Briggs-William

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

1064001

Aircraftman 1st Class

William Briggs

1920/05/01 - Born Durham

Son of John William and Elizabeth Briggs

Occupation Motor Mechanic

1940/08/15 - Enlisted at Padgate

Royal Air Force

41 Air Stores Park

Service

1940/08/14 - Enlisted as Mechanical Transport

Stationed at RAF Weeton

1941/01/03 - Stationed at Morecambe

1941/04/04 - Obtained R.A.F. 8 Service Technical Training

William completed a course and is given ‘Home Holding’ as he had an overseas posting but the transport was not available so home on leave.

1941/07/22 - Stationed at Leeming, North Yorkshire

1941/11/29 - Oversea Service Posting

1941/12/06 - Far East

1942/03/08 - Java surrendered to the Japanese

Japanese PoW

1942/03/08 - Captured Java

PoW No. 10238

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card Side Two

1942/10/21 - When the draft for transportation was assembled, there were many stretcher cases and many of the PoWs collapsed on the march to the docks. At the Tandjong Priok Docks the Tanjong Priok P.O.W. Camp draft of 1000 ( 90 Officers and 910 O.R.s approx ) was joined by a draft of 300 R.A.F., under command of Wing Commander Frowe, and 500 R.A. personnel under command of Lt. Col. Saunders R.A.

At 1600 hours the daft of 1800 PoWs embarked onto the Yoshiba Maru and were crammed into the holds. They including men from the 12th and 15th Batteries

1942/10/22 - The Yoshida Maru sailed from Batavia with the 1800 PoWs to Singapore in very bad conditions as the tarpaulins leaked and the water entered the holds.

1942/10/25 - Yoshida Maru arrived at the Roads of Singapore.

1942/10/26 - Reached Keppel Harbour, Singapore. 32 sick PoWs were taken to Changi-Hospital. The remaining PoWs were herded onto the quay, disinfected and tested for dysentery and cholera (rod test). Then herded back aboard the Yoshida Maru

1942/10/28 - Wing Commander Frowe was instructed to draft 200 of his men to join Lt. Col. Saunders' party of 500 and transfer to another ship. Fourteen of the more seriously sick from Tanjong Priok Camp were then transferred to Singapore Hospital.

1942/10/27 - The Singapore Maru (1100 PoWs) and the Dainichi Maru (1200 PoWs) set sail to Japan. Some of Java Party 5a, 5b and 5c who had sailed earlier from Java and taken to Changi, joined the PoWs in this Japan daft.

1942/11/25 - Arrived Moji, Japan

Many of the PoWs were then hospitalised at Moji

1942/11/30 - Hakadate 2D - Ohasi, Japan

New PoW No. III 3667

1943/10/17 - Fukuoka 3B - Yawata, Japan

Work at Yahata Steel Mills

Hyama was the foreman of the steel works and was responsible for beating the prisoners until they collapsed. He also made them kneel for several hours and hold iron bars over their heads. Men incapable of working were still made do very heavy work. Later on, many of those men died in hospital.

The Camp Commander was Maj. Rikitake for the last twelve months and was held responsible for the deaths of approximately 150 mainly dying from pneumonia. Other deaths were caused by malnutrition and starvation.

1944/08/20 - The camp was bombed, no loss of life.

1945/08/08 - Camp bombed again an American was killed and another lost his arm.

*Nationality at Camp*	*Numbers*
*British*	*193*
*American*	*616*
*Dutch*	*211*
*Australian*	3
*Indonesian*	*132*
*Chinese*	22
*Port*	9
*West Indian*	4
*Malay*	2
*Arab*	2
*South African*	1
*Total*	*1195*