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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: brionne on Friday 04 April 14 12:55 BST (UK)
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Andrew Macpherson,officer in charge of a district in British Borneo,fled with his pregnant wife and child,away from the Japanese,a long arduous journey to Long Nawang,Borneo.They were all slaughtered after several months of hiding there,with numerous other nationalities,in Aug/Sept 1942.
There is very little information available about this WW2 atrocity,does anyone know why,it was covered up.
Have found a Malaysian newspaper article dated 2005,but very little else.
Believe a book was written on this some years ago,no idea of title,anyone fill me in,
Thanks Brionne.
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hi brionne .
have you done a google search only several sites come up that should help you I think .
regards
trevor
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Trevor,thanks.This gruesome subject had been covered up since the end of ww2,now thanks to various families needing answers quite a lot has come to light,more recently.Have now just found out what I was looking for,after you prompted me to have another go at Google,on a religious site.
Still not found the book title,remember it was given to me when published many years ago.
Paperback with black/white photos.Large informative index at back.
Sure to be out of print now,Thanks again,Brionne.
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Could the book be Masa Jepun : Sarawak under the Japanese, 1941-1945 by Bob Reece? Published in 1998.
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Thanks Spikey,but am a lady of a certain age,book am seeking was first published in the 1970s.
Brionne. [ unless the one you mention is a reprint] Thanks.
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Hi, I am Andrew Macpherson's grandaughter and i am doing research about him as i am keen to write his Biography.
Lita
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Hello Lita,pleased to hear from you.
You have a very interesting family history.Do you know much about Andrew Macphersons early life in the Sarawak Service,who was the wife with him on Long Nawang.She does not appear to have a name on the Commonwealth War Graves site,and only one unnamed child is listed as being dead,what happened to the other child,did it escape somehow,or perhaps left behind in England. Where did they marry.
He is listed several times in shipping records the last I can find is 22nd October 1937 P/O ship Ranpura, London disembarked Singapore,image shows him travelling out on his own.
Brionne.
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Hi Lita,
Thanks for your PM.
Have you got a date for Andrew Macphersons first marriage in Sarawak or Borneo,what year,do you think they actually married.Is there a record somewhere in your family.
Post information on here as someone else may be able to help you.
Brionne.
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I have the birth ceritficate of my dad. Thats the only record I have at the moment. I am in Kuala Lumpur and all the records about Andrew Macpherson is in the Archive back in Borneo. I am not sure if i can find their marriage certificate but let me try and dig it out via a friend's help in Borneo.
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Hello Lita and Brionne,
I am an amateur researcher in events and people after the Fall of Singapore - in my research I have come across the last resting place of some of the people killed in the Long Nawang massacre - including the Macpherson family and others such as Fred C. Jackson and the Sandes.
Do you already have this information or would you like me to share this with you?
regards,
Michael Pether
Auckland
New zealand
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Hello Michael,I did some research on the MacPhersons out of interest only,also the Sandes,would be most grateful for any hard facts that you can come up with,many thanks,Brionne.
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Hi guys, I don't know if you will find this useful, but there is this promising archive related to Long Nawang massacre: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030030339
Also there is a book about Japanese occupation in Borneo, I don't know if it specifically talks about Long Nawang massacre as I have not read it, but here it is: https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Occupation-1941-45-Routledge-Studies/dp/0415837901
Best,
schlr
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Hi Lita. I'm completely new to this forum so bear with me. A relative, Stephen Harry Knowles Cox, was also killed at the Long Nawang Massacre . We have some info and photos of his life in Borneo prior to the Japanese invasion. Are you able to pm me? thanks
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Trevor,thanks.This gruesome subject had been covered up since the end of ww2,now thanks to various families needing answers quite a lot has come to light,more recently.Have now just found out what I was looking for,after you prompted me to have another go at Google,on a religious site.
Still not found the book title,remember it was given to me when published many years ago.
Paperback with black/white photos.Large informative index at back.
Sure to be out of print now,Thanks again,Brionne.
[/quote
Who is supposed to be guilty of covering this up and why?
Imber
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Hi KatiCox,
I stumbled upon this chat page while researching about the Long Nawang Massacre in 1942. I am the granddaughter of one of the victims, Desmond Verdon Murphy, Asst. Superintendent of the Police Constabulary Sarawak. I've written several materials on the massacre and now continuing my research on the subject specifically in getting more info on the other victims. I've been asking around in Sarawak for Mr Cox's information but I guess I am lucky to stumble on you on this site. I would appreciate if you could email me at melissamurphy3003@gmail.com for us to share information needed. I have location of their final resting place (if you don't know) and if I am not mistaken, I MAY have a photo of Mr Cox's grave marker. Thank you and hope to hear from you.
With regards,
Melissa Murphy
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Hi..I am new to rootschat. I am the grand daughter of Andrew Macpherson and would also like to know more about him..to this day we do not know where he is buried. I see that my late sister, Lita Macpherson had posted on this but I do not know what information she has gathered about my grandfather before she passed. Appreciate if you can share a little more if you have any information. TQ. Siera Macpherson
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Hello Sera,Welcome to RootsChat.
Am so sorry to hear about your sister,but I have found the following message she sent to me on 3rd June 2014.Hopefully you will not mind if I post the contents because someone may come up with further helpful information for you.
