FEPOW Strange Entries in POW Lists - Help Requested

[Resmoroh]

Hello All,
I am doing a small amount of “tidying up” of lists.
Can I rule 8-digit WW2 Service Numbers as not being RAF?
There are several “Gnr”, “L.Cpl”, “Sgt-Qm”, and “Pvt.” in a POW list. Can I assume these are Army, and got mixed up with the RAF? Or might they have been Army carrying out the duties, in the FE, that would, eventually, fall to the RAF Regt?
There were two in particular. They were:
T223710 Pte Robert W PEARSE. He became an Air Force POW in FE 1942-02-15, and,
T86355 AC2 Muthu Kumara SOORIA. He was POW in FE 1942-03-08. I can’t find him in AIR 78/148/6.
TIA
Peter Davies

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Some inconsistencies:

Mutha Kymard SOORIA 786355 is listed in Unsung Heroes of the Royal Air Force (p.223) as - STC - Held Java, Singapore, Borneo (Jesselton, Sandakan) - Died Sandakan - 3.6.45 - Named on Kranji Memorial.

Listed on CWGC as 786355 AC2 Muthu Kumara SOORIER RAFVR - Died 03 June, 1945 - Commemorated on the Singapore Memorial Column 456, Singapore. Son of C. M. P. Pilla and Sivapaklam of Seramban.

In January (1945), Air-Craftsman [sic], M. Soorier had escaped from the Number 2 Compound. If anyone had a chance of remaining at large it should have been Soorier. Born in Ceylon, he lived in Seremban, Malaya and, consequently, not only looked like a local but also spoke their language. His luck ran out and it appears under torture Soorier implicated Lieutenant Geoffrey Chopping, who was taken to Kempei-tai headquarters and placed under arrest. Interrogated for two days, he was eventually returned to the compound, Soorier was not, He died in custody on 3 April (?). The Japanese said the cause of death was Malaria

Name: SOORIER, M. K.
Force: British Roll - RAF.
POW No. 2869.
Age: ?
Died: 03/04/45
Place: Kempei-tai HQ.
Buried: San.
Cause of Death - Malaria/Known to have been killed.

See:
Sandakan - A Conspiracy of Silence.
Silver,Lynette Ramsay.
Burra Creek:Sally Milner Publishing,(3rd.rev.ed.),2006.
pp.217-18 & 365.

https://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/at...n/S/htmlso.htm Access disallowed:

Sandakan Roll - Compiled from 'Java Index', 'Sandakan - A Conspiracy of Silence/Lynette Silver and the Commonwealth War Graves.

This page is dedicated to:

786355 Soorier, M K
British
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Japanese POW.

POW Number: 2869
Force: Royal Air Force - Captured Java, arrived at Sandakan from 8th to 18th April 1943.
Survived/Died: Died.
Date of Death: 1945/04/03
Place of Death: Kempei-tai Headquarters Sandakan.
Buried: No known grave.

Known to have been killed. Japanese recorded death from Malaria. There is no Commonwealth War Graves entry which corresponds with this name and date.

Col.

[Jagan]

Pleased to note that CWGC has his name correctly AIRCRAFTMAN 2ND CLASS MUTHU KUMARA SOORIERService Number: 786355

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=31425
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...ara-soorier,-/

Mutha Kymard SOORIA 786355 is listed in Unsung Heroes of the Royal Air Force (p.223) as - STC - Held Java, Singapore, Borneo (Jesselton, Sandakan) - Died Sandakan - 3.6.45 - Named on Kranji Memorial.

Listed on CWGC as 786355 AC1 Kuthu Kumara SOORIER RAFVR - Died 03 June, 1945 - Commemorated on the Singapore Memorial Column 456, Singapore. Son of C. M. P. Pilla and Sivapaklam of Seramban.

In January (1945), Air-Craftsman [sic], M. Soorier had escaped from the Number 2 Compound. If anyone had a chance of remaining at large it should have been Soorier. Born in Ceylon, he lived in Seremban, Malaya and, consequently, not only looked like a local but also spoke their language. His luck ran out and it appears under torture Soorier implicated Lieutenant Geoffrey Chopping, who was taken to Kempei-tai headquarters and placed under arrest. Interrogated for two days, he was eventually returned to the compound, Soorier was not, He died in custody on 3 April (?). The Japanese said the cause of death was Malaria

[paulmcmillan]

Col

He is in CWGC with DoD 3rd June 2020

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...ARA%20SOORIER/

Hobson has him the same date but with surname Muthu Kumara Soorier

[paulmcmillan]

T223710 Pte Robert W PEARSE. He became an Air Force POW in FE 1942-02-15, and,


is not Air Force PoW he RASC - He Died of Dysentery on the date shown


https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...LIAM%20PEARSE/


PRIVATE
ROBERT WILLIAM PEARSE
Service Number: 223710
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Army Service Corps

54 Inf. Bde. Group Transport Coy.

Date of Death
Died 16 December 1942

Age 34 years old

Buried or commemorated at
KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY

8. G. 68.

Thailand

[paulmcmillan]

PS there was another SOORIER RAF PoW Far East

S.T.C. AC2 786360 Pillai SOORIER Pow Number 10063

PS

"T"86355 AC2 Muthu Kumara SOORIA

is due to '7' being overwritten by a blue pen


Robert W PEARSE is listed a s T 223710 in one document but defo RASC