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3383816
Sergeant
Frederick Brown
Known as Fred
1913/03/19 - Born Oswaldthistle, Lancashire
Son of Walter Siddle and Bertha Brown
Occupation Labourer
1930/04/08 - Enlist Territorial Army East Lancashire
Moved to Derby and Joined Sherwood Foresters
Sherwood Foresters
1/5 Battalion
18th Division
Service
The 1/5th (Derbyshire) Battalion was a Territorial Army formation originally serving with the 148th Infantry Brigade, part of the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. In December 1939, the battalion was reassigned to the 25th Infantry Brigade and saw service with the BEF in France and Belgium in 1940 and being evacuated at Dunkirk. In late 1940, it was again reassigned to the 55th Infantry Brigade, 18th Infantry Division.
1941/10/30 - The 1/5 Sherwood Foresters left Britain in ‘Orcades’ with Convoy CT.5 from Liverpool to Halifax
Final Destination Unknown
1941/11/08 - Arrived Halifax
1941/11/10 - Transferred to USS West Point and departed Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X
Convoy William Sail 12X continued with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way, destination still unknown.
(Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney)
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Ships Front Line Top to Bottom
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo.
1941/11/17 - Arrived at Trinidad in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave, left Trinidad after two days of taking on supplies.
1941/11/24 - The equator was crossed, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. By this time the 1941/12/08 - Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that they were heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
1941/12/13 - The convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and into the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay.
1941/12/27 - After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached.
1942/01/18 - The convoy sailed with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. Destination was the far East. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Samatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Japanese Planes, there was no damage.
1942/01/29 - The convoy reached the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. The Japanese had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away from Singapore.
1942/02/15 - Singapore Surrendered
1942/04/04 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 789. Missing.
1943/07/29 - WO 417/64, Casualty List No 1199. Previously reported on Casualty List No 789 as Missing now reported Prisoner of War.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured, Siungapore
PoW No. M4562
Commander Lt-Col. Holmes
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1941/11/11 - Transported overland to Thailand
New PoW No. IV 737
Work Group IV 06 (L) Work Battalion
Commander Lt. Col. Douglas Rhys Thomas, 5th Beds & Herts Regiment
Camps:-
Wang Pho through Tha Sao to Tonchan then back to Tha Muang
1944/06/ - Transported back to Singapore
New PoW No. IV 3585
Changi Hospital
Commander Lt-Col. E.B. Holmes
Using this Sherwood Forester Badge as a template
Made at Changi Jail
1945/09/02 - Liberated
Repatriated
1945/09/26 - Depart Singapore in the Polish ship SS Sobieski
1945/10/08 - Front and back of postcard home
1945/10/23 - Arrive Liverpool
1945/11/09 - WO417/99, Casualty List No. 1906. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1199 as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.
Post War
He was home with his wife and 4 year daughter, who had never seen her dad.
After demob he settled down working on the railway then as a Glazier in a factory in Spondon Near Derby.
Fred was also a good plumber and made some lovely items in woodwork at home.
Died
1967/01/19
Information
Ian Brown
Glenda Godfrey
Carol Finch
Martyn Fryer
Japanese Transport
Andrew Snow - Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
Transport Home
Liberation Questionnaire - COFEPOW
KEW Files:- WO 345/7, WO 361/2169, WO 361/1987, WO 361/2176, WO 361/2229, WO 361/2172, WO 361/1979, WO 392/23, WO 361/1954,
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