GRIFFYDAM HISTORY

JOHN HOWKINS

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John Howkins was enlisted in the 148th Bedfordshire Yeomanry Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery on the 12th December 1939 at Ipswich. He was attached to Battery 420. John’s rank was ‘Gunner’ throughout his service. On his records John’s next of kin was given as: Mother Eliza Howkins, Anchor Farm, Pegg’s Green, Coleorton, Leics, and his profession was Farm Labourer, although apparently he was working also as a Butcher’s Assistant in Pegg’s Green at the time.

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The 148th regiment, as part of the 18th Division, arrived in Keppel Harbour Singapore at the end of January 1942, three weeks before the fall of the island. Most of the 18th Division were unable to put up a serious resistance to the invading Japanese forces and surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army on 15th  February 1942.

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John was captured and had two spells in Changi, 15th February 1942 to 19th April 1942 and 8th August 1942 to 29th October 1942, when he was sent to work on the Thai/Burma railway. In between the spells at Changi he was located at Farrer Park. John was the first of our three men to be sent to work on the Thai/Burma railway. He had memories of finding Sam Hodges lying on the side of the pathway unable to walk and carried Sam on his back to safety. Reputedly Sam felt that this saved his life. This probably occurred  just prior to Sam being sent back to Singapore after 6 months working on the railway, presumably because he was so poorly.

 

John arrived at Tarsau (Tarsao) camp in October 1943 and was interned there until the 18th April 1944. He was then sent further south to Taimuang camp, where he stayed until the 25th May 1945. On the 25th May he was sent to Sara Buri (some 70/80 kms NNE of Bangkok) where he stayed until the 29th June 1945. From there he was sent to Takhli (Nakhon Sawan Province) in Thailand to work on an airstrip / airfield under the Japanese.

 

He was liberated from Takhli on the 30th August 1945 following the Japanese surrender.