This site has been funded by a grant from Awards for All and from local individuals and institutions.

Casulaty Details

BACK

more photos »

Name:

John Thirwell WANLESS

Casualty No.:

Ranks:

Chaplain

Initials:

J T

Service No.:

77336

Date of Birth :

Place of Birth :

Crawcrook, Ryton on Tyne, Co. Durham.

Age at Death:

Unit:

Royal Air Force

Former Unit(s):

Place Enlisted:

Place of Residence:

Home Address:

Previous Address:

Civilian Employment:

How Died:

Of starvation and ill treatment.

Date of Death:

Saturday 30th June 1945

Place of Death:

Prisoner of war camp.

Battle/Campaign:

Locally Commemorated:

UK Commemorated:

Overseas Commemorated:

Singapore Memorial.

Buried:

No known grave

Decoration and Medals:

Photographs:

Service Records:

Death Notice/Obituary:

Family Details:

Born into a mining family from Crawcrook, Co. Durham and the youngest of ten children.

Notes :

John was ordained into the Methodist Ministry in 1932 and commissioned into the RAF as a free Church Chaplain on 1st February 1940. He was evacuated from Singapore when the Japanese forces took control. He was taken prisoner at Tasik Malaje, Java, 8th March 1942. During his captivity he and other Prisoners of War were subjected to extreme ill treatment. He died of starvation on 30th June 1945, in a jungle camp, number 2 at Ranau, Sabah (formerly North Borneo), East of Malaysia.

Sources Used:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register. Information from Far East Prisoners of War Association.

BACK

Ryton and District War Memorials Project

Casulaty Details