No.5828404, Private, George Wilfred BACKLER
Aged 32
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George Wilfred Backler was born on 19th October 1910 in Birdbrook (Risbridge Q3-1910 4A:891), son of Ernest William and Laura BACKLER (née MASON).
1911 census...Aged 9 months, he was at Birdbrook with his father Ernest William BACKLER [40] estate carpenter born Haverhill; his mother Laura [34]; brothers Thomas William [13] errand boy and Ernest Frederick [3]; sisters Kate Ivy Maud [10], Violet May [8] and Elsie Lilian [5]. All except his father were born in Birdbrook. His widowed mother [22/12/1876] and his sister Doris Edith [14/1/1913] (later GRANT) were living at High Street, Birdbrook in 1939. He married Gladys CLAYDEN in Q1-1941. It appears to be their son, Michael J, born Q1-1942, never to see his father. |
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He enlisted in Haverhill, mobilised the same day as Frank Cook judging by their numbers. His Prisoner of War card gives the address as Mrs
Gladys Backler, 5 Council Houses, Steeple Bumpstead, also his date of birth and occupation, gardener. He was not captured until 2 days after the surrender to the Japanese. He appears to have ended his days at Kami Sonkria, just south of the Burmese border, one of the worst of all the camps on the Railway He was initially buried in Kami Sonkrai Cemetery and moved with his comrades to Thanbyuzayat in December 1945.
His memorial stall in Birdbrook church photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
