POW - Changi Jail

[hasta]

Hi All.
I have a great uncle who was a prisoner for several years in Changi and also worked on the Burma Railway. All I really know about him is that he was 'adopted' by the family so have no way of knowing his birth name or DOB. I have a drawing done for him by another prisoner in Changi and it was always noted in the family that he never spoke of his time as a POW. I estimate he was born around early 1920's in Dublin. He was in the army, but I have no idea which section.
Is there any place I can find anything else on him ? such as section or service number ?
I don't think I have enough to apply to the MOD ?

[millymcb]

There is a guide to tracing prisoners of war here
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/prisoners-war-1939-1953.htm

A search at National Archives just on "CHANGI" brings up a few things you may find interesting
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res/2?_aq=changi&_ps=15&_ro=any&_advtxt=changi

eg Nominal Roll as of Sep 1945 - but you have to go to Kew to see it
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C11603903

and Monthly Reports
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C11603985


And Ancestry also have records you could search if you have a subscription (basic - name, rank, regiment and POW camp). Not sure if they have japanese POW Camps though.
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1601

You could try the name you know - but they don't have birthplace listed, and if you don't know what name he was using I am not sure how far you will get.

I don't suppose the family have any paperwork for him from his army days, or even a photo in uniform which may at least identify his regiment?

Milly

[hasta]

Thanks v much Milly
I had exhausted online options and Ancestry don't have anything on Japanese POW's

So, it looks like the NA is my only option. Never taken that route before, so thanks for the nudge in that direction.
I'll start with the Japanese POW index cards and hopefully that will me lead somewhere. Then possibly the Japanese POW Questionnaires (thanks for the links)

I'm very confident he was using his given name, he didn't know where he came from, no one did.
cheers
A

[giblet]

Hi,
You could try the London Gazette. Sometimes if they have been mentioned in it they have their service number as well.

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/

[jds1949]

You might find the following site of interest:

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

jds1949

[hasta]

Thanks both for the suggestions. Possible sighting of him in the gazette, but just can't tell yet.
Far East POW seems to be directing me back to the NA Index cards again so have sent an application to the NA - no idea of their charges but hopefully not to mad Cheers A

[bamboo43]

Hi Adee101,

Have you tried putting his name into this search engine from the Cofepow website? It is normally quite useful for finding POW's who have Japanese index cards at the NA.

http://www.cofepowdb.org.uk/cdb2/Controller.jsp?action=simplesearch

Good luck

[silaswall]

I found details of my grandmother's nephew who died in a POW camp in Japan on Forces War Records.

[DeeBoneham]

ADM199 is an expert on FEPOW.  Might be worth contacting him. There may be something that he has downloaded at Kew as he goes down there on a regular basis.  There is a link to his records on FindMyPast so maybe that might be a good place to look.  If you give him the name he can look it up