To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

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Gunner

Thomas John Boyle

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1918/07/18 - Born Liverpool

Son of Thomas and Margaret Boyle

 

Next of Kin - Parents, Thomas & Margaret Boyle, 29A Eldon Street, Liverpool

Royal Artillery

12 Coast Regiment

 

Service

1940/12 - 12 Heavy Regiment was renamed 12 Coast Regiment and were transported to Hong Kong, There were three batteries 20, 24, 35 included in the regiment.

1941/02 - The 35 battery was renamed 965 Defence Battery

1941/12 - The 20 Coast Battery was converted to Hong Kong Singapore RA (HKS) due to lack of British coast artillery personnel.

 Re-designated 26 battery Hong Kong Singapore (HKS) RA.

Batteries then set up positions at:-

Hong Kong- 12 Coast

 

      1:-  Mount Davies - 24 Battery with 3 x 9.2 inch Guns

      2:- Stone Cutters - 26 Battery with 3 x 6 inch Guns and 2 x 60 pounder Guns

      3:- Jubilee - 26 Battery with 3 x 6 inch Guns

      4:- Belcher’s Upper - 965 Battery with 1 x 6 inch Gun

      4:- Belcher’s Lower - 965 Battery with 2 x 4.7 inch Guns

      5:- Repulse Bay - 965 Battery with 2 x 18 pounder Guns

      6:- Tytam Bay - 965 Battery with 2 x 18 pounder Guns

      7:- Stanley Bay - 965 Battery with 2 x 18 pounder Guns

      8:- Promontory Bay - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun

      9:- Island Bay - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun

      10:- Deepwater Bay - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun

      11:- Tai Ho Wan - 965 Battery with 1 x 2 pounder Gun

       

      1941/12/25 - Hong Kong surrended to the Japanese

 

Japanese PoW

1941/12/25 - Captured Hong Kong

PoW No. 1797

Japanese Index Card - Side One

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Japanese Index Card - Side Two

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Lisbon Maru-2

1942/09/27 - Sailed from Hong Kong in the Lisbon Maru with 1816 PoWs

On the third day at sea Diphtheria broke out.

1942/10/01 - A noise like air rushing out of a tyre woke the sleeping PoWs and they realised a torpedo had just missed the ship. A few minutes later there was a loud explosion and the ships engines stopped.

Lisbon Maru map2

The submarine, USS Grouper SS-214 had attacked and hit the Lisbon Maru.

At 7.30pm the Japanese destroyer ‘Kure’ and the Toyokuni Maru took off all the Japanese except a machine gun crew who had their gun trained on the Battened down hold.

Lisbon Maru - 1tn

1942/10/02 - Lisbon Maru sunk

Chinese fishing boats picked up survivors and landed them at Woosung, Nr. Shanghai. They were later transported to Japan.

Thomas died between 1st and 2nd October

Lisbon Maru - 6 miles from Tung Fusham Island, off the China coast, 29°57'N, 122°56'E.

 

Boyle-Thomas-John-06

 

Died

Age 23

Died Between 01 October 1942 and 02 October 1942

 

1943/02/24 - WO 417/57, Casualty List No. 1067. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 885 as Prisoner of War - Hong Kong, now reported Missing.

1944/10/31 - WO417/84, Casualty List No. 1591. Previously reported Missing whilst Prisoner of War Date not reported Casualty List No. 1067. Date of Casualty recorded as 01-02/10/1942 on original source. Presumed ‘Killed in action whilst Prisoner of War in Japanese hands’.

 

Loved Ones

Son of Thomas and Margaret Boyle, of Liverpool, England

 

Memorial

Column 3.

SAI WAN MEMORIAL

 

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war-medal-1939-1945-tn

1939-1945 Star-tn

Pacific Star

War Medal

1939-1945 Star

 

Information

Linda Baker

Tony Banham’s books:-

    ‘Not the Slightest Chance - The Defence of Hong Kong 1941’

    ‘Sinking of the Lisbon Maru’

    ‘We Shall Suffer There’

Battle For Hong Kong

Lisbon Maru

Lisbon Maru Roll - Hellships

Commonwealth War Grave Commission

KEW Files:- WO 361/1744/2, WO 345/6, WO 392/23, WO 361/1744, WO 361/1744/2,

*

''Our Thanks are for being a Chapter in Life.''

 

 

 

Keeping The Candle Burning

 

Fepow Family

In Memory of FEPOW Family Loved Ones
Designed and Maintained by Ron Taylor.

 

[FEPOW Family] [Roll of Honour] [B]

 

Honorary Life Member-1tn

Honorary member of COFEPOW

 

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