No.1092995, Gunner, Thomas William BRIGHTWELL
Aged 23
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Thomas William Brightwell was born in Walthamstow on 12th May 1921 (West Ham Q2-1921 4A:815) , son of Uriah (W.W.)and Florence P. BRIGHTWELL (née DRAYTON) of Soham.
For the 1939 register his father Uriah( William) [12-5-1892] a general labourer; mother Florence P [6-10-1890]; brother Edward J [15-10-1919] farm labourer; sister Florence R [12-11-1923] a domestic servant later Mrs WILLIAMSON were at 11 Northfield Road, Soham. There is one closed record. |
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He attested for the Royal Artillery in 1940.
Tom Brightwell was captured on 15th February 1942 the day the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese.
from Ron Taylor's roll-of-honour.org.uk it appears that he would have been on the Taiko Maru - carried only British from Taiwan (Keelung) departing 27 February 1945 - arrived 10 March 1945. He was at Fukuoka 24B, Emukae, working for the Sumitomo Coal Mining Company. He contracted "croup style" pneumonia on 10th March 1945 and died on 20th April as cause of death and he was interred in Yokohama Cemetery. It is not known when he was transferred fro Singapore to Taiwan, presumably after the completion of the Siam-Burma railway.. |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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