looking for information on WW2 history - Malaya

[astley7]

Hi all

Not very good with the history of the war - my relation was killed in Malaya on 2 Mar 1942 he was part of the Royal Artillery and was a Sergeant Major  number 1460050 - Vivian Morgan. would like to know some of the history that surrounds his death and what battle. Would also like to know where the Royal artillery was based in this country as I have a large photograph of the troupe. Sorry War not a speciality.

Thank you

[mmm45]

http://www.burmastar.org.uk/77haa.htm

This may help?

Ady

[barryd]

Vivian Morgan was a Lance Sergeant which means he was a Corporal locally promoted to Lance Sergeant and not officially as Sergeant by the War Office. He died less than 3 weeks after the surrender of Singapore to the Japanese. He has no known grave so his place of death is not known to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It could have been in Singapore or Malaya. He could have died of injuries he received before the surrender. His army records may have further information.

[sheldonesque]

Though on the Singapore Memorial, 77 were actually on Java on this date, and still attempting to stem the Japanese. There is a very good article on their arrival on Java, and the hard fighting till their final surrender:

http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/asia_java2.htm

Sadly, many men of the 77th were killed later in the year when they were lost on the Singapore Maru:

http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Hell_Ships/Singapore_Maru/

[macintosh]

There was a programme on tv recently marking the 70th anniversary of the debacle that was the fall of Singapore, it was three episodes and a sort of drama documentary.

see www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bzxtc


James