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241466 L/Cpl. Harry Albert Wilderspin British Army 1st Btn. Middlesex Regiment from:Mile End, London (d.4th March 1943) My dear uncle Harry Wilderspin, who I never met and only learnt of his existence when I was 30 years old. Whilst visiting my widowed mother at her home I noticed she had a photograph of a young man whose photograph I had never seen before. I knew it wasn't that of my father, so I asked who it was. It's my brother Harry she said, he died in the WWII, he was 26, and a POW in Japan. Why I never asked her any more questions I will never know. After my mother died I looked frantically for Harry's photograph but could not find it anywhere. I did find a postcard from him to his mum and dad, it had printed on the front the words 'Cheerio, Till We Meet Again' and a picture of the boat he was sailing on, the HMT Dilwara. On the other side was a simple message from Harry saying Dear All, my last remembrance of sunny England. With lots of love Harry.
Sometime later in 2009 whilst commuting to work I was reading the Metro newspaper and just by chance noticed a caption saying 'Tribute' mess tin of WWII hero. On reading further it said the family of Cpl Charles Goddard, of Middlesex Regiment, were to auction his mess tin, he had etched the names of his dead comrades on the tin whilst at a Japanese camp. The last name on the tin was Wilderspin. I could not believe my eyes. The other names on the tin were Fennick, Funnell, Gentry, Pope, Webster, Francome, Morley, Remer (killed in action) and Ridden. I believe Harry died in the POW camp along with his comrades named on the tin, albeit Remer who died in action. So Harry was fighting in Singapore, captured and transferred later to POW camp in Japan.
If anyone has any photographs of the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, WWII, I would be very grateful if you could get in touch. Harry's War memorial grave is in Yokohama War Cemetery. I have promised to visit his grave one day. |
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