My late Uncle,
Ernest Rencella Wilson (1897-1957) Born Swansea, Wales 8/8/1897, Died London October 1957, was reputedly a Japanese POW for some of WW2, and worked on the Burma Railway.
However, I am unable to find any definate evidence that this was the case.
I have found his Medal Roll for WW1, when he served as a Midshipman in the RNR.
In 1919 he was sent to Ireland, and served with the 'Black and Tans'.
The next sighting of him is when he entered the UK from South America in 1939, on a list of 'Distressed Seamen'. (Taken from Incoming Passenger Lists on Ancestry).
Assuming that he returned to the Navy during WW2, I have searched the various Databases that exist looking for him. He doesn't seem to be on the FEPOW Database.
Ancestry have a listing for him on their Merchant Navy Seamen 1835-1941. (Mistranscribed as Ernest Revella Wilson).
ernest revella Wilson born 8 aug 1897 Swansea ,
from merchant navy seamen 1835 - 1941
card type cr 10
identity certificate number 32196
series bt 350.
I requested a Look-up of POW's on a Database held by the Thailand Burma Railway Center in Kanchanaburi, Thailand http://www.tbrconline.com/contact.htm & recieved this reply:
'I have checked our Data Base for records on your late Uncle and the only
Wilson that I have found in the British Navy is Ernest Wilson who was
captured from the HMS Tapah and spent the war in Sumatra at Palembang.
Could this be your Uncle' ?
This is the info from on that Ernest Wilson from
Surname: WILSON
First Name(s): Ernest
Rank: Stk. 2/c
Service No: D/KX132275
Service: N
Date of Capture: 15/02/1942
Ship: HMS Tapah
Held: Sumatra (Palembang)
However, having located and downloaded Ernest Rencella Wilson's WW2 Medal Roll from the National Archives Site, - the Service Numbers do not appear to match... there is also nothing on it to suggest he was a POW.
My query is, - how do I proceed further? Is there any way of ascertaining if he was a Japanese POW or not?
Cheers, Holly.
Ernest Rencella Wilson (1897-1957) Born Swansea, Wales 8/8/1897, Died London October 1957, was reputedly a Japanese POW for some of WW2, and worked on the Burma Railway.
However, I am unable to find any definate evidence that this was the case.
I have found his Medal Roll for WW1, when he served as a Midshipman in the RNR.
In 1919 he was sent to Ireland, and served with the 'Black and Tans'.
The next sighting of him is when he entered the UK from South America in 1939, on a list of 'Distressed Seamen'. (Taken from Incoming Passenger Lists on Ancestry).
Assuming that he returned to the Navy during WW2, I have searched the various Databases that exist looking for him. He doesn't seem to be on the FEPOW Database.
Ancestry have a listing for him on their Merchant Navy Seamen 1835-1941. (Mistranscribed as Ernest Revella Wilson).
ernest revella Wilson born 8 aug 1897 Swansea ,
from merchant navy seamen 1835 - 1941
card type cr 10
identity certificate number 32196
series bt 350.
I requested a Look-up of POW's on a Database held by the Thailand Burma Railway Center in Kanchanaburi, Thailand http://www.tbrconline.com/contact.htm & recieved this reply:
'I have checked our Data Base for records on your late Uncle and the only
Wilson that I have found in the British Navy is Ernest Wilson who was
captured from the HMS Tapah and spent the war in Sumatra at Palembang.
Could this be your Uncle' ?
This is the info from on that Ernest Wilson from
Surname: WILSON
First Name(s): Ernest
Rank: Stk. 2/c
Service No: D/KX132275
Service: N
Date of Capture: 15/02/1942
Ship: HMS Tapah
Held: Sumatra (Palembang)
However, having located and downloaded Ernest Rencella Wilson's WW2 Medal Roll from the National Archives Site, - the Service Numbers do not appear to match... there is also nothing on it to suggest he was a POW.
My query is, - how do I proceed further? Is there any way of ascertaining if he was a Japanese POW or not?
Cheers, Holly.
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