By the way because I am a MacPherson my original research on Andrew was out of interest.
Lita sent the following 3 June 2014.,,,,,,,,
I have been reading quite a bit on the massacre at Long Nawang.I cried as I imagine my grandfather and his family being massacred there.
I was told he was asked to dig his own grave before he was killed.
He shouldnt have gone from Sarawak.There was a native Iban back then who told him not to escape
as the natives were willing to hide them but he didnt listen.
Things could turn out differently for him and his family if he had just listened to the native..
I have been trying to do research on the,, White Kenyah,,believed to be the child of Andrew Macpherson,who was rescued by the natives but up to now no one can help me on that.
Its very frustrating sometimes.
By the way Brionne, why are you having an interest in this issue.
I know Andrew has living relatives in UK and France.
I hope to share more information with you whenever I can ,and I hope you can give me information as well,do keep in touch,,,,,,
Please believe me when I say that I have posted this in good faith,upsetting though it may be for you, Regards Brionne.
You need to post three times before you can send any personal messages.
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There is an interesting article on here, reference. The massacre of Sarawak Officers at Long Narwang
kajomag.com
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Hi Brionne,
Thank you very much for replying and sharing. I know my sister was very passionate about finding our roots and reading her messages online does bring mixed emotions as she had left us too early. But I wanted to continue what she has been doing and I do appreciate your putting this up. I hope it can help me to eventually connect with my grandfather's relatives as I am really curious about my grandfather's side of the family. Thank you again & if you are ever in my part of the world, feel free to connect :)
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Hello there Brionne. I am Hyypia, Andrew Macpherson's great great grandson. About half a year ago, i started researching on my genealogy and the only clue i had was the name of my great grandma's father's name, Andrew Macpherson.
Thankfully, after a few months of research, i have found many information on Andrew and i can trace Andrew's ancestors, about 13 generations up!
If you need any information, feel free to pm me, ill be glad to help.
I have also recently learned of my great aunt's passing (Lita).
My great grandmother, Bibi Macpherson, Andrew's eldest daughter passed away 21 days ago on the 16th of June 2021 at the age of 91/92.
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Hi Sera, Hyypia here. I was recently connected with Nek Bujang's children (Aunty Natrah, Aunty Marina, Uncle Piruz, Uncle Reno)
I am Maria's grandson. Maria is Nek Bibi's daughter.
If you need any information on Andrew or his family, feel free to contact me, i have a few information on him!
Regards, Hyypia.
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Hi, I hope those that wrote in this chat are still linked to it....
I'm researching the Ferguson branch of my tree and have contact with a distant rellie who gave me some details about his aunt of whom I could not find anymore details on.
He told me his aunt, husband and infant had been killed by the Japanese. Some further digging and I found a location which has led me to researching this massacre.
His aunt was Isabella Sinclair (Clair) MacPherson nee Ferguson. She married bachelor Andrew MacPherson b1905 in Russia, occupation: civil servant, in Durban, South Africa on 1 Mar 1941.
According to another of his aunt's who wrote the history down, Clair and Andrew "were tragically murdered by the Japanese on the island of Borneo in August, 1942"
I was very surprised to read in this post that Andrew has descendants. So either he lied and was not a bachelor upon marrying in South Africa, or there's another Andrew MacPherson and family that were killed in Borneo by the Japanese in 1942.
I'd be very keen to hear more from Andrew's descendants.
Thanks for your time
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Not sure if those in this post are still active, but those searching for information on MacPherson, etc might be interested to read these:
(1) https://www.7rangers.com/2024/03/the-forgotten-long-nawang-massacres.html?m=0
(2) https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/read/1145/priestly-vocations-dwindling-in-europe/
There is also a good fb group which deals with the past history of Borneo - the link is https://www.facebook.com/share/g/RSkuU4AwgtxtXsaJ/
Mike
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Hi Skyechi...Have not been on rootschat for years and just read your message regarding the marriage of my grandfather, Andrew Macpherson, in 1941. Based on limited info that I have on him - my father was born in 1930s from his marriage to a local Iban woman but I understand from my late mom that they had divorced when my father and his sister were young. And I dd hear from my mom that my grandfather had a European wife who died with him in Long Nawang. I am still interested to find my grandfather's long lost family wherever they are. I believe this is the same man in the marriage certificate because I know my grandfather had roots in Russia as his forefathers had moved to Russia and planted roots there for a few generations. The Baltic Shipyard in St Petersburg was founded by a Macpherson. If you read this, would be great to hear from you. Feel free to email me at *
* Moderator comment: personal e-mail address removed i accordance with RootsChat general practice and guidance to avoid others spamming or abusing it.
Please use the personal message facility to exchage e-mail addresses. Thanks
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Hi Hyppia...Lets catch up. Would love to know more about Andrew Macpherson. Uncle Andrew has my contact number.
Best regards
Aunty Siera
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Hi Sera
I sent you an email on your private email. :)
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When I put my initial post regarding Andrew Macpherson on here, Friday 4th April 2014, had no idea that it would be still going 10 years later. I was researching Macphersons generally at the time, and a very prolific lot they are too. So pleased that it has panned out so well for some family members, no connection to myself that I can prove though. It was an appalling WW2 incident which needed answers. Good luck.