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981363
Leading Aircraftman
Joseph George White
1919/08/20 - Born Chester
Son of Joseph and Emma (nee Gresty) White
Occupation Local Government Clerk
Enlisted at Padgate between September 1939 and February 1940.
Royal Airforce
Was appointed as a Class F Reservist
1942/02/15 - Singapore Surrendered but Joseph was on a escape boat to Sumatra.
Japanese PoW
1942/03/17 - Captured Padang, Sumatra
PoW No. VII 220
Japanese PoW Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/05/09 - The British Sumatra Battalion was formed with 20 officers and 480 other ranks. The service personnel were mostly escapees and considered to be trouble makers.
Leaving Padang, Sumatra by train they travelled to Fort de Kok. The next day a convoy of lorries took them to Uni Kampong Camp, where Dutch civilians were interned.
1942/05/15 - The british Sumatra Battalion were packed into the hell ship ‘England Maru’ bound for Mergui, Burma, to build new runways, the death rate at Mergui was twelve.
The 10th of August saw another move on the hell ship Tatu Maru to Ann Hestletine Home at Tavoy, where the death rate fell to five.
The next move to Thanbyuzayat in November was the start of a hard toil on the Thailand to Burma railway.
New PoW No. VII 3372
Joseph worked with the Dutch on the railway in Group 3
The Sumatra Battalion death rate being:
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Burma
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Thanbyuzayat
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14
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18 Kilometer Camp
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1
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30 Kilometer Camp
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6
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55 Kilometer Camp
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20
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60 Kilometer Camp
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16
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84 Kilometer Camp
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1
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105 Kilometer Camp
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1
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114 Kilometer Camp
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39
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Thailand
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Tamarkan
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8
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Kanchanburi
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26
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Nakan Paton
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1
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After the railway was finished, in March 1944, the British Sumatra Battalian were split up, 140 had died, 190 were at Kanchanburi Hospital and forty were still in camps along the railway line. The Japanese wanted parties for Japan and out of 2034 Dutch, Australian, American and British prisoners, seven parties (Kumis) were formed. Each kumis consisted of an officer, medical orderly and 150 other ranks. The British Sumatra Battalion formed the 51 Kumi Party bound for Saigon, French Indo China.
Joseph was at Kanchanaburi
New PoW No. VII 16878
1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand. Transferred in Bangkok to Allied ForcesLiberated Thailand
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Ed Boyd - Grandson
Tan DingXiang
Tim Lloyds
Glenda Godfrey
Mike Heather
Thailand - Burma Railway
British Sumatra Battalion
‘The British Sumatra Battalion’ by A.A. Apthorp
KEW Files:- WO 361/2172, WO 361/2171, WO 392/26, WO 345/55, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2196, WO 361/2168, WO 361/1987,
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