WWII POW help

[JulzDS]

I'm not sure if I'm in the correct place as my gr-gr uncle was a Colonial Policeman rather than military, but I'm hoping someone can help.

I'm trying to find out information on my gr-gr uncle Duncan George MacPherson. He was a Colonial Policeman in Hong Kong (joined in 1930's). During WWII he was taking POW by the Japanese - is there anywhere I can find out what camp he was held in?

He was allowed to marry his girlfriend Doris (a nurse) while in the camp and I wondered if that was unusual?

Family legend had it that he became the Commisioner of Police in HK, but I can find no evidence to back this up. Auckland War Memorial Museum (he retired to NZ) has a list of medals relating to him that mainly seem to be military medals rather than police medals.

The most curious thing is his will and personal papers have been sealed. They cannot be accessed for another 75 years because of his work - can anyone tell me if this is likely to mean he wasn't just a simple policeman in HK?

Thanks in advance
Julz

[kyt]

The one medal that was Gazetted:

March 13, 1947
The KING has been pleased to award the King's Police and Fire Services Medal for Gallantry to the undermentioned Officers of Police: —
Duncan George MacPherson, Lance-Sergeant (now Sub-Inspector), Hong Kong Police.

as such you maybe able to find some info in one of the files listed here:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=264

K

[kyt]

http://www.hongkongwardiary.com/searchgarrison/uniformedcivilians.html

MacPherson, D.G. Lance Sergeant
Sham Shui Po Police St.
Interned at LHT (103)

LHT = Luk Hoi Tong Building
103 = Bibliographical reference The Royal Hong Kong Police (1841-1945) by
Colin N. Crisswell and Mike Watson  (Hong Kong Macmillan 1982 ISBN: 9620301978)

And these are all the Commissioners of the RHKP:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioner_of_Police_(Hong_Kong)


K

[liverpool annie]

http://www.hongkongwardiary.com/searchgarrison/uniformedcivilians.html

MacPherson, D.G. Lance Sergeant
Sham Shui Po Police St.
Interned at LHT (103)

LHT = Luk Hoi Tong Building
103 = Bibliographical reference The Royal Hong Kong Police (1841-1945) by
Colin N. Crisswell and Mike Watson  (Hong Kong Macmillan 1982 ISBN: 9620301978)

K

Hi Julz !

You already know he was a Lance Sgt at that time ....... looks like the Stanley Camp is where he was .... at least at the beginning !! so thats the place to start looking ......

Although the Stanley Camp was for civilians, a number of older members of the HKVDC were interned there, as was Rifleman Riley of the Royal Rifles who had been captured at the Repulse Bay Hotel where he had been passed off as a civilian. The Hong Kong Police force was also interned there, minus a few of their number who had been captured during the short period that the police officially acted as a militia force against the invaders.

http://www.hongkongwardiary.com/powresearch.html

Annie 

[JulzDS]

Thank you so much! I just didn't know where to start and that's so much information already!

[Suziepie]

Hello JutzDS -

I have been doing a research on Hong Kong - where I grew up - and I accidently came across your message left in 2008 about Duncan George MacPherson - who was in the Police in Hong Kong.  He was my uncle. He married my father's sister, Doris, in the Stanley Prison Camp during the war. My father was interned there too by the Japanese. Our family was one of the longest resident families in HK - 1918 to 1956.

We all went to live in NZ - and Doris a nurse (hmmm? - one has to stretch the imagination there!)  Duncan was a very nice uncle - who loved his homeland, the heather, the hills, the bagpipes, his scotch, his hunting (deer) and trout fishing - he lived to a good age despite the pipe!  He was a great character with many a story he'd love to tell.

You probably don't look often at this site - I see it was August 2011 - but in the hope you will check back I have registered on to this site only so that you can contact me - I can fill you in on a lot of info.

Suzie

[JulzDS]

Hi Suzie

I don't often check on here these days (I've put the family tree searching aside for a while), but had forgot to deactivate the email notification to a reply.

So glad I didn't! I'd love to catch up with you with some stories about Duncan. My Nan and I were only talking about him (and his brother who was also interned) last week.

Julie

[Suziepie]

Hello Julie

Thank you for your response.  Please feel free to ask any questions about Uncle Duncan.  He often talked to us about his home in the highlands of Scotland - a crofters cottage and a very big family of mostly boys!  He was always close to his sister and I think she outlived him.

Suzie

[JulzDS]

Hi Suzie

One of his sisters was alive until recently, she may still be, but I've not been able to get in touch for a while. They were a big family.

The only reason my Gr-Grandfather didn't end up away like Duncan and Jimmy was because he had a limp after breaking his ankle in a rabbit hole. Somewhat ironically in the war he worked in a factory and died due to the chemicals. He died not knowing that Duncan and Jimmy survived the camps.

If you post another message then you'll have access to the Private message facility and I'll send you my email address.

My Grandmother was 80 recently and she's been talking lots about her old memories.

Julie x