Usher-Herbert-William

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

1759182

Gunner

Herbert William Usher

1906/07/13 - Born London

Son of Albert John and Rose Usher

Royal Artillery

89/35 L.A.A. Regiment

Service

1941/11/13 - Embarked from Greenock on Empress of Japan.

1941/11/24 - Arrived Freetown, Sierra Leone, no shore leave

1941/11/26 - Departed Sierra Leone salinf around the Cape of Good Hope

1941/12/08 - Japan entered the war

1941/12/18 - Arrived Durban with shore leave.

On returning to ship, they were transferred to Narkunda.

1943/12/24 - Departed Durban

1942/01/13 - Arrived Singapore

Two troops of the 89 Battery ‘A’ and ‘C’ were sent to Malaya. ‘B’ troop remained in Singapore and along with the 78 Battery defended the Naval Base and Kallang airfield.

At the end of January the ’B’ Troop of the 89 Battery and the 78 battery were attached to 6 H.A.A. Regiment and sent to Sumatra to defend two airfields and the oil installations.

‘A’ and ‘C’ Troops of 89 Battery left Malaya and got back to Singapore. They then left Singapore with the intention of rejoining the Battery. Unfortunately their ship was sunk in the Banka Straight and they lost their guns and ammunition.

The service personnel of the 89 Battery then became Japanese PoWs.

1943/02/01 - WO 417/59, Casualty Lists - Other Ranks 1098 - 1119. Missing

1943/09/02 - WO 417/65, Casualty List No. 1228. Previously reported Missing on Casualty List No. 1103, 01/02/1943 now reported Prisoner of War.

Japanese PoW

1942/03/08 - Captured Java

PoW No. 2678

Japanese PoW Card - Side One

Japanese PoW Card - Side Two

1943/09/11 - Transported in Harugiku Maru with Java Party 16

1943/09/14 - Arrived Changi, Singapore

1945/09/20 - Departed Singapore for Fukuoka, Japan in the convoy with Seishin Maru (1500 Pows) and Ussuri Maru (500 PoWs) both carrying Java Party 16 PoWs

1943/09/29 - Arrived Manila, Philippines

1943/10/08 - Arrived Takao, Taiwan

1943/10/12 Arrived at Moji, Japan

1943/10/13 - Arrive Fukuoka 19B , 251 British prisoners arrived from Singapore in the Ussuri Maru

(Affidavit from Roy Broadway Watson:- 250 PoWs arrived from Ussura Maru)

New PoW No. 30213

Worked at coal mine, owned by Yamano Coal Mining Company

Three shifts which changed per man every 14 days:-

6am to 2pm

2pm to 10pm

10pm to 6am

Three meals per day, one before work, second taken to work, third on return from work. Meals were taken together in communal hall.

Total of 500 PoWs in the camp who shared 22 wooden huts, sleeping on rice straw mats, with four blankets each.

Conditions in the mine were bad with Japanese guards using anything on hand to beat PoWs. Civilians at the camp were worse than the guards for beatings.

1944/04/19 - Renamed Fukuoka 11D

1945/08 - Renamed Fukuoka 8B

1943/09/21 - Liberated Fukuoka 8B - Inatsuki

Repatriated

Transported from Fukuoka via Nagasaki to Manila

1945/10/10 - He embarked on the SS Perida from Manila, Philippines, embankment No. 898.

The ship was due to dock at San Francisco but it was changed to dock at Victoria

1945/11/01 - Arrived Victoria

1945/12/17 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1938. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1228 as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Netherlands East Indies.