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Hello again due to illness I have not been on thread for a while

Anyone know if there is a site or maybe archives where I might find any photographs of the regiment of
Gunner Ernest Hickman
941936
Died 12th Sept 1944 Aged 26
Missing at Sea on the Rakuyo Maru

I have photos of the Rakuyo Maru but none of his regiment

Or am I looking for something that does exist ???

Regards

Mary
:-) :-)

Mary...You dont say what your connection to the Hickman's is but the area of Lower Gornal has numerous Hickmans...

Thank you all very much for your help and Eringobragh1916 for info on the
Rakuyo Maru

Regards

Mary :-D :-D :-D

You can not copy and paste the info from the Probate Records on Ancestry. You have to open the image and type out the details and then copy and paste onto here

Bty = Battery

Gunner
Ernest Hickman
941936
Of 17 Wood Road, Lower Gornal, Staffs
Died 12th Sept 1944 Aged 26
Missing at Sea on the Rakuyo Maru
Commemorated on the Singapore Memorial
Column 37

The above found on the Bedfordshire Yeomanry Roll of Honour Website ....
You can access his War Records on the following site...You have to join and pay for docs.

http://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/Unit-Info/5189/Bedfordshire-Yeomanry

Hi Mary, not sure what you mean about copying & pasting the probate - do you have access to the record on Ancestry?

Mary....This may help....Ernest Hickman Private Gunner Royal Artillery was listed on the Roll of Honour.....

http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Hell_Ships/Rakuyo_Maru



Rakuyo Maru



Sunk 12th September 1944






On 4th September 1944, convoy HI-72 sailed from Singapore. Two of these ships, Rakuyo Maru and the Kachidoki Maru carried PoWs. The Rakuyo Maru carried 1317 Pows and the Kachidoki Maru a further 900.

On the 12th of September the convoy was attacked by US submarines and both these ships were hit. The Rakuyo Maru was torpedoed by the US submarine Sealion at around 5:00am.

The Japanese rescued some of the POWs from these two ships and they continued their journey to Japan on the Kibitsu Maru.

When the US Submarines realised that they had sunk ships containing PoWs, they searched for survivors, picking up 63 PoWs from the Rakuyo Maru. Of these 4 died soon after being rescued.

The Rakuyo Maru lost 1159 prisoners to the sea and the after effects of being in the water for up to 4 days.

Edit.....The RAKUYO AND KACHIDOKI MARUS
In the spring and early summer of 1944 a large group of so-called “fit” POWs were returned to Singapore from Thailand upon completion of the ** Death Railway.**

On September 4, 1944 a convoy of several Japanese transport ships set sail from Singapore. There were two ships carrying POWs - the Rakuyo Maru with 1317 POWs and the Kachidoki Maru with 900 POWs aboard. On the 12th of September the Rakuyo Maru was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Sealion at around 5:00am and the Kachidoki Maru received hits from the submarine Pampanito at around 11:00pm.

MarieCeleste

Did you have the Probate info off Ancestry is so how did you copy and paste is so how??

Regards

Mary

Yes we have the correct person thank you all for your help One last question can you tell me what abbreviations mean in

Unit 420 Bty ( Bedford Yeo) field reg RA
Andrew already told me RA = Royal Artillery.

What is Bty and is Yeo + Yeomanry

Mary

This probate might help confirm if it's the correct death:

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
Name: Ernest Hickman
Probate Date: 6 Mar 1946
Death Date: 12 Sep 1944
Death Place: Staffordshire, England
Registry: Birmingham, England

Of 17 Wood Road, Lower Gornal, Sedgeley, Staffs. Died on or after 12 Sept 1944 on war service. Admin to Joyce Hannah Hickman, widow. Effects £210 13s 7d

You can get a picture of the memorial from the CWGC site - click on where it says view certificate.

Dea Xxx

A big Thank you to you both It is Royal Artillery and I have found a record which fits his birth and death but would how do I find Pics if any of his memorial I looked on the net but no luck yet I have but details below


HICKMAN, ERNEST Gunner 941936 12/09/1944 26 Royal Artillery United Kingdom Column 37. SINGAPORE MEMORIAL


Mary :-)

Are there a lot of entries for the name you are looking for ?

Have you checked out the detail as sometimes it mentions parents or name of wife etc

RA = Royal Artillery.

Andy

Could be Royal Artillery

GlitterBaby

No because I do not know where the ship sank. I have found one death for a Gunner in unit R A but not sure what RA means

Mary

Have you checked out CWGC site ?


http://www.cwgc.org/

Can anyone tell me how to find someone killed in world war 2

All I know is his name and that he was killed on a ship returning home from Burma which was sunk by friendly fire and he drowned and I do not think his body was ever recovered
Not much to go on I know but any help appreciated I have no idea of his rank or where he went down

Regards

Mary