Prisoner of War in Japan

[GillianNixon]

I have a telegram informing the family that their son was a POW in Japan, I would like to find out where he was and how he got there. He was described as an Airman in the telegram.  The telegram is dated 1942.

The mans name is Stanley Brazier and he survived the war.

[Isobelruss]

Cant see him on FindMyPast.I found my gr uncle on National Archives

[GillianNixon]

I have looked on FindMyPast and Ancestry, are there any other resources I can use, I am hoping to go to London for a couple of days so I might have chance to go to TNA.

Thank you anyway

[sheldonesque]

Stanley Brazier 1101380
62 Squadron
Java and Sumatra, working on the railway on the latter island

62 Squadron was flying Blenheims at that time, though I haven't had a chance to check if he was aircrew yet, or whether he was one of the groundcrew captured during the continuing retreats by the squadrons at that time.

ADDENDUM: I have looked through the crew losses for the Blenheims,  and he doesn't appear. But they did convert to Hudsons in early 1942, so he may have been a Hudson crew member. Does the telegram give his rank?

[jds1949]

If you do manage to get to the National Archives then they should hold your man's POW card - in Piece WO 345 - and, possibly, the questionnaire that he may have completed on his liberation - Piece WO 344. To view these you need to have a reader's ticket - see the NA website for how to get one on the day of your visit.

jds1949

[GrahamSimons]

If you do manage to get to the National Archives then they should hold your man's POW card - in Piece WO 345 - and, possibly, the questionnaire that he may have completed on his liberation - Piece WO 344. To view these you need to have a reader's ticket - see the NA website for how to get one on the day of your visit.

jds1949

...and there is a fair chance you will find ORB (Operational Record Books) for his squadrons, too...can be fascinating and do name indvidual crew and their missions.

[sheldonesque]

...and there is a fair chance you will find ORB (Operational Record Books) for his squadrons, too...can be fascinating and do name indvidual crew and their missions.

One doesn't need to visit the Archives to download some ORBS now. They are available online, broken into increments. Unfortunately, there are large junks missing for 62 Squadron for this period, which is not surprising as many records were lost during the various evacuations.

You can search for the ORBs via:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/browse-refine.asp?CatID=54&searchType=browserefine&pagenumber=1&query=*&queryType=1

[GillianNixon]

Bazinga

Thank you all very much for your help. Looks like a trip to the TNA is in order. Will these records tell me which camp he was in?

[jds1949]

Looking at my uncle's card it contains the following information:

Name
Rank
Number
Place and date of capture
civilian occupation
mother's name
place of origin
camp currently held in

There is also a space for remarks.

You might find this website worth a look:

http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/

jds1949