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Introduction

Started by rafboy, January 24, 2008, 09:09:27 PM

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rafboy

Good evening all, having just joined I had better introduce myself.  I am Cliff Phillips the son of the late 3525679 Sgt Arthur Phillips 1st Bn Manchester Regiment and the Royal Army Pay Corps.  I am sure you will forgive me not being a soldier but having travelled to Wuppertal, Berlin and Malaya with him and attended Slim School (See: http://www.slimschoolmalaya.com/maingate.htm)  the Army Boarding School in the Cameron Highlands Malaya, I had seen enough of Army life.  The two sea journeys to and from Malaya, out in luxury on the P&O Chusan, home with the Regiment on the Asturias had put me off the Navy so I joined the RAF as a Boy Entrant aged 15 and served for 19 1/2 years. Following my RAF service I worked in the defence industry for 25 years, the last 20 for BAe at Filton Bristol and in Plymouth.
I will be back at the weekend with some more information on my father and questions which I will post under the POW heading.  In advance if anyone has any knowledge of POW's being moved from Japan to Taiwan (Formosa) before the end of the war please contact me.
I am going to the Regimental Museum in the morning to formely present my fathers medals to them.  For anyone in the Manchester area I am told the local area TV will be interviewing me.
Cliff P Son of 3525679 Sgt Arthur Phillips 1st Bn Manchester Regiment and RAPC

tisgrannie

Hello and welcome to the site. I wish I could be at your Medal hand over. Thank you  for your very generous gesture. It will add to a growing collection at the Museum. Don't apologise for being RAF our youngest is serving. Plus his wife, very proud we are too of them both. There are lots of experts on here who will help you rafboy. Look forward to seeing your posts.
Best wishes
Have a great day tomorrow.
tisgrannie

harribobs

Hi Cliff

and welcome to the group

i know we have some interesting items regarding the regiments POWs. not sure of whether it involves the transfer to taiwan

i look forward to reading about Arthur, on a purely nosey note ;D, can i ask what medals Arthur earned?

cheers

chris
"It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply
  to serve as a warning to others."

themonsstar

Hi Cliff
And welcome to the site.

He joined up 21st July 1932


3525679 L/Cpl A.Phillips moved from Cyprus on the SS Fouadieh 28th Nov 1937 to Port Said.

2nd Oct 1938 he was part of the Baggage party that embarked at Haifa, the ship ( H.T. Dilwara) embarked on 3rd Oct 1938 to Singapore. He disembarked in Singapore 20th Oct 1938, he was in Headquarter Company.

On his PoW card:
Phillips Arthur.
Date of Brith 16/3/1913.
Rank Cpl.
Date of Capture 15/2/42.
Place of Capture Malaya.
Place of Origin Glossop Derbyshire, England.
NOK: Mrs G Burford, 4 Brook Street, Glossop, Derbyshire.
Occupotion Carpanter.


On his Liberation Questionnaire
He was in Chang Pow Camp 15/2/42-29/10/42.
29/10/42 he moved to Formosa.

I have not had a look at any more of the Jap Pow paperwork I have on the 1st Manchester Bn yet.

sphinx

Well done Roy,

Thats a fantastic amount of information, those POW cards are really most useful.

regards

rafboy

Thank you all for your welcome and thank you for the detailed information, it confirms information I had.  The liberation questionair backs up something that I will explain later, I had not seen this before.
I had a good day at the Regimental Museum, I have never had so many photographs taken of me.  Two local papers sent reporters and photographers plus a photographer for the Manchester Evening New, I had been interviewed by telephone yesterday by the M E N.  The TV crew failed to turn up.  The weather caused problems on the way home to North Yorkshire with HGV's being blown over, the M62 came to a standstill so I left at the junction for Leeds/Bradford airport.  I know my way from the airport but managed to get lost before there, second time I have done that, the airport direction signs dissapear. It was better than sitting still on the M62 for 2 hours then crawling up the A1.
I will post details of my fathers service etc over the weekend, must get to bed now it's been a long day.
Cliff

Cliff P Son of 3525679 Sgt Arthur Phillips 1st Bn Manchester Regiment and RAPC