British on Timor - WW2

[eise]

I am hoping someone may be able to help me with this word I found on a document found on COFEPOW. it is in his handwriting but  we cannot understand it.
He was captured on Timor and taken to Jave, from there he was ytaen to FUKUOKA 3 where he remained until 1945; The word as i read it here says;
OEGAPA MESMO or similar - Timor; His commanding officer when captured was an Australian Lt/Col Leggett; dates are;- 23/2/42 - 23/9/42;
This document is to give details of where he was and when and his camp-leader.

I will try to get it onto the site but i find this very difficult;

Hope someone can help

eise

[Pete Keane]

I reckon its Portugese (Brazilian).

The first word makes no sense, its either a place name or its misspelt, the second word , mesmo, means something like 'even' or 'the same as' or 'equal to' , it obviously refers to the first word.

Try scanning it in and we'll have a look.

I take it he was Royal Artillery?

Take a look at the wiki link for an idea of the conflict on the island and also Sparrow Force

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Timor_(1942-43)

Pete.

[Pete Keane]

Could the first word be 'osesapa' ?

It was the timorese name for the pow camp they had to build themselves, prior to being taken to Java.

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww2/timor.htm

[eise]

Hi,

Yes It is actually Oesapa Besar and i now have a picture of the beach the POWs were allowed to use in the first weeks of their imprisonment. Time there wasnt too bad at first and they were fed and given much freedom on the beach.  i have also just received a reply from CICR the Red Cross in Geneva who are saying they may have some records they can send and as we are family it wont cost us anything.  They have been extremely helpful in everything to do with POW and internees;  The reply can take as long as 6 months or more but they alwasy get back to you,  Thsy also have a site on the net which is excellent to send messages to them.

Eise 

[eise]

Hi pete,

I read your link and found it very interesting.  Lt/Col Leggatt was my father-in-laws camp leader the RA were under Australian command it seems.  He is named on the doc where Fred is mentioned.  I managed to find on Cofepow;  Which is another site worth loking at it gets regularly updated as this wasnt there last year.

Sadly Fred never talked about much of his time there only to his brother who himself is only just giving us bits of information now.  I will keep trying to piece my father in laws story together.

Eise