FEPOW - How an RCAF W/Op Became POW in FE ?

[Resmoroh]

Hello All,
In my FE POW investigations I have come across F M Golab who is said to be a RCAF W/Op.
That is all I know. Golab is a Canadian Surname – so the spelling is likely to be correct?
Does anybody know what his Forenames were, what his Rank was, and what his Service Number was?
If he was a RCAF W/Op then it is likely that a multi-crew a/c was involved? Does anybody know the circumstances surrounding this POW? Others in the crew may also have been RCAF?
TIA
Peter Davies

[Don Clark]

A little far from my area, Resmoroh, but for what it's worth, here's a little start of sorts.
As usual, for possible future ref, I've shown my "working" from start to finish.

From Stubbs & Stubbs Unsung Heroes of the RAF: the Far East Prisoners of War
Golab FM R52053 RCAF: Unit not known, held Java, Honshu (Mukaishima)

The R service no prefix indicates war-time Other Ranks enlistment.
The sequence of "held" starting Java suggests taken captive at the fall of Java, at least likely.

There's no Liberation Q'aire for him at COFEPOW, though that may not be surprising.
He's a survivor: there are Golab WW2 war dead on CWGC, but not him.

Now having his Japan camp, the Mansell set has him at Mukaishima, under the heading
Hiroshima #4 Mukaishima/British (78) - arrived from Singapore ex Java
as follows
Golab, F.M., WO, [...service no], RCAF, unk [... unit]
http://mansell.com/pow_resources/cam...ima_brits.html
The Center for Research: Allied POWS Under the Japanese is a valuable source if not easy: very camp focussed.

Anyway, an advance however small: he's
Warrant Officer F M Golab R52053 RCAF, apparently captured on Java in 1942.

Whether a request for service details from Canada is worth while, cannot say.
The conditions for personnel who survived the war are restrictive, whether since deceased or still living (possible but not very likely)
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/transp...ary-files.aspx

Hugh or someone else well-versed in Canadian sources may help more.

Good luck with this one.

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,


MANY NATIONS REPRESENTED IN WINGS CEREMONY.

In Manitoba. Man., June 23 - Group Captain W.D. Bonham-Carter senior air staff officer of No. 2 Training Command, Royal Canadian Air Force, presented wings to sergeant-pilot graduates of No. 10 Service Flying Training School here last Saturday. Graduates included: F. M. Golab*, Windsor.
*
https://rcafdauphin.blogspot.com
See: Course No.25. April 8 - June 21, 1941.

Hamilton Spectator, June 23, 1941

AIR FORCE CASUALTIES.

Ottawa, May 30 (CP)._

GOLAB, Frank Marion, Sgt., previously missing on active service overseas now reported prisoner of war (Japan). Mrs. F. M. Golab (wife), Brandon, Man.

Globe and Mail 31 May, 1943.

START LAST LAP OF JOURNEY HOME - W.O. Frank Golab Among Repatriates.

Portland, Ore., Oct. 16 - (CP) -

Forty-seven Canadian veterans of the defence of Hong Kong passed through here yesterday en route home after nearly four years' imprisonment in a Japanese camp near Osaka.
Accompanied by Lieut. H. M. Craig, of Vancouver, most of the men were members of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada, captured Christmas Day, 1941, after holding off Japanese troops for 16 days.
Among the group was W.O. Frank Golab, of Ottawa, brother of Tony Golab**, of football fame. Frank was captured in Java.

Hamilton Spectator, 16 October, 1945.

**
Frank Golab's brother, P/O Anthony Charles ('Tony') GOLAB RCAF, of No.225 Sqn RAF, was shot down in Spitfire VcT EF725 'X', on 8 January,1944, near San Giorgio, by a P-51 of 111th TacR Sqn. Tony Golab baled out safely, and returned to his unit on 9 January.

Col.

[Resmoroh]

Don & Col,
Very many thanks for your advice and answers. Very much appreciated.
I have some ‘supplementary questions’ for you (and anybody else!).
Going through the FEPOW lists, the following RAF Stations were recorded:
RAF Ipoh
RAF Sungei Besi
RAF Sungei Patami
I have located these, but what did they do? Ipoh is mentioned in Sturtivant but mostly in connection with the later campaigns in Malaya. He makes no mention of the two ‘Sungeis’. Any clues?
I have only found eight (so far) RAAF FE POWs. Is it possible to use https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ to extract RAAF POWs of the Japanese?
I have only found (so far) ten RCAF FE POWs. Only two are said to come from the crew of a 413 Sqn a/c shot down SE of Ceylon (date unknown, but poss 1942-04-09?). How do I find the details of this, and other RCAF prisoners?
And only three members of the RNZAF – on separate occasions, so there should be more? The RNZAF Museum is not answering emails, so how do I find any Kiwis who ‘went in the bag’?
This is all in connection with an investigation project to see if it possible to put the FE Air Forces POWs into the same format as the current Euro/Africa rafcommands db. We are trying to see if the problem(s) is(are) intractable – or not!
We have a saying in UK about cyclic, never ending, tasks; “It’s like painting the Forth Bridge”! There are answers to all these questions – it’s just finding them that is the problem!!
Tks again, and Rgds
Peter Davies

[Jagan]

I have only found (so far) ten RCAF FE POWs. Only two are said to come from the crew of a 413 Sqn a/c shot down SE of Ceylon (date unknown, but poss 1942-04-09?). How do I find the details of this, and other RCAF prisoners?

