Old News

[Lou Barron]

Before my mother died in 1962 she sent to me a lot of my letters and other papers i that time i read them and stuck them in a small case with some other old photos and things .So the other day i was looking for a article that i had written for the local newspaper many years ago and i found a letter adressed to my Mum . It was from the Union Castle CO dated september 1942 saying the loss of the Gloucester Castle and we are sorry to presume the the loss of your son (the letter is a bit tattered and torn .Then i found another letter fom the British Red Cross saying that we prisoners of war of the Japanese that letter was dated 1944

[Jacyn Wade]

Isn't it interesting to find old letters, Lou? I think they tell so much more than just the words in them, how much of an impact they made on lives and the importance of them. And sadly, letter writing seems to be a dying art. How wonderful to have the ones that were kept and passed on.

[Doc Vernon]

What a wonderfull find Lou,and although i know it must bring back some sad memories,its the sort of thing that Money cant buy mate!
Keep hold of these sorts of things the are irreplaceble!
Thanks and Cheers

Something like the letter personally signed by General Smuts to my dear Father congratulating,and thanking him for his Service during the War!
I keep that safe,in a special place!
Cheers

[Richard Quartermaine]

Lou. My mother died in 1983 and I saw her rarely because of my overseas work. The last time I saw her after an absence of 10 years she was in deep dementia and it was heartbreaking. I was so grateful when my sister gave me all my letters to her and I have kept all my letters from her.

On POW matters. I lived in Singapore twice from 1968 to 1971 and 1976 to 1987. During this time I had friends who had been "in the bag' as they called it. Most of these were people who had made their home in Singapore and Malaysia pre-war. Some colleagues of mine in Queensland Insurance Company, which I joined in 1957 were POW's in Changi, Malaysia and Thailand and one was in a POW camp in Surabaya, Indonesia.

I was at the opening of a branch office in Surabaya for our Indonesian company in 1980 and our Surabaya manager introduced me to a Mr Chin. This man asked me did I know Mr Ken Todd who was in charge of QI Co Surabaya branch at the time the Japs occupied Indonesia. I said I did and he asked me to pass on my good wishes.

Some years later I was at a Queensland Insurance Oldies retirees gathering in Sydney and passed the message on to Ken. Tears came to Ken's eyes as he told me that Mr Chin was his chief clerk and that for three or so years after he and his Dutch wife were captured, Chen at great risk brought him food and was able to get news about his wife in another camp.

I run a website for our retirees and I have recently included an item about my old friends Bill Flowers, Peter and John who were POWs that you never know, you may have met them. The URL is Queensland Insurance Company Oldies. with a link to "VALE: Bill Flowers."

Best wishes to you and wife.

Richard Q

[Lou Barron]

Thank you Richard for the information on Singapore and the people you have met on your travels.They would have some very good stories to tell of life in Singapore in the old days regards Lou

[Richard Cowper]

Wartime Information sought. Sadly my lovely Father has just died. He served on the Worcester Training Ship from 1939 to 1941 and then joined Shell as a cadet. He served with them throughout the war on tankers.
Unfortunately I do not know the name of his ships though I believe he was a cadet on the Corelia and later a second mate on a Rapana class tanker converted to carry aircraft. I believe he was sunk twice. However I would welcome any information about his service during the war. His great friend in Shell was Thomas Webster, later a Captain but his whereabouts unknown. My email is richard@richardcowper.com. I would be especially grateful for any information before his funeral this wednesday.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Do you have any documents: Discharge book etc ?

These could help much.

K.