Remembering those brave men from Fenland who died in the Far East during World War Two

Deep in the jungle of Myanmar, Wisbech man Sergeant George Henry Large took his last breath in November 1943. He was 38.

Alongside thousands of his comrades, including many from Fenland, he had endured almost two years of unbelievable deprivation and torture at the merciless hands of his captors, ultimately making the final sacrifice in the service of his country.

Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ day, which signalled victory over Japan and the end of World War Two, George’s great-nephew Jamie Randall, 75, remembers those brave men…

At the onset of war in 1939, Great Britain had a colonial presence across the world. In the Far East these included the Indian sub-continent, large parts of the Malayan peninsula and Singapore. Japan was intent upon extending its own imperial possessions and had in 1931/32 invaded Manchuria, China.

They subjected the Chinese people to extraordinary brutality, something that was to become very familiar to the British people. Japan was preparing itself to take Britain’s colonial possessions.

Back in the UK, military planning at the onset of war with Germany in 1939 had hardly considered the defence of the Far East, believing our possessions secure. The decision was taken to increase our military strength in readiness to regain control of North Africa and the Middle East. It was against this backdrop that the creation of the 18th Division was made.

The 18th Division of the Territorial Army was created in March 1939 to be comprised of men from the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire.

On December 7, 1941, Japan started the invasion of Malaya shortly before their attack on Pearl Harbour. This resulted in the immediate entry of the United States into the War and provided the impetus for Japan to attack Britain.

Singapore was a large port with British forces well positioned to defend it. The military thinking was that it would only be necessary to defend Singapore from attack from the sea. This decision proved to be a major strategic error.

Ships carrying the 18th Division travelled via South Africa, heading to the Middle East. They moved on to Mombasa in Kenya when the decision came to send them to Malaya via India where a short amount of training took place.

The British and Empire forces in Singapore at that time were comprised of a large contingent of Australian troops, and considerable political pressure was being exerted by Australia for Britain to demonstrate its commitment to the Far East by sending more troops. This was a major reason for the diversion of the 18th Division to Singapore.

The 18th Division arrived at Singapore on January 13, 1942 after 12 weeks of travel. The Japanese had already taken most of the Malayan peninsula and, on February 8, launched their attack on Singapore. The 18th Division was plunged into its defence with only a minimal amount of jungle warfare training. They had been presented with an impossible task.

After extensive fighting, much of it at close quarters, in which allied forces demonstrated great courage, the Japanese gained victory over numerically superior allied forces.

Allied forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese on February 15, 1942.

The lives of thousands of allied troops were now in Japanese hands after one of the worst defeats ever suffered by Britain.

The man my family had often discussed was Sergeant George Henry Large of 287 Field Company Royal Engineers. He was 38 years old and had previously been a regular soldier for seven years in the Suffolk Regiment. He had left the army in 1931 to resume civilian life, only to be recruited into the 18th Division in 1939.

He lived some of his life in Tilney cum Islington and then on Sutton Road in Wisbech. As a regular soldier, he spent time in both China and India. He was physically fit and strong when he enlisted in 287 Field Company Royal Engineers.

Most of the men of the 18th Division from Cambridgeshire and Wisbech were either killed or captured by the Japanese on the fall of Singapore. At first, the prisoners were held in Changi Prison in Singapore - in overcrowded and appalling conditions.

Subsequently, the Japanese sent large groups of prisoners from Changi for destinations unknown, to work as forced labour for the Japanese across Southeast Asia.

Initially, men from many of the regiments within Changi managed to stay together. However, as they were moved from one location to another, they often became separated, largely due to illnesses and the inability to move. The men were mainly British, but there were also Australians, Dutch, and later some Americans.

All groups that departed from Changi were identified by a letter of the alphabet , from A Force to K Force. Progressively, seven of the forces were moved to Thailand or Burma (now Myanmar).

Unlike the other forces, F Force was not deemed to be a working party. The prisoners of war allocated to this force were all sick men, regarded as not fit enough to be transferred to working areas. The 7,000 men within this unit were comprised of 3,400 British and 3,600 Australians.

