|
NX55941
Sapper
James Francis Clark
Royal Australian Engineers
2/12 Field Company
Japanese PoW
PoW No. I 12879
1943/04/18 - Transported overland with ‘F’ Force to Thailand by train 1
64th train to Thailand
Commander Lt-Col. S.W. Harris, 148 Field HQ, RA, 18th Division
The route was in cattle trucks to Thailand
Kuala Lumpur, had rice and dried fish at Ipoh
Reached Pai, arrived Haadyi
Water in cattle trucks very short, heat stifling in trucks all day..
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.
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.
Staging Camps:
Lower Thimongtha
Ni Thea Bridge Camp
Ni Thea
1943/06/20 - When Ponds Party went south to Tha Khanun he remained at Ni Thea and was then sent to Songkurai
After just over a month they Reached Songkurai, many of the PoWs had dropped out along the 264 km route.
New PoW IV 13393
Original Songkurai Camp Map
On Every page of ‘F’ Force roll had a ‘No Escape Pledge’ typed on every page
‘F’ Force had the most deaths on the Thailand Burma Railway
‘F’ Force Summery
|
|
British
|
Australian
|
Total
|
|
Departed April 1943
|
3336
|
3664
|
7000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Returned Dec. 1943 - Sime Road
|
175
|
165
|
340
|
|
Returned Dec. 1943 - Changi
|
835
|
2060
|
2895
|
|
Returned Apr. 1944 - Changi
|
295
|
411
|
706
|
|
|
1305
|
2636
|
3941
|
|
Less Died at Changi
|
17
|
32
|
49
|
|
|
1288
|
2604
|
3892
|
|
I.J.A. Custody (Including Changi Hosp.)
|
11
|
|
11
|
|
Alive as at 30th Apr. 1944
|
1299
|
2604
|
3903
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Died Thailand Burma Railway
|
2013
|
1014
|
3027
|
|
Died Changi
|
17
|
32
|
49
|
|
Missing
|
7
|
14
|
21
|
|
Total Casualties
|
2037
|
1060
|
3097
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Casualty Percentage
|
61.03%
|
28.95%
|
44.21%
|
|
Died
Age 33
1943/08/12
Cause of Death Malaria
Buried Cemetery 2, AIF Block, Row 2, Grave 1 (388)
There were 675 Graves at this cemetery
After the war James body was interned at Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery
Memorial
A2. B. 18.
Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery
Burma
Information
Matthew Grice
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Japanese Transports
Thailand-Burma Railway
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
KEW Files:- WO 361/2055, WO 361/1951, WO 361/1344, WO 361/2025,
|
