Prisoners of war records at Find My Past

[emjay]

Just found the two Japanese prisoners of war in my wife's family.
We lived much of our married life in the same house that one of these two uncles of hers had previously lived, (both uncles survived the appalling experience). It seemed so strange to read our former address, handwritten, on the record from the P.O.W. camp.
Both these scanned images show home address and civilian occupation, some Japanese writing/characters also.

 

[Gillian]

I've now found the records for my first cousin's husband, who was captured at the downfall of Singapore in 1942. Like emjay's wife's uncles he survived the experience (in Thailand) and was released in 1945. Although a professor of economics by profession, his all-consuming hobby was genealogy. For some reason, long before I had the least interest in the subject, he gave me family trees he'd compiled for three branches of his wife's family, so my family, too. Luckily, despite my total lack of interest in those days, I hung onto the trees. They've been invaluable. The sad thing is that he moved to Australia, where he died, and I was never able to share my findings with him.

 

[Susan48]

How pleased he would have been that you had carried on his work, Gillian. Perhaps he had some premonition that one day you would build on those trees.

 

[Gillian]

Perhaps he had some premonition that one day you would build on those trees.

Yes, that's right. But best of all - his grandson, so my first cousin twice removed, has now also discovered an interest in family history, and I've been able to share his grandfather's findings with him. And, yes, he's joined Lost Cousins.