3859202
Trooper
Thomas Brown
1917/10/17 - Born Bolton, Lancashire
Son of Mary Jane Brown of Bolton
Occupation Labourer
1941 - Married Mary Hornby at Bolton, Lancashire
Next of kin: Wife, Mrs Mary Brown, 25 Hardy Street, Bolton, Lancashire
Reconnaissance Corps
18th (5th Battalion The Loyal Regt.) Regiment
18th Division
Service
1941/10/30 - The main body of the 18th Division left Liverpool for Halifax in Convoy CT.5. After being transferred to American liners at Halifax, they departed 10th November 1941 in Convoy William Sail 12X, their destination was believed to be for the Middle East.
The 18th Division military equipment and supplies were just finished being loaded into the Empress of Asia in Liverpool.
1941/11/12 - The Empress of Asia sailed from Liverpool.
1941/11/13 - Convoy William Sail 12Z was formed off Oversay and included the ships with formation to sail to Freetown:-
11L
ADRASTUS
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21L
MATAROA
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31C
NARKUNDA
(Commodore
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41L
ORDUNA
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51C
DEUCALION
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12L
EMPIRE STAR
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22L
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
(Vice Commodore)
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32C
AORANGI
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42L
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
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52C
ABBEKERK
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32C
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
(same position number)
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13L
SUSSEX
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23L
EMPRESS OF ASIA
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43L
CAPETOWN CASTLE
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53C
RIMUTAKA
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34C
ARUNDEL CASTLE
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13th-16th November 1941 - Escort was provided by the destroyers Badsworth, Exmoor, Vanquisher, Whitehall and Witch
13th-17th November 1941- Destroyer Maori joined convoy
16th-19th November 1941 - Destroyers Foresight, Forester and Fury joined the convoy
21st November 1941 - Approaching Freetown, the destroyers Velox and Vimy joined convoy
22nd November 1941 - the corvette Clover joined convoy
25th November 1941 - the convoy arrived Freetown
28th November 1941 - Convoy sailed from Freetown to Durban
11
SUSSEX
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21
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
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31
NARKUNDA
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41
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
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51
DEUCALION
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12
ADRASTUS
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22
EMPRESS OF ASIA
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32
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
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42
CAPETOWN CASTLE
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52
RIMUTAKA
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13
EMPIRE STAR
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23
MATAROA
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33
ARUNDEL CASTLE
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43
ORDUNA
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53
ABBEKERK
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34
AORANGI
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28th Nov.-14th Dec. 1941 - The escort consisted of the destroyers Dulverton and Southwold
28th Nov.-15th Dec. 1941 - sloop Milford and corvettes Hollyhock and Verbena joined convoy
15th-18th December 1941 - corvettes Aster and Marguerite joined convoy
28th Nov.-18th Dec. - the battleship Royal Sovereign for full voyage to Durban
18th December 1941 - Convoy arrived Durban
24th December departed Durban in Convoy William Sail 12ZB to Bombay
6th January 1942 Arrived Bombay
23rd January 1942 - Sailed from Bombay in BM12 (Bombay Malaya 12) destination Singapore
Troop Carriers
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Empress of Asia
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2235 troops and stores (18th Div. ammunition & supplies)
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Felix Roussal
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157 troops and stores (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers)
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Plancius
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987 troops and stores
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Devonshire
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1673 troops and stores
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City of Canterbury
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1053 troops
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16th-27th January - HMS Falmouth ((Anti-Submarine) joined convoy
27th-31st January 1942 - Light Cruiser HMS Emerald (Light Cruiser) joined convoy.
31st January 1942 - HMS Danae (Light Cruiser) joined convoy detached Banka Straits
31st Jan.- 4th Feb. 1942 - RNN Java (Light Cruiser) joined convoy, detached as low on fuel.
1st February 1942 - HMAS Yarra and HMIS Sutlej (Anti-Submarine) joined convoy
2nd February - Heavy Cruiser HMS Exeter joined convoy, detached Banka Straits
2nd February 1942 - HMAS Vampire (Destroyer) joined convoy
HMAS Bendigo and HMAS Woolongong (Mine-Sweepers) joined convoy Banka Straits
1942/02/05 - As the convoy entered the approaches to Singapore, they were attacked south of Sultan Shoal Lighthouse by nine Japanese bombers who centred their attention on the Empress of Asia causing a serious fire on board. Anchoring the damaged ship within the Sulton Shoal, crew and troops made their way to the stern to avoid the fire.
The commander of the HMAS Yarra, Wifred Harrington, edged his ship to the stern of the damaged ship and managed to take off 1,804 survivors.
The HMAS Bendigo, which had been in the harbour, then rescued a further 78 and the escort vessel HMAS Woolongong took off the last two, the Master and the Chief Engineer.
There were sixteen deaths who went down with the ship, five miles south of Singapore Island. Salvage attempts failed to rescue any of the military equipment or supplies.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese
1942/04/10 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 794. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/10/04 - WO 417/66, Casualty List No. 1255. Previously reported Missing on Casualty List No. 794, 15/02/1942 now reported Prisoner of War. (Previously shown with Rank as Private but was officially a Trooper).
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. II 746
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1943/04/27 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘F’ Force, train 10
73rd Train from Singapore to Thailand
The route in cattle trucks to Thailand:-
1943/04/29 - Kuala Lumpur (0300 hrs), had rice and dried fish at Ipoh (1600 hrs)
1943/04/30 - Reached Pai (0200 hrs), arrived Haadyi (1700 hrs)
1943/05/01 - Water in cattle trucks very short, heat stifling in trucks all day..
1943/05/02 - reached Ban Pong
The PoWs were ordered off the Cattle trucks on arrival and after a walk of nearly a mile to a transit camp where they were then informed they would be marching North West along the railway route in 14 mile stages. Many of the PoWs tried to sell their possessions to the Thais but not at a good price as the Thais knew the the PoWs from ‘F’ Force were already in bad shape and could not carry their baggage for long.
1943/05/05- After two days of walking through the night, as it was too hot in the daylight sun, they reached the small town of Kanchanaburi. Many who tried to carry their possessions left them at this staging camp.
Walking at night caused many problems as the track was uneven with bamboo shots cutting into their feet, in time tropical ulcers would form.
1943/05/16 - PoWs moved out together at 1930 hrs.
1943/06/05 - Reached Songkurai, many of the PoWs had dropped out along the route.
New PoW No. IV 2435
1943/06/05 - Songkurai Camp (294km from Nong Pladuk)
To Kanchanaburi ‘F’ and ‘H’ Forces Hospital (49.6km from Nong Pladuk)
1943/12/14 - On transport back to Singapore
Thomas died on the train returning him to Singapore
Died
Age 26
1943/12/17
Cause of Death Beri-Beri
Died on train, body handed to Japanese at Chumphon Railway Station, Thailand
1943/12/19 - Buried in unknown grave
1945/12/05 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1928. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1255 as reported Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya. Previously shown with unit as Reconnaissance Corps. Reported as ‘Died’.
Loved Ones
Son of Mary Jane Brown
Husband of Mary Brown, of Bolton, Lancashire
Memorial
Column 96.
Photo supplied by Tony Buckley
Singapore Memorial
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Emma Hornby
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Japanese Transports
Thailand - Burma Railway
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Tony Buckley supplied photo of Thomas on Singapore Memorial
KEW Files:- WO 392/23, WO 361/1946, WO 361/2234, WO 361/2201, WO 361/2176, WO 367/2, WO 361/2070, WO 345/07,
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