Walsh-Morris-Lysaght-Guiney

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

88457

Lieutenant

Morris Lysaght Guiney Walsh

Born 1916/07/26, West Hartlepool, Durham

Son of Timothy and Elizabeth Walsh

(Father Timothy was an Elementary Teacher)

Brother to Owen Guiney

Morris went to school at the Benedictine Abbey School, Fort Augustus, Scotland.

He played cricket for Durham County when he was still at school.

Morris Occupation was a Solicitor.

His religion would help him survive the years ahead.

1939/08/23 - Enlisted

Royal Artillery

125 Anti Tank Regiment

18th Division

Service

The 125 /9 (Northumbrian) Anti Tank Regiment was form in July 1940, with four Batteries, and became part of the 18th Division.

‘A’ ‘B’ ‘C’ and ‘D’ Batteries were issued with two pounder guns.

Morris is back row, 3rd from left

The group photograph shows Morris and his Brother in Law, Geoffrey Moor in the middle seated on the ground. He was also a FEPOW and also survived.

At first training was carried out at Norfolk, then in December the 125 Anti Tank Regiment were moved to Scotland.

In March 1941 the regiment were at Gourock, Renfrew, Scotland. They were equipped for desert warfare and sailed in the ‘Strathaird’ for the Middle East, but after 10 days the ship returned to port for repairs. The Regiment disembarked and were employed fire watching in Glasgow. Later moving to Liverpool to aid in Civil Defence.

SS Oronsay

1941/10/28 - The 125 Anti-Tank Regiment Embarked SS Oronsay at Avonmout.

USS Joseph Dickman

1941/11/08 - The CT.5 Convoy arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia and the troops were transferred to USS Joseph Dickman.

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)

Arriving at Cape Town the troops looked forward to Shore Leave.

1941/12/08 - Japan entered war by bombing Pearl Harbour and invading Malaya. The 18th Division diverted from Middle East destination to be Singapore

1941/12/25 - The men spent Christmas Day on board and the meal was a typical Christmas meal, roast turkey, gravy, pickles and sage dressing.

1941/12/27 - Arrived Bombay, disembarked and arrived by train at Ahmednager, where they trained for two weeks when they were entrained back to Bombay.

Empress of Asia

1942/01/23 - Sailing out of Bombay with the Empress of Asia in Convoy BM12, it was apparent the ship was now heading for the Far East to engage the Japanese.

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.

1942/02/05 - The morning before the ships were to berth at Singapore, the sky was full of Japanese Bombers heading for the convoy, which had two troop carriers, the ‘Felix Roussell’ and the Empress of Asia. The ‘Empress of Asia’ seemed to be the Japanese prime target at the beginning of the raid and eventually received a direct hit which stopped her engines, making her a sitting target, the bombers hit her again and again. Nets and lifeboats were lowered over her sides but the ship caught fire, and with the fuel leaking into the sea, caused the sea to wear a blanket of flame.

The Japanese now turned on the ‘Felix Roussell’ and bombs hit their target. The guns of the ship found their targets and at least a half-dozen Japanese planes were downed. Four bombs had hit the ship with little damage but there were deaths. After the Japanese had withdrawn, the dead were buried at sea. After survivors from the Empress of Asia were rescued. The ships then continued onto Singapore.

The Convoy reached the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore. 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 City.

The 125 Anti Tank Regiment now lacked their guns as they were lost in the Empress of Asia sinking, they now joined the infantry.

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese

1942/04/14 - WO417/2, Casualty List No.797. Reported ‘Missing’.

1942/12/29 - WO417/004, Casualty List No. 1018. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 797 as reported Missing, 15/02/1942 with rank as Lieutenant.

1943/02/16 - WO417/004, Casualty List No. 1060. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 797 as reported Missing with rank as Lieutenant. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

1942/04/03 - River Valley Camp

PoW No. 664

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1942/10/18 - Overland to Thailand with Sime Road Party, train 2

New PoW No. IV 2902

Thailand Camp:-

1942/10/27 - Tha Sao

Camp Leader Lt-Col. Knights, 4th Battalion, Royal Norfolks

1942/11/17 - Wang Pho

Camp Leader Lt-Col. Lilley, 1/5 Battalion, Sherwood Foresters

1943/05/05 - Tonchan

Camp Leader Maj. William-Wynn, 118 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

1943 October - The Thailand to Burma rail lines were joined near Konkoita

Portrait of Morris by FEPOW Artist Ashley George Old

(September 1944)

New PoW No. IV 1639

1945/09/04 - Liberated Thailand

Liberation Questionnaire

Flown to Rangoon before being shipped home.

1945/09/29 - WO417/9, Casualty List No. 1871. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1018 (Corrected by Casualty List No. 1060) as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.