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988594
Lance Bombardier
John Joseph Frederick Whittall
Known as ‘Jack’
1915/04/19 - Born Battersea, London
Son of John and Eva Whittall
Occupation Clerk
1940/11/17 - John married Emily (Molly)
Royal Artillery
5 Field Regiment
11th Indian Division
Service
John is second from left
John
1942/03/24 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 779. Rank Lance Bombardier. Missing.
1942/09/17 - WO 417/50, Casualty List No. 931. Correction to entry on Casualty List No. 779. Rank should read U/Lance Bombardier. Missing.
1943/06/28 - WO 417/63, Casualty List No. 1172. Previously reported Missing on Casualty List No. 779 (Corrected by 931), 15/02/1942 now reported Prisoner of War. (Previously shown with Rank as Unpaid Acting Lance Bombardier). Now a Prisoner of War.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
Changi Camp
PoW No. M6539
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1943/03/22 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘D’ Force
56th train fro Singapore to Thailand
Commander Lt-Col. G.G. Carpenter, 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment
1943/04/01 - Arrived Thailand
New PoW No. IV 10247
Work Party 4
Transported back to Singapore
1944/09/04 - Transported oversea in Kachidoki Maru
On 4th September 1944, convoy HI-72 sailed from Singapore. Two of these ships, Rakuyo Maru and the Kachidoki Maru carried PoWs. The Rakuyo Maru carried 1317 Pows (British and Australian) and the Kachidoki Maru a further 900 (all British).
On the 12th of September the convoy was attacked by US submarines and both these ships were hit. The Kachidoki Maru was torpedoed by the US submarine Pampanito at 22:40 hours.
All of those who survived the sinking of the Kachidoki Maru jumped off the ship within the first ten minutes of the Kackidoki Maru being hit.
The Japanese rescued some of the POWs from these two ships and they continued their journey to Japan on the Kibitsu Maru.
1944/09/20 - Tokyo 22B, - Sakata - Yamagata, Japan
New PoW No. 6047
Worked at the train yards and docks, loading and unloading all forms of materials, including military equipment and ammunition.
1945/04/14 - Renamed Sendai 9B Sakata - Yamagata
New PoW No. 3077
Roll at Sendai 9B Liberation
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Americans
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15
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British
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248
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Dutch
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5
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Australians
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26
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Total Pows
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294
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1945/09/14 - Liberated
Repatriated
1845/10/11 - Transported home on the HMS Implacable from Manilla to Canada
1945/10/26 - WO417/98, Casualty List No. 1894. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1172 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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Post War
John and Molly had two daughters - Jill and Mary
Four grandchildren - Claire, Helen, John, Paul
John worked as an office administrator at H&L Barnes in Wandsworth before the war and his job was kept open until the firm closed when he was 59.
John then worked for Hire Service Shops until ill health got the better of him.
Loved Ones
Mary King, daughter Claire and two great grandsons, Ben and Sam.
Died
Aged 65
1980
Just after John’s death this medallion was received by Molly
Information
Mary King - Daughter
Japanese Transports
Thailand - Burma Railway
Hell Ships
Roger Mansell - Sendai 9B
KEW Files:- WO 345/55, WO 367/3, WO 361/2005, WO 361/2070, WO 361/2065, WO 361/2188, WO 361/1983, WO 361/1742, WO 361/734, WO 361/2169, WO 361/1970,
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