No.5932903, Private, Arthur William BROWN
Aged 21
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Arthur William Brown was born in Soham Fen on 19th May 1923 (Newmarket Q3-1923 3B:775), baptised in Isleham on 22nd June 1923 , son of Herbert Joseph
and Annie Elizabeth BROWN (née TAYLOR), at one time of King's Farm, Soham Fen. The confusion of his year of birth ( this registration and CWGC record) unfortunately could not be resolved by his PoW card, which has not been found. In the 1939 Register, at River Bank, Soham Fen were his father, Herbert J BROWN [27-6-1885], farm labourer; mother Annie E [16-5-1888]; brothers Godfrey [12-6-1913] farm labourer and Reginald [31-1-28] scholar and sister Brenda [16-10-1935] later Mrs WALLER] His brother Francis was killed in Netherlands in 1944. see here |
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Arthur was captured at the surrender of Singapore on 15th February 1942. The 2nd Cambridgeshires were fighting until the end,
in the Braddell Road area of Singapore.
Arthur was lost in one of the infamous "Hellships" transporting allied prisoners to the Japanese mainland, having been one of 2 Group from the Siam-Burma Railway On 21st September 1944 the Hofuku Maru [KA-57] sailed with Convoy MATA-27 for Takao in Formosa. She was attacked by an American aircraft carrier about 80 miles north of Corregidor, the aircraft carrier's planes sunk the whole fleet including the Hofuku Maru, not knowing she carried prisoners locked in the holds. The Hofuku Maru was carrying 1289 prisoners from Manila to Japan, 1047 were lost. |
