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2359095
Signalman
Joseph Hardman
1920/08/12 - Born Preston
Son of Elizabeth (nee Holly) Hardman
Next of Kin Mother, Elizabeth Hardman, Ashmoor Street, Preston
Royal Corps of Signals
Attached to 21 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, RA
Signal Section
Service
The 21 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment RA (TA) was formed at Liverpool, in December 1938.
In early December 1941, the 21 Anti Aircraft Regiment, together with the 77th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment and over 1000 RAF personnel, set sail for North Africa in the Warwick Castle and Empress of Australia. While at sea ’Operation Torch’ was cancelled due to Japan entering the war and ‘Operation Torch’ was rescheduled.
Instead of leaving the larger troop convoy on the 12th December 1941, the ‘Warwick Castle’ and ‘Empress of Australia’ stayed with WS 14 to South Africa
Departed Durban, part of the WS14 merged with the DM2 off Mambassa on the 19th January 1941. Merging at postition 01.05 N, 91.28 E and the DM2 ships were diverted to Batavia, Java, leaving the City of Canterbury with BM12 going to Singapore.
After the two month sea voyage, the two Royal Artillery Regiments landed at Batavia, Java on the 3rd February 1942. Part of the 79/21 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment was sent to Timor and the rest of the 79 Battery along with the 48 and 69 Batteries stayed in Java.
Java surrendered to the Japanese on the 8th March 1942 and the personnel of the Java 21 Light Anti Aircraft captured were in Japanese hands.
1943/03/17 - WO 417/58, Casualty List No. 1085. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/03/23 - WO 417/58, Casualty List No. 1090. (Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1085 as Missing, 01/02/1943). Now Reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
Letter reply to Elizabeth (Mother) asking the Royal Signals for any news of Joseph
Japanese PoW
1942/03/08 - Captured Java
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/09/22 - Transported oversea with Java Party 2 to Singapore
With 1299 British and 1 Australian PoWs
1942/09/26 - Arrive Singapore
1942/10/09 - Transported oversea in Hiteru Maru to Kuching, Borneo
With 1203 British PoWs from Java Party 2
1942/10/13 - Arrived Kuching and 889 transported to Jesselton and held at Victoria Jail. The Japanese in command of the 889 British was Lt. Nakata. They worked at construction at the airfield.
PoW No. 2631
1943/04/18 - 777 British transported oversea from Jesselton to Sandakan.
The Sandakan PoW Compound was originally sited on Berhala Island, about 1 mile North of Sandakan itself. It was opened on 15th August 1942, the inmates being 500 Australian PoWs who had recently come via Kuching from Singapore.
By July 1943 the number of PoWs at Sandakan had risen to 2731, it is believed that 1943 were Australian and the remaining 788 were British Army and RAF personnel.
From then until October 1944 the PoWs worked on the airfield and lived a hard, but was reasonably bearable life.
By October 1944 the Sandakan Roll was about 2444 as 387 PoWs had been moved out of Sandakan. The food situation had quickly deteriorated, and the PoWs were forced to live almost entirely on food grown in their own gardens and fruit from the natives. The deaths by February 1945 had risen to over 100 a month.
The Japanese fearing invasion by Allied forces starting to move the PoWs in March, on forced marches towards Ranau and with instruction from Tokyo that no PoWs were to survive an Allied invasion, the PoWs were killed, all but 6 Australians who escaped.
It is recorder by a Japanese Death Certificate that Joseph died the 22nd April 1945 after the start of illness on the 6th March 1945, but it is known the Japanese Issued false Death Certificates to cover many deaths.
Japanese Death Certificate
Dying from Malaria
Joseph was buried Sandakan No. 1 Cemetery which was located approximately 300 yards East of the main track to PoW Compound from Labuk Road. This cemetery contained 660 graves of Australian and British PoWs, 145 only being marked. The method of marking was with a wooden cross with metal plates.
1946/01/04 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1951. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1090 as Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Netherlands East Indies. Reported ‘Died’.
Died
Age 24
On the 22nd April 1945 according to the Death Certificate.
Buried Sandakan No. 1 Cemetery in a known grave and his body was identified.
After the Japanese surrender Joseph was reburied at Labuan Cemetery.
Loved Ones
Memorial
T. C. 10.
Labuan War Cemetery Plan
Location of Joseph’s grave shown in red
Sandakan Memorial
(Above photo by Keith Meakins)
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Far East Medals
Information
Tim Greenhalgh
Convoys BM and DM Convoys
Sandakan
Royal Corps of Signals
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
‘Sandakan - A Conspiracy of Silence’ by Lynette Ransay Silver
‘Sandakan - The Last March’ by Don Wall
‘The Knights if Bushido’ by Lord Russell of Liverpool
KEW Files:- WO 361/2208, WO 361/1501, WO 392/24, WO 361/2189, WO 361/1676, WO 304/07, WO 361/1676, WO 361/2060,
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