Vic Wilson from Charlton
During an account from Alfred Allbury about the fall of Singapore he mentions his co-driver Vic Wilson from Charlton who has been separated from his wife young baby.
If was just wondering, yes a massive long shot, if anyone knows anything about him or if he survived the war?
Fascinating book by the way for anybody who is interested in WWII. Highly recommended
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Thanks @Henry Irving . The only info in the book is that he was a gunner in the 18th division at the time of the fall of Singapore0
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I’ll check him out tomorrow and see what I can find. If all else fails I’ll be visiting National Archives shortly so will see if they have anything.Henry Irving said:2 -
Long Range Sniper then. Woolwich depot so no surprise to see a local man.Bigbadbozman said:Thanks @Henry Irving . The only info in the book is that he was a gunner in the 18th division at the time of the fall of Singapore
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I’ll also check Electoral Registers for Charlton to see if he survived the war. He doesn’t show up on CWGC as a war casualty, so this suggests he survived.6
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Wow you are taking my long shot to another level, bravo!!Tom_Hovi said:I’ll also check Electoral Registers for Charlton to see if he survived the war. He doesn’t show up on CWGC as a war casualty, so this suggests he survived.
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Great thread. In less than 90 minuets a total long shot grows some legs and is turning into a full investigation.
Charlton Life at its best.13 -
OK, so far have discovered a Victor C Wilson, born 1918 in Greenwich. Married during Quarter 3 in 1939 also in Greenwich to a Violet E Brown. Next step is to find their address in Charlton/Greenwich to see if they both feature on post-war electoral registers. As for his regiment, the most likely is 118th Field Regiment, R.A. which served with the 18th Division from June 1940 and was lost at Singapore, or possibly 148th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment but the 118th seems most likely.6
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Amazing stuff thanksBlitzwalker said:OK, so far have discovered a Victor C Wilson, born 1918 in Greenwich. Married during Quarter 3 in 1939 also in Greenwich to a Violet E Brown. Next step is to find their address in Charlton/Greenwich to see if they both feature on post-war electoral registers. As for his regiment, the most likely is 118th Field Regiment, R.A. which served with the 18th Division from June 1940 and was lost at Singapore, or possibly 148th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment but the 118th seems most likely.
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Awesome some of youse are.1
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I will also mention him to Charles Medhurst on Sunday if I see him. He was born, bred and still lives in East Greenwich and was taken prisoner in Singapore with his brother (died on the Burma Railway). He's in his 90's now but still as sharp as a tack.2
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I somehow seem to have transmogrified from Tom Hovi to Blitzwalker but I'm the same person!
OK people, I'm afraid that this story has a sad ending, as contrary to what I first thought (from an admittedly very quick search last night) Vic Wilson did not survive the war. Gunner Victor Charles Wilson of 118 Field Regiment R.A., died in captivity on 27 July 1943 and is buried at THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, in Burma, which suggests that Vic was one of the many who died whilst acting as slave labour on the Burma Railway. Vic had married Violet E Brown of 60 Inverine Road, Charlton during the 3rd Quarter of 1939 but they had moved to Baughurst in Hampshire (perhaps for safety's sake during the Blitz) but the electoral registers for 1945 until 1961 show Violet and her baby daughter living back in Inverine Road with her parents.1 -
In 1964, Violet seems to have moved to Bickley but cannot find anything subsequent to then.1
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Where in Bickley, Steve?Blitzwalker said:In 1964, Violet seems to have moved to Bickley but cannot find anything subsequent to then.
RIPBlitzwalker said:OK people, I'm afraid that this story has a sad ending, as contrary to what I first thought (from an admittedly very quick search last night) Vic Wilson did not survive the war. Gunner Victor Charles Wilson of 118 Field Regiment R.A., died in captivity on 27 July 1943 and is buried at THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, in Burma, which suggests that Vic was one of the many who died whilst acting as slave labour on the Burma Railway. Vic had married Violet E Brown of 60 Inverine Road, Charlton during the 3rd Quarter of 1939 but they had moved to Baughurst in Hampshire (perhaps for safety's sake during the Blitz) but the electoral registers for 1945 until 1961 show Violet and her baby daughter living back in Inverine Road with her parents.
