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94860
Lieutenant
Max Norman Jones
1912/10/23 - Born Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
Son of William David Norman and Elizabeth May (nee Walker) Jones
(1910/03/01 Parents married , St. Steven's Church, Prenton)
Occupation Insurance Superintendent
1941 - Married Monica D. Morgan at Norwich, Norfolk
Wedding present of cigarette case from fellow offices
Royal Artillery
125 Anti-Tank Regiment
18th Division
Service
The 125 Field Regiment were formed on the outlook of war in 1939 and part of the 23rd Division.
After Dunkirk the regiment was deployed to join the 50th Division with training in Norfolk and had their name changed to 125 Anti-Tank Regiment. This changed their role and then trained on 2 pounder, 18 pounders and 4.5 Howitzer.
Tropical clothing was issued in 1940, it was believed for a oversea posting to the Middle East. The regiment moving in winter to Scotland.
Gourock was their next transport in March 1941, were the embarked on the liner RMS Strathaird. After 10 days on board they returned as the ship needed repairs. The regiment settled down training again and as the blitz was now on, the regiment were put on fire spotting in Glasgow, later moving to Liverpool and again fire spotting.
After Liverpool training commenced with new equipment after a move to Cheshire.
The next move was to Trawsfyndd, Wales where their training in Britain concluded and an oversea posting was again received, being now part of the 18th Division.
The regiment embarked in the S.S. Oronsay at Avonmouth and sailed at midday on 28th October 1941. Sailing with Convoy CT.5 from Liverpool on the 31st October, with 3124 troops on board, heading north west to Halifax.
1941/11/08 Arrived Halifax with no leave, they ere transferred to American liners.
1941/11/10 - Left Halifax with Convoy William Sail 12X, destination unknown, believed to be Middle East.
Above Photo of Convoy William Sail 12X supplied by the late Maurice Rooney
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Front Line Top to Bottom:-
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
Back Row Top To Bottom:-
USAT Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman
(USS Orizaba Ap-24 also sailed with Convoy though not pictured in photo)
They sailed down the east coast of America onto the Bahamas and through the Caribbean Sea to Trinidad. No shore leave as the ships were re-fuelled and then onto Capetown.
1941/11/23 - Crossed the equator with father Neptune ceremony receiving a memento card ‘Order of the ‘Shellbacks’.
An armed raider temporally held up the convoy and the heat was getting to the troop, many sleeping on deck.
After the delay with no action from the enemy raider they sailed south and the weather changed cooler with rough seas.
1941/12/09 - The Japanese had entered the war by attacking Pearl Harbour and Malaya, a day before the convoy reached Cap Town, South Africa. Four days shore leave was then taken near Table Mountain.
1941/12/13 - the convoy departed Cape Town and a British escort took over from the Americans. Near Mombassa some of the ships left the convoy. The destination was now found to be Singapore and not the Middle East. The ships left in the convoy were now sailing to Bombay, India.
1941/12/25 - Christmas dinner was turkey with all the trimmings as they sailed through the Indian Ocean in tropical conditions.
1941/12/27 - Arrived Bombay where four days shore leave was granted.
1942/01/01 - The troops entrained to East Ridge, Ahmednagar where training took place.
23rd January 1942 - Entrained back to Bombay and sailed from Bombay in BM12 (Bombay Malaya 12) destination Singapore
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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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26th-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 off Singapore Island. Salvage attempts failed to rescue any of the military equipment or supplies.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese
1942/03/24 - WO417/2, Casualty List No.779. Missing
1942/12/18 - WO417/004, Casualty List No. 1010. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 779 as reported Missing, 15/02/1942. Now reported a Prisoner of War
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. M-7681
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/11/06 - Transported overland to Thailand in Letter Party ‘L’ - Train 13
The 31st train to Thailand
Work Party 2
Commander Lt-Col. A.B. Cubitt, 6th Royal Norfolks
‘L’ Letter Party with 634 PoWs, units included below
(Notice the high number of Medics)
New PoW No. II 5097
Camps in Thailand:-
Chungkai - 60km from Nong Pladuk
Wang Lan - 68.59km from Nong Pladuk
Tha Kilen - 97.89km from Nong Pladuk
Wang Pho - 113.10km from Nong Pladuk
Tha Khanun - 223.40km from Nong Pladuk
Nam Choi Yai - 2229.14km from Nong Pladuk
New PoW No. II 856
1943/10/ - Line from Burma and Thailand lines joined near Konkoita
New PoW No. II 5097
Chungkai - 60km from Nong Pladuk
Kanchanaburi - 49km from Nong Pladuk
1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand
In Bangkok, transferred to Allied Forces.
Then onto to Rangoon and a ship home.
1945/09/19 - WO417/9, Casualty List No.1862. Previously shown on Casualty List No.1010 as Prisoner of War - Malaya. Now Not Prisoner of War.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Post War
By Beth Whitney
After his time as a POW, he returned to work for the Royal Insurance Company, working in Sunderland in Tyne and Wear.
Together again they shared a Family Holiday.
These photos were taken 1946 on the Isle of Man.
Top:- Monica, Valerie and Max.
Left:- Valerie and Max
Max and Monica were blessed with two children, my Mum Valerie who was born in 1942 and Max didn't meet her until he returned after the war.
In 1952, they had a son called Christopher Nigel, who only lived for two months.
Still with Royal Insurance Company they moved to Nantwich in Cheshire, then Market Harborough in Leicestershire.
Max retired after working in Wellington, Shropshire.
After his retirement, Max and Monica went on a trip to Singapore. He attended a Rotatory Club event in Saporo, Japan and the translator at this event was the same as the one at the fall of Singapore.
In the late 1970s, Max and Monica moved to Rhosgoch, Anglesey, north Wales. Monica died on the 5 October 1983.
1977 - Max, Monica, my Mum (Valerie) and Beth as a baby
In the late 1970s, Max and Monica moved to Rhosgoch, Anglesey, north Wales.
Monica died on the 5th October 1983.
1984/02/29 - Max remarried to Kathleen Mary Robinson (known as Mary) at Congleton, Cheshire.
Died
Max died on the 8th October 1997
Bangor, Caernarvonshire, Wales
Information
Beth Whitney - Granddaughter
Tan DingXiang
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Japanese Transport
Thailand Burma Railway
Liberation Questionnaire - COFEPOW
KEW Files:- WO 392/24, WO 345/28, WO 361/1954, WO 361/1979, WO 361/2196, WO 361/2167, WO 361/2167, WO 361/2061, WO 361/2186, WO 361/2069,
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