Many of the men of 287 Field Company belonged to F Force, including my great-uncle George and 18 other Fenmen from the Wisbech area.

The reason for moving them was necessitated, or so the Japanese said, by the lack of food and provisions in Singapore. The Japanese said good conditions and supplies would be abundant in a better climate to enable the sick to recuperate.

They were allowed to take equipment such as blankets, cooking utensils, gramophones and even a piano. Transport would be provided so they could take whatever they needed. Plenty of food and medical supplies were promised. Unfortunately, these empty promises were believed. In reality, the Japanese wanted these men out of Changi and away from Singapore, no matter what consequences befell them.

On April 18, the ill-fated F Force began to leave Singapore in 13 trains heading for Ban Pong in Thailand. These trucks were metal and enclosed, with no ventilation. Most men were unable to sit down, having to take turns with their knees tucked up under their chins.

There was no sanitation, and as many of the men suffered from dysentery, conditions became intolerable. When nature called, men hung their backsides out of the door, but many were too weak to hold onto the moving train, and their mates had to help them for fear they would fall out and be killed. As the heat intensified, the trucks became like ovens, and they all suffered from severe thirst.

The journey took five days, and on one part of it they went for 36 hours without food. Arriving at Ban Pong, the men unloaded, exhausted, ill, hungry and thirsty.

They were ordered to dump most of the provisions, including the much-needed medical supplies. The Japanese promised to follow on with these supplies in trucks, but they never did. It was later learnt that all their supplies were looted by the Thai people.

From Ban Pong station, the weary and very sick prisoners were ordered to march to the nearest camp at Kanchanaburi, about 40 miles. This proved very difficult for many of the weak, seriously ill men.

Arriving at the first camp, they were appalled to see what awaited them and began to realise that they were not headed for a decent camp and the promises that went with it. The sight before their eyes was one of filth and squalor. Their huts had a space of about two feet for each man lying side by side. The ground consisted of several inches of thick, dirty mud. The place was crawling with bed bugs and flies, and the makeshift latrines were covered with thick white maggots.

This was the first of many such camps.

Most of the prisoners who made up the F Force had illnesses brought on by their imprisonment. The most prevalent diseases were diphtheria, dysentery and beriberi. All the men suffered from malnutrition. There was little medical treatment.

The Japanese treated prisoners with disrespect and contempt. Little food was provided, and water was often contaminated. The work they were forced to do was torturous, with long hours and little rest. Diseases were rampant, and many men were taken ill, but still forced to work.

By now, they had learnt that they would be building the ‘Death Railway’ from Thailand into Burma. They were force-marched over 200 miles, through thick jungle and swamps, much of it at night. Many did not survive. My great-uncle was one of these. He died on November 21, 1943 of beriberi at Kami Songkurai, a basic jungle clearing far from home.

Beriberi is a disease caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) that affects many systems of the body. Beriberi literally means 'I can't, I can't', which reflects the crippling effect it has on its victims.

The diet of the Far East prisoners of war (FEPOWs) consisted, to a great extent, of polished rice, where the husk, which contains thiamine, has been removed. All of the meagre food provided by the Japanese was of very low nutritional value.

At Kami Songurai, along with many others, he was buried in the jungle. Fortunately, some prisoners were able to keep records of the dead and the locations at which they were buried. Keeping records was forbidden and dangerous - the punishment was death.

A great number of men suffered so horribly at the hands of the Japanese. Men of all nationalities.

The Japanese were defeated at the end of 1945, and the lucky survivors returned home. The war in the Far East became known as the “forgotten war.” There was considerable embarrassment in the “corridors of power” in respect of the government’s lack of knowledge and its initial ignorance of the appalling treatment being suffered by prisoners of war, and its ability to do anything about it.

I don’t know how my family learned of his death, or indeed if they did. What I do know, though, is that he was always remembered and always will be. He was greatly missed. I vividly recall my family’s anger when, after the war, they learnt of the way he and other Japanese prisoners had been treated.

There were 89 Members of 287 Field Company who died in the jungle building the railway. Of these 31 came from Cambridgeshire, and 19 of those were from Wisbech and Fenland.

