St Albans ex-POW reaches 100 - News - Herts Advertiser:
'via Blog this'
Monday, 24 March 2014
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I have set up this site to support my research related to the events and personal stories concerning the fall of Singapore in February 1942. Specifically my interest relates to the evacuation of civilians and military personnel from Keppel harbour where most of the evacuation ships left from in the last days before Singapore capitulated to the Japanese. http://www.twitter.com/singapore1942 You can contact me on davidahope@gmail.com
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2 comments:
What a brilliant revelation!
Captain Cyril William 'Bill' Pearson was one of the very brave men to take the incredibly adventurous decision to volunteer to man four ' left behind parties ' as the Japanese army swept down the Malayan peninsula. These were primarily civilian men - rubber planters, mining engineers , dredge masters, ships engineers on tin mines etc who knew the Malayan jungle, geography and climate well. Pearson was in the Perak Battalion of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces and then selected for a 'Left Behind Party' of five men, three of whom were killed within a few weeks in Pahang. He was captured and incarcerated in the infamous Pudu gaol with other POWS. Sent to with other POW s to the Burma railway he was arrested and tortured by the Japnese secret police 'Kempetai' - other POW's recorded his courage under torture. Pearson is now an almost unique survivor of that part of the War against the Japnese and has a story worth reading. Michael Pether, Auckland, NZ.
Bill Pearson died on 21st October 2015 age 101yrs.
Tina Hibberd (Daughter).
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