The Fall of Singapore 15th February 1942

[rafboy]

The true reason why we lost Singapore to the Japanese and the true numbers of troops on each side.
See:  http://www.powtaiwan.org/singapore.html
Cliff

[Dave1212]

Very interesting article Cliff + the added feature for me came from another article on the site where it lists one of the men from the Halifax '100' story – Robert 'Bob' Bickford. This is a wonderful find! Here is the link:

http://www.powtaiwan.org/articles/other_commonwealth.html

I have not located Bob's family yet nor do I possess any firsthand accounts but I do have two newspaper references which place him with the other men from the story. After the war, one of the articles state, Bob came home to Halifax before returning to England settling in Runcorn, Cheshire where he was employed as a postman.

Thanks Cliff!

[rafboy]

I had wondered if any of the Canadian's would be from your 100.  My father also ended up in Shirakawa POW camp.
I am not on my computer at the moment but will check later to see if I have his POW Record Card for you.  I will also ask Michael Hurst (A Canadian) if he has any more information on him.
Cliff

[rafboy]

Dave, I have had chance to check the POW and QL Cards that Roy sent me and do not have his.  Perhaps Roy could add it to his list for his next visit to Kew.
Cliff

[Dave1212]

I certainly don't want to draw attention away from the importance of your initial post Cliff but thank you again. I had visited the site on previous occasions but never noticed Bickford's name – better late than never I guess.

Finding out what happened to Bob brings the total to eight men in the story who served as POW's during the war:

Four were captured in France 1940 (3 2/Manchesters, 1 RASC)
One man was captured in North Africa 1943 serving with the Green Howards
Bob along with two others, Walter O'Hara 1/Manchesters & John 'Jack' Goodman 9th Coast Regiment RA were captured at Singapore.

A ninth soldier I include is Norman 'John' Trueman 1/Manchesters. While not part of the '100' story, I did come across his name within Canada's Books of Remembrance so I certainly had to place him on my list. Sadly John along with Jack Goodman + two of the soldiers captured in 1940 did not survive their ordeal & died due to their weakened state during or shortly after the war.

I am in contact with families of five of the soldiers.

Jack Goodman is buried Kanchanaburi War Cemetery after dying of cholera while working on the Thailand-Burma Railway in 1943. John Trueman died at the end of August 1945 & was buried at Kranj War Cemetery.

The following links display other Canadians also buried at these cemeteries. Each man is listed within the Books of Remembrance however I was surprised by the overall number. The site doesn't offer any great detail about the individual but it does offer an interesting feature of locating others via cemetery, unit or date of death. If anyone is researching a WWII Canadian soldier/sailor/airman, you might find it handy:

http://www.wwii.ca/memorial/world-war-ii/cemetary/1/Kanchanaburi%20War%20Cemetery/

http://www.wwii.ca/memorial/world-war-ii/cemetary/1/Kranji%20War%20Cemetery/

Thanks again Cliff!