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Below is a quote from the CWGC website:
"The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma. During its construction, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war died and were buried along the railway. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the course of the project, chiefly forced labour brought from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, or conscripted in Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar). Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in Burma worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre. The Japanese aimed at completing the railway in 14 months and work began in October 1942. The line, 424 kilometres long, was completed by December 1943. The graves of those who died during the construction and maintenance of the Burma-Siam railway (except for the Americans, whose remains were repatriated) were transferred from camp burial grounds and isolated sites along the railway into three cemeteries at Chungkai and Kanchanaburi in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. Thanbyuzayat became a prisoner of war administration headquarters and base camp in September 1942 and in January 1943 a base hospital was organised for the sick. The camp was close to a railway marshalling yard and workshops, and heavy casualties were sustained among the prisoners during Allied bombing raids in March and June 1943. The camp was then evacuated and the prisoners, including the sick, were marched to camps further along the line where camp hospitals were set up. For some time, however, Thanbyuzayat continued to be used as a reception centre for the groups of prisoners arriving at frequent intervals to reinforce the parties working on the line up to the Burma-Siam border. Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery was created by the Army Graves Service who transferred to it all graves along the northern section of the railway, between Moulmein and Nieke. There are now 3,149 Commonwealth and 621 Dutch burials of the Second World war in the cemetery."
So, given the date of Vic's death, it is possible that he died during an Allied bombing raid on the marshalling yards adjacent to the POW Camp there, or equally possible that the poor bugger was worked to death.4 -
Bugger! I didn't check - leave with me and will get back to you. Maybe tomorrow now.Henry Irving said:
Where in Bickley, Steve?Blitzwalker said:In 1964, Violet seems to have moved to Bickley but cannot find anything subsequent to then.
RIPBlitzwalker said:OK people, I'm afraid that this story has a sad ending, as contrary to what I first thought (from an admittedly very quick search last night) Vic Wilson did not survive the war. Gunner Victor Charles Wilson of 118 Field Regiment R.A., died in captivity on 27 July 1943 and is buried at THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, in Burma, which suggests that Vic was one of the many who died whilst acting as slave labour on the Burma Railway. Vic had married Violet E Brown of 60 Inverine Road, Charlton during the 3rd Quarter of 1939 but they had moved to Baughurst in Hampshire (perhaps for safety's sake during the Blitz) but the electoral registers for 1945 until 1961 show Violet and her baby daughter living back in Inverine Road with her parents.
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RIP, Vic. Was hoping he survived8
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The CWG sites in Thailand and Borneo are amazing places to visit, They have an aura that I have never felt anywhere else I have ever been. It felt like a privilege to visit one, look at all the names of the dead (some of which seemed very familiar) and remember how they fought for us, all those years ago, and so many miles from home. "Museums" to the camps are also very atmospheric, but did show the nature of conditions graphically. I have been to the site of the "Bridge over the River Kwai" film (in the Sri Lankan foothills) and also walked over the actual bridge in Thailand (which was never blown up in reality). It is hard for us now to consider the conditions imposed upon those railway workers, or those involved in death marches, as they are too far from what we call civilised. RIP all those who served.6
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Great work Steve, very sad end and as the war memorial at the says it commemorates players, staff and supporters of 'our club' who left all that was dear to fight the Greater Game overseas. I remembers not only the players but fans like Vic, we shall never forget.7
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We don't know he was a fan. But yes remember.SE7toSG3 said:Great work Steve, very sad end and as the war memorial at the says it commemorates players, staff and supporters of 'our club' who left all that was dear to fight the Greater Game overseas. I remembers not only the players but fans like Vic, we shall never forget.
