Dedicated to reclaiming and honouring Britain’s lost warriors.

Dedicated to reclaiming and honouring Britain’s lost warriors.

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I have confirmation from the Japanese Naval History department in Tokyo, that fifty seven men were picked up by men of the Japanese ship Shirayuki and transferred to the Japanese army. but they could not say what happened after the men were handed over.

I am of the opinion that the fifty seven prisoners of war were executed by machine gun fire on the morning of the 28th January 1942 and that they were buried an masse in trenches the British had prepared before the war.

My quest is to try to locate the place where they were executed and have their remains recovered and re buried in a Christian manner.

I would ask that if any of your readers can assist in any manner to please get in touch with me. Maybe somewhere there are one or two of those who managed to escape, who can provide some information,

Arthur Lane

I am a former soldier, ex Japanese prisoner of war, and more recently a writer, researcher and publisher of books concerning that particular period when through no fault of their own, men and women were sacrificed to the Gods of war. I have always tried in any manner possible to assist the families of those who did not return. Because of my books, I am receiving many requests from the children and grandchildren of those who men who have no known grave. Some ask for information on how where and why their relative was killed, and some ask if it is possible through my travel and research to locate where they were buried.

In 1989-91 I located where more than 700 Allied prisoners of war who had been killed in an air raid were buried. In November last year, with the assistance of a lady Dowser and several local people in Malaysia, I located where several men of the Royal Artillery were buried, and I am currently asking the Ministry of Defence and the War Graves Commission to provide a memorial stone on the spot close by where they are buried beneath the main railway line.

This brings me to my reason for writing to you. I have received a request from the families of several men who served in the Royal Navy on board the Destroyer Thanet, (You may have heard of the Thanet, named after the isle of Thanet, Kent)

On the morning of the 27th January 1942, The captain of HMS Thanet along with the captain of the Australian Destroyer Vampire, were advised that a large number of Japanese were landing at Mersing on the coast of Malaysia, and ordered to make speed to repel the Japanese invasion at this point. At 7-30 AM both ships entered the waterway between Mersing and the island of Endau. Unfortunately waiting for them was a flotilla of Japanese landing craft and seven Japanese war ships including the destroyer, Asagiri, Amagiri, Fubuki, Yugiri, Sendai, Hatsayuki, and Shirayuki which opened fire in unison. The HMAS Vampire managed to sail through the ambush, but HMS Thanet as well as taking several shells, took two torpedoes in the engine room. The captain steered the ship toward shallow water where she sank. Several men swam ashore, with one or two managing to make their way to Singapore through the jungle. However fifty seven ratings including Chinese crew were taken from the sinking ship by sailors from the Japanese cruiser Shirayuki, and were handed over to the Japanese army at Endau Malaya as prisoners of war.

After the war, the families of each of these men received letters from the ministry of defence, advising

them that the Japanese government had notified the Ministry of Defence that their husband, father, brother, had been taken prisoner of war on the 27th January 1942, but that they had each died on the 31st January while prisoners of war, but that they have no known grave It is only recently that several relatives of these men have suddenly realised the significance of this last remark and I was asked if I would make some enquiries. From the Ministry there was no assistance, From the war graves a suggestion that I should contact the admiralty records.

From my local enquiries I have found that the fifty seven prisoners, were handed over to the Japanese Imperial Guards Regiment,

Locally at Endau I was informed that at about nine o'clock on the morning of the 28th January, there were several long bursts of machine gun fire coming from the Japanese positions, even though the Allied soldiers had vacated the area many days before.

I have confirmation from the Japanese Naval History department in Tokyo, that fifty seven men were picked up by men of the Japanese ship Shirayuki and transferred to the Japanese army. but they could not say what happened after the men were handed over.

I am of the opinion that the fifty seven prisoners of war were executed by machine gun fire on the morning of the 28th January 1942 and that they were buried an masse in trenches the British had prepared before the war.

My quest is to try to locate the place where they were executed and have their remains recovered and re buried in a Christian manner.

I would ask that if any of your readers can assist in any manner to please get in touch with me. Maybe somewhere there are one or two of those who managed to escape, who can provide some information,

I have received a request from the families of several men who served in the Royal Navy on board the Destroyer Thanet, (You may have heard of the Thanet, named after the isle of Thanet, Kent)

On the morning of the 27th January 1942, The captain of HMS Thanet along with the captain of the Australian Destroyer Vampire, were advised that a large number of Japanese were landing at Mersing on the coast of Malaysia, and ordered to make speed to repel the Japanese invasion at this point. At 7-30 AM both ships entered the waterway between Mersing and the island of Endau. Unfortunately waiting for them was a flotilla of Japanese landing craft and seven Japanese war ships including the destroyers, Asagiri, Amagiri, Fubuki, Yugiri, Sendai, Hatsayuki, and Shirayuki which opened fire in unison. The HMAS Vampire managed to sail through the ambush, but HMS Thanet as well as taking several shells, took two torpedoes in the engine room. The captain steered the ship toward shallow water where she sank. Several men swam ashore, with one or two managing to make their way to Singapore through the jungle. However fifty seven ratings including Chinese crew were taken from the sinking ship by sailors from the Japanese cruiser Shirayuki, and were handed over to the Japanese army at Endau Malaya as prisoners of war.

After the war, the families of each of these men received letters from the ministry of defence, advising

them that the Japanese government had notified the Ministry of Defence that their husband, father, brother, had been taken prisoner of war on the 27th January 1942, but that they had each died on the 31st January while prisoners of war, but that they have no known grave It is only recently that several relatives of these men have suddenly realised the significance of this last remark and I was asked if I would make some enquiries. From the Ministry there was no assistance, From the war graves a suggestion that I should contact the admiralty records.

From my local enquiries I have found that the fifty seven prisoners, were handed over to the Japanese Imperial Guards Regiment,

Locally at Endau I was informed that at about nine o'clock on the morning of the 28th January, there were several long bursts of machine gun fire coming from the Japanese positions, even though the Allied soldiers had vacated the area many days before.

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