The list of names can be seen below, together with associated details.

At the end of the war, following the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan, the War Graves Commission located as many graves as it could, and the bodies were exhumed and then reinterred in graveyards for British, Commonwealth and Dutch prisoners.

The majority of those who died on the “Death Railway” now lie in two war cemeteries. One is at the southern end of the railway at Kanchanaburi in Thailand, and the other at the northern end at Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar (Burma).

The 19 Fenland men of 287 Company now lie at Thanbyuzayat, including George. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has responsibility for the upkeep of these cemeteries, and does an excellent job.

This is a sad story of brave men who volunteered to fight for their country, many making the ultimate sacrifice in a hostile environment far from the Fens. They were men of their time. We should be proud and remember them.

For me, finding out what happened to George has been a very personal mission - necessary to exorcise the indelible mark left on me and my family. I am pleased to have done it, even though I was surprised at how emotionally challenging it was at times. My family would be pleased that I have done it, but I am sad that they are not here to see the whole story. Perhaps that’s for the best.

Members of the 287 Field Company, Royal Engineers who fell:

Sapper John William Barnes, of Wisbech - died of dysentery, September 29, 1943. Buried at Thanbaya Cemetery;

Corporal Keith Cecil Barrett, 30, of Wisbech - died of malaria, August 31, 1943. Buried at Thanbaya Cemetery;

Corporal Albert Edward Burrell, 37, of Elm - died of Beri-beri and diarrhoea, December 26, 1943, Buried at Sime Road Cemetery;

Sapper Alfred William Butcher, 32, of March -died of diarrhoea, August 6, 1943 - buried at Songkurai No. 2 Cemetery;

Driver Samuel Alexander Cleaver, 23, of Wisbech, died of dysentery and malaria, August 27, 1943, buried at Thanbaya Cemetery;

Driver John Horace Cole, 23, of Wisbech, died of diarrhoea, August 6, 1943, buried at Songkurai No. 2 Cemetery;

Driver Stanley Cooper, 33, of Leverington Common, died of cholera, May 30, 1943, buried at Songkurai No. 1 Cemetery;

Lance Corporal Sydney Neville Friend, 31, of Wisbech, died of diarrhoea, August 28 1943 buried at Thanbyuzayat Cemetery

Sapper George William Franks, 25, of March, died of Beri-beri, September 2, 1943, buried at 95 Kilo (Kyondaw) Transit Camp Cemetery;

Sapper Roy Edward Holland, 22, of Wisbech, died of tropical ulcers, September 2, 1943, buried at 95 Kilo (Kyondaw) Transit Camp Cemetery;

Sapper Montie Louis Jefferson, 23, of Friday Bridge, died of tropical ulcers and dysentery, September 22 1943, buried at Thanbaya Cemetery;

Lance Corporal Jack Joseph Jones, 21, of Wisbech, died of Beri-beri, November 26, 1943, buried at Kami Songkurai Cemetery;

Sergeant George Henry Large, 38, of Wisbech, died of Beri-beri, November 21, 1943, buried at Kami Songkurai Cemetery.

Sapper Raymond Bernard Pentelow, 23, of Tydd St Giles, died of tropical ulcers, October 9, 1943, buried at Thanbaya Cemetery;

Sapper Eric Athur Salmons, 23, of Wisbech, died of Beri-beri, September 26, 1943, buried at Kami Songkurai Cemetery;

Sapper Jack William Simpole, 23, of Wisbech, died of cholera, June 18, 1943, buried at Songkurai No. 1 Cemetery;

Driver George Leonard Swann, 25, of Wisbech, died of cholera, June 15, 1943, buried at Songkurai No. 1 Cemetery;

Sapper Archie Frank Taylor, 32, died of inanition (starvation), September 6, 1943, buried at Kan'buri 'F' & 'H' Forces BG No. 1;

Lance Corporal Thomas Harvey Whisper, 27, of Walpole Cross Keys, died of chronic malaria and tropical ulcers, October 7, 1943, buried at Kan'buri 'F' & 'H' Forces BG No. 1.