Private Charles Walker (SN. 3529183) - Help Please

[pete th]

Hi, can anyone help me with additional information or a photograph of Private Charles Walker, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment (Service No. 3529183)? He was captured (at Singapore we believe) and died as a POW on the 20th December 1942 at the age of 24. He is buried in Chungkai War Cemetery.

Charles was engaged to my wife's grandmother, who is 90 years young, and she told me the story yesterday. Any additional info would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Pete

[rafboy]

Welcome Pete.
Have a look at the WW2 POW section you will find more information on the Singapore POW's there including my father 3525679 Sgt Arthur Phillips.
Charles is included in the Roll of Honour in Arthur Lanes book "One God Too' Many Devils" and in a document available from the Regimental Museum reference MR1/3/1/18 Title: "First Battalion The Manchester Regiment Malaya, Thailand, Burma 1939 ~ 1945.
Cliff 

[pete th]

Cliff, brilliant, thank you. I would really appreciate the high resolution photos so that I can show them to 'Lettie' (my grandmother in law, if there's such a thing) and hopefully ID Charles. Although she is 90 years old she is as sharp as a razor. I showed her some photographs of soldiers from the first world war from the Irlam and Cadishead area (she was born in 1918) and she correctly identified three of them and also the streets they lived on. For instance, she picked out Arthur Potts (Military Medallist 1/6th Manchesters) as being, some years after the war, her manager at Kinders Wallpaper Works. When I checked my notes I found that he had worked at Kinders before the war.

I think she will be able to ID Charles if he is on the photograph.

Thanks once again
Pete

[tisgrannie]

How wonderful is that. God bless her. I hope she does ID Charles. Sad that he died though. Horrible place for him.
regards
tis

[rafboy]

Pete,
If you have not already seen my update on the 2 photos of groups of Japanese POW's this is it, I have removed references to the 2 group photos from this thread as a result of the latest information:                                                                                                                                                           With regard to the two photos of groups of POW  which were thought to have been taken in Singapore early 1942 with my father and Stephen Cooney identified in them.
It has now been conclusively shown that these photos were taken in  Fanatsu Nagoya 3B POW camp Japan.
There is a book by American POW Earl Oatman, Bataan: Only the Beginning which has a photo of a group of named American POW's taken in Nagoya 3B shortly before the end of the war. The background to this photo is 100% identical to the two group photos below.
My fathers and Stephen Cooney's POW records show that neither of them were in Japan. Stephen Cooney unfortunately did not survive and is buried in Thanbyuzayat Cemetery Burma.
There were seven POW's with Manchester Regiment Service Numbers in Nagoya 3B, unfortunately 3521326 WO2 (CSM) Frederick Lewis was one of the only two British POW's to die in Nagoya 3B. The Remaining six survivors are:
3533925 L/Cpl Richard Benson identified as being Royal Military Police whilst in Nagoya 3B. (168)
3535950 Pte John Birchall (170)
3533289 L/Cpl Herbert Hadfield also identified as Royal Military Police. He is the man who had these photos in his possession, his daughter lent them to me to scan. Sadly she passed away a few years ago. Herbert's POW Records confirm that he was in Nagoya 3B.
3528807 Pte William Halliwell (231)
3524146 Sgt Major Cecil Hoyle (242)
3526627 Cpl Edward Henry Moore (284)
The men's camp numbers shown in brackets above are on their shirts in the 2 Group photos.

In light of the confirmed location of these photos I have removed some posts that in hindsight had incorrect information in them in order to prevent any confusion for anyone who views this thread in the future.
I regret that I am unable to contact any of those relatives who believed they had identified someone in the photos. I cannot place any of those thought to be in the photos in Japan other than Herbert Hadfield.
Cliff   

[pete th]

Thanks Cliff