Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney)
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Ships Front Line Top to Bottom
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo.
1941/11/17 - Arrived at Trinidad in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave, left Trinidad after two days of taking on supplies.
1941/11/24 - The equator was crossed, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. By this time the 1941/12/08 - Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that they were heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
1941/12/13 - The convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and into the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay.
1941/12/27 - After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached.
1942/01/18 - The convoy sailed with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. Destination was the far East. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Samatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Japanese Planes, there was no damage.
1942/01/29 - The convoy reached the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. The Japanese had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away from Singapore.
1942/02/15 - Singapore Surrendered
1943/09/02 - WO 417/65, Casualty List No. 1228. Previously reported Missing on Casualty List No. 795, 15/02/1942 now reported Prisoner of War.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
M-4708
Japanese Index card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/11/01 - Transported overland to Thailand in Letter Party ‘Q’
24th Train from Singapore to Thailand
(Sherwood Foresters 10 Officers, 212 O.R.s)
Total PoWs o train 649
Commander Lt-Col. D.R. Thomas, 5th Batallion, Beds & Herts Regiment
New PoW No. IV 572
Camps in Thailand
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Date
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Camp
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Commander
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1943/08/08
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Tarsoa, Thailand
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Lt-Col. Knights
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1943/09/
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Chungkai, Thailand
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Lt-Col. Otram
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1944/03/
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Tamuang, Thaland
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Lt-Col. Knights
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1945/01/
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Nakom Pathon, Thailand
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Lt-Col. Sainter
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1945/07/
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Death Valley - Mergui Road
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Major Drew
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New PoW No. 15232
The Mergui Road was constructed between Mergui in Burma and Prachuap Khiri Khan in Thailand, it was a supply route or escape road if the Thailand - Burma Railway was put out of action. The loss of life was very high as most of the PoWs were sick as they were taken from Nakom Pathon Hospital.
1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand
1945/10/06 - WO417/97-2, Casualty List No. 1877. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1228 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Beverley Bagshaw
KEW Files:- WO 361/2172, WO 392/26, WO 345/49, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2196, WO 361/1987, WO 361/2169, WO 361/2064, WO 361/2069, WO 361/2178,
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