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1941
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30th Oct
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Left Liverpool, England, at 8am aboard Liner Andes
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8th Nov
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Arrived Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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9th Nov
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Changed from English liner Andes, 20,000 tons to American Liner Wakefield, 30,000 tons. Formerly named Manhattan
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10th Nov
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Left Halifax, no shore leave
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11th Nov
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Position East of New York
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14th Nov
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Position East of Bahamas, West Indies
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17th Nov
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Arrived Trinidad, two days in bay. No shore leave. The hottist day yet
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19th Nov
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Left Trinidad
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23rd Nov
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Crossed the equator, Father Neptune ceremony.
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9th Dec
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Arrived Capetown, South Africa
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13th Dec
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Left Capetown after four days, glorious shore leave, pool absolutely magnificent.
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15th Dec
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Position off Port Elizabeth
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16th Dec
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Position off Durban S.W. Africa
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25th Dec
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Christmas Day aboard ship in the Arabian Sea. Very good meals and Show. No beer.
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27th Dec
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Arrived Bombay, India. Board train for some place called Amednegar.
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29th Dec
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Arrived Amednegar. What a joint, what a march to the barracks.
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1942
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15th Jan
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March to station leaving Amednegar, very poor meals except for native canteen, 20 odd miles march. Night Operations, Kit inspection, whilst just over a fortnight stay.
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20th Jan
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Left Bombay, India aboard same ship
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22nd Jan
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Position off Colombo
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27th Jan
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Through Sundra Straits after unsuccessful attempt to bomb convoy. 3 bombs dropped from a great height
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28th Jan
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Arrived Singapore
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29th Jan
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Disembarked from Wakefield for Camp. First sight to greet our eyes, 21 Japanese bombers overhead.
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31st Jan
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Left camp 51 for Teck Hock. Take up first mortar positions. Situation very bad. No Allied planes.
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8th Feb
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The eventful day, Japanese make a succesful landing on Singapore. Position held for a time, then Japanese advance.
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10th Feb
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Our Battalion move into front line forward positions.
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11th Feb
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We mortar Bukit Timah Village, 150 bombs put over. Our shells hardly returned.
A night and day of hell. Hit on tin hat from about ten yards, lucky devel. Got the blighter that did it. Same night lose my kit and all personal stuff, still its all in the game.
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12th Feb
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Poor old Tiny Brittain, Stan Turner, Ray Boothby and Ginger Gravels, killed in a trench 4 yards away from me. Bob Noble and Joe Coleman pretty badly wounded. All six in one trench. Place Aclame Road. All mud and earth on top of me. Mortar bomb direct hit.
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Missing
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Years
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Death Railway
Although these entries are missing we know Horace was taken to Changi Prison.
The photo is believed to be taken with the prison in the backgound.
Horace worked on the Death Railway from Thailand to Burma
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For every sleeper laid a life was lost.
The Japanese guards had their orders of,
`SpeedoŽ
No Work, No Food.
Out of every three allied prisoners taken, one did not survive.
The second Photo shows the soldiers of Bushido, some were cruel and sadistic but not all.
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1944
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22nd Jun
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Left Tamaung, Thailand for Japan
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26th Jun
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Arrived River Valley, Singapore
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2nd Jul
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Left River Valley
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4th Jul
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Left Singapore
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8th Jul
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Arrived Borneo, first time
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10th Jul
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Left Borneo, first time
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11th Jul
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Arrived Borneo, second time
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12th Jul
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Left Borneo, second time
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16th Jul
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Arrived Manila
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23rd Jul
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Left Manila
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27th Jul
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Arrived Formosa, first time
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31st Jul
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Left Formosa, first time
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1st Aug
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Arrived Formosa, second time
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4th Aug
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Left Formosa, second time
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8th Aug
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Saw Japan
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10th Aug
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Disembarked Maji
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11th Aug
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Left by rail, Simonseni 3am, Arrived Osaka
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12th Aug
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Left Osaka, arrived Tokyo
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13th Aug
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Left Tokyo,, arrived Onahama POW Camp.
List of prisoners from 4th Royal Norfolks click here
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1945
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14th Aug
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2nd World War finishes
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15th Aug
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05.50 hours, usual mine working parade. Arrival at mine, no work. Return to camp at 16.00 hours, hear wild rumours of war being ended.
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16th Aug
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05.50 hours, Parade for work but no work done.
Rumours much stronger concerning war ended.
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17th Aug
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05.50 hours, Parade for work. We finished all work for Japs at 13.00 hours. We hear that rumour is correct. Nearly one year of misery
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18th Aug
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We are waiting Free Men, no cigarettes, very poor and small meals
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19th Aug
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Still waiting
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20th Aug
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Repeato
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21st Aug
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We have a smoke
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22nd Aug
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Lousy meals for Free Men
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23rd Aug
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Rumours of moving
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24th Aug
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Rumours of planes with food
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25th Aug
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Planes over at 09.20 hours. What a greeting. Tears in all the boys eyes. Good old Yanks.
16.00 hours, Yanks back again with supplies.
We got:
17 cigs
Half small 4oz Tin of Meat
Half packet of Assorted
Half 2oz Fruit Bar
2 Cubes of sugar
2 Biscuits
Half 3oz Pkt Coffee Powder
Half 2oz Cereal
Per Man
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9th Sep
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We at last say goodbye to Onahama POW Camp. Board train for Yokahama. Arrive Yokaham and send cable home.
Fine reception Band etc. Board U.S.S. Bracken. My first good meal for nearly four years.
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10th Sep
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Lying in Yokahama Bay waiting to pull out.
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11th Sep
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We set sail for Manila
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12th Sep
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Trip very good but others eating well and me off my food and feeling pretty rotten,whole of trip
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18th Sep
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Arrive Manila, get ready for going ashore but it is cancelled.
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19th Sep
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We pack up and go ashore straight on to Yankee Trucks and have a trip of about 20 miles through Manila. Place knocked about pretty bad.
Arrive at camp. Plenty of mud, rainy season. Tent Camp, but what a treat. First real beds for nearly four years.
Canteen, free Cigs, Candy Tof, Shavers. Cinemas and dam good chow.
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20th Sep
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We get issue of kit and interrogated.
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21st Sep
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1st pay for nearly four years, ie 40 Peseto
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22nd Sep
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Waiting for Medical Test
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