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If i may just add some of the stories my father passed on to me re his time in Burma, he was never captured and fought with the royal west Kent’s, one of the last things he did before he passed away was to revisit Burma with the royal British legion.
He fought behind the Japanese lines for up to 9 months at a time, he was an expert in explosives and blew up many bridges, often fully loaded with trains, etc. They set out with sufficient food for around a month, they would then forage for the remainder of the time, eating there mules weren’t unusual. They fought hand to hand and he was bayoneted to tree with the bayonet going through his thigh, his great mate stood back to back with him and fought of the attack. They had no communication with their base and no communications with other patrols. Eveytime the entered another valley, they had no idea who or what they would come across, friend or foe, even the locals some were friendly, some were indifferent others were friends of the Japanese.
During one little skirmish, His mate took a bullet to his stomach, in most other places in the world the chances were fairly good, but with no medics, all they could would leave him behind to die or get captured and used a bayonet practice if he was lucky. Dad was the last one to say goodbye, they all heard the single shot and no one said a word.
The reason my dad went back to Burma was to say sorry and get some form of peace of mind, he did and he died happy on his return. He had suffered from nightmares ever since his return, i heard him screaming from well down the road at night, after his return for the short time he lived he never had another nightmare.
He was not a Chindit, who he dislike immensely, words cant described what he say and did, but he survived to return home and see his 3 year old child for the first time. He was a great man who never spoke about the war, the only reason i knew about the above is because he needed to get it off his mind just prior to his last trip to Burma.
Sorry for going on, just a bit of personnel; background on what is a very interesting thread.51 -
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We have some quite amazing people on this forum.1
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Fantastic post @CharltonKerry .4
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When I first started work in the early 80s, I worked some old boys who served during WW2. All were local, as I worked in Charlton, two were Addicks, remember them telling bits about the war.
John Maycock RAF, he had photos on bombing raids over Germany.
Reg Boorman, served in N.Africa
John Ascot, served in Italy, as he met his wife there during the war.
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I think those of us that started working in the 70s/80s were the last generation to work alongside WW2 veterans. When I started working for P&O in 1977, one of our Radio Officers had served in North Atlantic convoys, had a ship torpedoed beneath him and spent a few days adrift in an open lifeboat. Spoke of all this in a very matter of fact and humble manner. An amazing generation of people to whom we owe so much.12
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Total Respect!0
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In the mid-60s I worked with a great character who had been a Bomber Command navigator. After a few pints he might occasionally mention his service. One story I can vividly recall. Long after the war Bill and his missus were on holiday - a cruise, I think - when they were befriended by a couple from Berlin. "Have you ever visited our city?" "As a matter of fact I've been several times, but I was never able to stay very long!"
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OK, just to follow up I'm going to the National Archives at Kew for some research on another project this Friday but whilst I'm there I will check the War Diary for 118 Field Regiment as well as the Nominal Roll and "Enquiries into missing personnel" files for this regiment to see if I can find anything of the circumstances of Vic's death. I should also have an answer to your Bickley question by then @Henry Irving.
Interestingly, Vic's wife Violet Elizabeth seems to have changed her name back from Wilson to her maiden name of Brown sometime during 1953, so not sure what this is all about. I will report back when I have more.0 -
Thanks Tom, I definitely owe you a pint or two for all your work on this. IanTom_Hovi said:OK, just to follow up I'm going to the National Archives at Kew for some research on another project this Friday but whilst I'm there I will check the War Diary for 118 Field Regiment as well as the Nominal Roll and "Enquiries into missing personnel" files for this regiment to see if I can find anything of the circumstances of Vic's death. I should also have an answer to your Bickley question by then @Henry Irving.
Interestingly, Vic's wife Violet Elizabeth seems to have changed her name back from Wilson to her maiden name of Brown sometime during 1953, so not sure what this is all about. I will report back when I have more.1