Gotta be Birchall's Catalina 1944-04-04

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/ins...-birchall.html

POWs:
S/L L J Birchall
P/O P N Kenny
Sgt F C Phillips
Sgt W Cook
Sgt B Catlin
WO G Onyette (RCAF)

Sgt LA Colorossi +
Sgt I N Davidson +
Sgt J Henzell +

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?uniq=AJ155 (Note the AIR81/13754 )

http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/09401.php

https://www.cfc.forces.gc.ca/259/290/405/286/rood.pdf

[Jagan]

And only three members of the RNZAF – on separate occasions, so there should be more? The RNZAF Museum is not answering emails, so how do I find any Kiwis who ‘went in the bag’?

Found this just now.

AIR81/13571

Sergeant W J N Macintosh (RNZAF), Sergeant E E G Kuhn (RNZAF), Pilot Officer T B Marra (RNZAF), Pilot Officer J M Cranstone (RNZAF), Pilot Officer C B Wareham (RNZAF), Sergeant B S Wipit (RNZAF): missing believed prisoners of war, Far East, April 1942.

C17206208

Just for analysis - RNZAF airmen killed in SEAC in 1942

[Don Clark]

You're very welcome Resmoroh though I can only offer very limited assistance, my work having been focussed closely on 211 Squadron as noted on your other FEPoW thread.
That shows pretty much all the resources I know of.

RAAF DVA Nominal Rolls
No FEPOW info, show only bare details of identity and service, incl posting at discharge which may or may not be right.
For my work, mainly to get service nos for NAA file searching.

Other than L&P Stubbs Unsung Heroes of the RAF (Barny Books 2002) roll, I don't know whether there are any other consolidated RAF FEPoW RAAF/RCAF/RNZAF rolls for Aus, Canada or NZ.

The only AWM rolls I'm aware of relate only to AMF: that is, only the Australian Army
Records of Australian Military Forces prisoners of war and missing, Far East and South West Pacific Islands
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1380402
Searchable, downloadable and browsable, scroll down to see listing of downloadable pdf rolls

and again, only AMF, 2nd AIF, Army as you like...
Second World War POWs and Missing Persons search
https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?roll=Second%20World%20War%20POWs%20and%20Mi ssing%20Persons
with browsable roll displayed below Search box

Malaya
Ipoh Very briefly home to 453 Sqn RAAF Dec 41 and to 656 Sqn RAF post-war.
Sungei Patani: Home to 27 Sqn RAF Aug-Dec 41
(Jefford/RAF Squadrons)
Sungei Besi: Aerodrome also assoc with 453 Squadron RAAF, see http://www.rafcommands.com/database/air81/index.php

FEPoWs RAAF RCAF RNZAF
For 211 Squadron RAF personnel overall I have, eg
Australian RAF, RAFVR and RAAF members
Canadian RAF and RCAF members
New Zealand RAF, RAFVR and RNZAF Members
(plus South Africans, Rhodesians and one or two from the USA.)

Of these, FEPoWs as such are incl in the following rolls, incl summary info & links to whatever other info I have shown on line.
I relied very heavily on L&P Stubbs Unsung Heroes of the RAF once I had Pam's permission, supplemented by other info as indicated in Source and other notes on the pages

Australia RAAF:
Foxwell CM 407148 RAAF
Jeanes NR 406107 RAAF
Matheson CK 283378 RAAF
See http://www.211squadron.org/raaf_pers...ml#FESurvivors
and
Lewis HV 406146 RAAF †
See http://www.211squadron.org/raaf_personnel.html#FElosses

Canadian RCAF and RAFVR
Cuddy AK J16295 RCAF
Haakenson MJC J12845 RCAF
and
Hall WD R109174 J86784 RCAF †
Mickleburg ET 1291207 RAFVR †
See http://www.211squadron.org/personnel_rolls.html#RCAF

New Zealand RAFVR
Byrant EW 1185504 RAFVR †
See http://www.211squadron.org/personnel_rolls.html#RNZAF

For 211 Squadron FEPoWs overall, I have two rolls:
For the 186 dead http://www.211squadron.org/far_east_...ml#FEPoWlosses
For the 178 known survivors http://www.211squadron.org/far_east_...FEPoWsurvivors
Again, the rolls incl summary info and links back to any other info on my site.

Best wishes with this work