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10554411
Private
Arthur Barker
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1919/09/05 - Born Stoke-on-Trent
Son of Arthur and Edith
Occupation Blacksmith
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
18th Division
Service
1941/10/30 - Left Liverpool for Halifax in Convoy CT.5.
1941/11/08 - At Halifax transferred to American liners
1941/11/10 - Left Halifax with Convoy William Sail 12X, destination unknown, believed to be Middle East.
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Above Photo of Convoy William Sail 12X supplied by the late Maurice Rooney
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Front Line Top to Bottom:-
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
Back Row Top To Bottom:-
USAT Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman
(USS Orizaba Ap-24 also sailed with Convoy though not pictured in photo)
1941/12/08 - Japan entered war by bombing Pearl Harbour and invading Malaya
18th Division diverted from Middle East and sent to Singapore
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese
1942/03/21 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 777. Missing.
1943/11/17 - WO 417/68, Casualty List No 1293. Previously shown on Casualty List No 777 with Unit as Royal Army Ordnance Corps and Rank as Private. Now a Prisoner of War.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
Changi Camp
PoW No. 6539
Japanese Index Card - Side One
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Japanese Index Card - Side Two
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1942/10/31 - Transported overland to Thailand in Letter Party ‘R’
PoW No. 14777
1942/11/15 - Nong Pladuk Camp
Commander Major Gill
Postcards Home
1944/03/25 - Kaorin Camp
New PoW No. 2464
1945/09/05 - Liberated Thailand
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Kaorin Handkerchiefs
After an air drop of hankies they were signed by the PoWs
1945/09/27 - WO417/97_1, Casualty List No. 1869. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1293 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
Colin Tyndale
Kew:- WO 361/2172, WO 392/23, WO 361/1979, WO 361/1954, WO 361/2196, WO 361/2165, WO 361/2165, WO 361/2058, WO 361/2181, WO 361/2069, WO 345/3,
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