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1892395
Sapper
Burnaby Thomas Sherwood
Known as Bernard
1918/09/03 - Born Iron Cross, Salford Priors, Warwickshire
Son of Burnaby and Evelyn (nee Treadgold) Sherwood
(Father’s occupation Market Gardener)
Brother to Mary Margaret (b.1914) and Everlyn Catherine (b.1916)
1938 - Married Gladys at Wednesbury, Staffordshire
Bernard’s occupation Plumber
Next of kin - Wife, Mrs Gladys Sherwood, Tipton, Staffordshire
Royal Engineers
560 Field Coy.
18th Division
54th Infantry Brigade
Service
Tropical kit was issued and orders were to proceed to Liverpool.
1941/10/30 - Sailed with Convoy CT.5 from Liverpool
USS Wakefield
Arriving at Halifax 8th November the men were then moved across to the transport ship tied along side, the 27,000 ton Wakefield.
On November 10th the voyage 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.
The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo, arriving at Trinidad on 17th November in glorious sunshine so our tropical kit came out, but unfortunately no shore-leave, we left after two days of taking on supplies. On 24th we crossed the equator, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
Crossing the Line Ceremony Certificate
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. By this time the Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that the convoy was now heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
On December 13th the convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and into the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay. After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached December 27th 1941.
Embarked on 17th January back onto the Wakefield. The convoy sailed the next day with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. Japan had entered the war by attacking Malaya on 8th December 1941, destination was the far East. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse had both been sunk by the Japanese off Malaya. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Sumatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Jap Planes, there was no damage, the Wakefield was the first of our convoy to reach the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore on the 29th January 1942. 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.
The 18th Division was moved to hold the north-eastern part of the island near the Changi Peninsula.
On the 5th February the Empress of Asia bringing military supplies, including ammunition for the 18th Division, was hit by bombs and went aground on the Sultan Shoal, this did not help the now desperate situation the battalion was in. The following days saw heavy bombing and bombardment from the Japanese. On Sunday the 8th February, using makeshift rafts, the Japanese 18th Division and 5th Division began the movement across the Straits separating Malaya and north-western end of Singapore. The Australian troops who faced them didn't get the artillery support they needed, and shielded by the dense smoke, the Japanese soon got a foothold, the fighting was soon hand to hand.
1942/02/15 - The situation on the island was now very critical with many troops over run and the enemy threatening to take control of the water supply. The end came very quickly, at noon a car travelled down the Bukit Timah road with a white flag above a Union Jack, Singapore had capitulated.
1942/04/09 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 793. Reported ‘Missing’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. IV 1476
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese index Card - Side 2
1942/11/03 - Transported overland to Thailand ‘O’ Letter Party, train 8
28th train to Thailand
Commander Lt-Col. F.I.N. McOstrich, RCOS, 18th Division
New PoW No. IV 14448
Attached to Group 4 07 (M) Work battalion
Under Lt. Col. Frederick Ian Noel McOstrich 18 Division Signals
Working in the Tha Sao Area
He contracted Amoebic Dysentery and was transported down river to Chungkai Hospital
1943/06/ - Admitted to Chungkai Hospital
Died
Age 24
27th August 1943
Cause of death Amoebic Dysentery
Place of Death Chungkai Hospital
Buried in Chungkai New Cemetery Grave 307
(Now 5H.1)
1945/08/03 - WO417/95_2, Casualty List No. 1825. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 793 as posted Missing 15/02/1942. ‘Died while a Prisoner of War’.
Loved Ones
Son of Burnaby and Evelyn Sherwood
Husband of Gladys Sherwood, Tipton, Staffordshire
Memorial
5.H.1
Chungkai War Cemetery
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Anthony Stephen Clarke - Cousin
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Japanese Transports
Thailand-Burma Railway
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
KEW Files:- WO 361/2172, WO 392/26, WO 345/46, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2169, WO 361/2064, WO 361/1526, WO 361/2235, WO 361/2053, WO 361/2069, WO 361/2191,
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