FREEMAN, Philip Roy Clifford


No.565537, Sergeant, Philip Roy Clifford FREEMAN
Aged 29


205 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Died of Illness in Captivity on Tuesday, 3rd April 1945


'Pertama di-Malaya" - First in Malaya


Philip Roy Clifford FREEMAN was born on 7th May 1915 (Fareham Q2-1915 2B:944) son of Clifford and Florence Nightingale FREEMAN (née DARKING) His parents were Haverhill natives and married in Haverhill. It seems likely that Philip was born when his father was away in the Army and his mother went to stay with relatives in Hampshire.

When his father finally returned home, the family moved briefly to Little Yeldham and soon afterwards to Sible Hedingham.
Phil attended the village school in neighbouring Castle Hedingham. At the age of 12 Phil won a scholarship to the Grammar School in Earls Colne, becoming the first 'Grammar School' boy in the family. But when his Father lost his job in 1931, Phil left school and sat the RAF Apprentices Exam. He began his training at RAF Halton in Sept 1931. In 1933 the family moved back to Haverhill, where for many years Phil's Aunt ran a Tobacconists and Confectioners Shop in the High Street (M & L. Freeman - Nos. 75-77).
After three years at Halton Phil was posted to RAF Felixstowe, where alongside his work, he indulged in his twin passions of photography and cricket. A fine off spin bowler (he once took 4 wickets in 4 balls), he was nicknamed "Tich", after his namesake A.P "Tich" Freeman - who was a legendary leg spin bowler at that time for Kent and England. Ironically Phil was rather tall!
In 1938 Phil married Violet Doreen Dawson [31-1-1917] in 1938 (Deben Q3-1938) in Felixstowe. And soon afterwards, in May 1939, he was posted with 62 Squadron to the Far East.



In the 1939 register his wife was living at 377 High Street, Felixstowe with her parents, Horace W DAWSON [5-11-1890] a wharf labourer and Ethel M. DAWSON [21-5-1890]. No closed records
His parents, Clifford FREEMAN [26-5-1894] a tobacconist/confectioner (disability pensioner ex solider) and Florence N [30-9-1896] together with Doris D BLACK (later JANSEN) [25-7-1917], single, a warehouse clerk and an infant Colin E Freeman [26-7-1937] (reg Q3-Halstead 4A:1387, mother DARKING) were at 8 The Pightle, Haverhill. No closed records.





Philip was in Entry 24 at RAF Halton at RAF Halton as an apprentice. Then he joined 62 Squadron and Blenheim Mk1. (http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/24.htm)

The year given for his capture is 17, that is the koki year, ie 17th year of the reign of Emperor Hirohito, ie 1942, so he was captured on 8th March 1942. This would apparently been in Java, the day the Dutch administration surrendered the island to the Japanese. Philip is listed on the Aircrew Remembered website, but his trade is not recorded.

In April 1941, No.205 received its first Consolidated Catalina (the American PBY). Based at RAF Seletar, by December 1941 they had 13 Catalinas there. With the coming war to the Far East, the squadron was engaged in trying to locate Japanese naval forces on their way to invade Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. After losing several boats on this task, it moved to Java at the end of the year from its exposed base at Seletar and when Japanese forces landed it retired to the south coast of the Island.



The following details taken from Ron Taylor's site www.roll-of-honour.org.uk in conjunction with the FEPOW family.

On the 14th September 1942 he was transported on the "Nishi Maru" from Java to Singapore with 725 PoWs, arriving 19th September, then they were split up. Philip was in the group of 672 sent on the "Hiteru Maru" to Kuching, Borneo on 9th October 1942. His death was recorded as due to malaria, so missing one of the terrible marches from Sandakan to Paginatan and Ranau which started on 29th January 1945. Of the 2434 prisoners, of Sandakan, 1787 Australian and 641 British died, only 6 Australians survived by escaping. Of those who were left incarcerated, every single one perished, either through disease, malnutrition, brutality, execution or on one of the notorious "Death Marches".
Phil died in camp on 3rd April 1945, aged 29 years, officially from malaria. He was initially buried in the No. 2 Cemetery (grave D:C:2) at Sandakan, but his remains were later interred in the War Cemetery on Labuan Island, just off the Coast of Northern Borneo on 16th June 1949.

This is photograph of 2 Catalinas of 205 Squadron from the collections of the Imperial War Museums





photo from asiawargraves.com


photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Philip Freeman is buried in Labuan War Cemetery grave T:C:2
and commemorated on his parents' grave

Phil's sister, Doris, married Reginald Thomas BLACK in the autumn of 1939. Just a couple of months later on 18 December 1939, Reginald, aged 20 and a corporal in 9 Sqn, RAF, was on a reconnaissance flight over Wilhelmshaven. His plane, a Wellington, was last seen with the engine on fire. There were no survivors. His name is also on the Haverhill WW2 Memorial Plaque.
Phil's uncle, Daniel Freeman (brother of his father, Cliff) served in the Royal Garrison Artillery in WW1 and was killed in action on 28 March 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme. He is also remembered on the Haverhill WW1 Memorial.

Information and photograph of Phil Freeman kindly provided by his nephew, Paul Freeman.


click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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