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About
252159Gnr. James Orr
British Army HQ 21lth Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
from:Daley, Ayrshire Scotland
(d.7th December 1942 )
James Orr is my maternal uncle. He became a prisoner of the Japanese when ordered to lay down arms in March 1942 after the surrender of Java. As far as is known, he was originally destined for the Desert war, but on arrival in Capetown, the Japanese having bombed Pearl harbour etc, they were ordered on to Singapore for the defence there, then on to Batavia in Java.He was part of a detail of soldiers destined for Hakodate as slave labour, and was transported to Japan in what became known as the Hellships, because of the conditions on board the men suffered. Many died en route, and James was too sick to be moved on, so was placed in the so called military hospital (Kokura Military Hospital Japan) where he died shortly after his arrival. He was 28years old and left behind a wife and two very young children.
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