The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Evans
- First Name:
- Francis Clyde
- Nick Name:
- Bluey
- Rank:
- Corporal (Promoted on 7.2.1942)
- Regimental #:
- WX14172
- Company:
- ‘E’ Company, Special Reserve Battalion, No 2 Platoon
- Enlisted:
- 11.06.1941
- Discharged:
- 13.02.1946
- DOB:
- 25.06.1922
- Place of Birth:
- Leonora, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- Clifford Statin Howard Evans
- Mothers's Name:
- Ivy Lillian Evans
- Religion:
- Methodist
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Mine Supervisor
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp Changi, Johore Bahru, Adam Park, River Valley Road Camp; Selarang Barracks Changi (Forest Party)
- Force:
- ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Kinsaiyok (low bridges, cuttings and hauling timber) soldier fell ill here and doctors convinced the Japanese that some of the sick should be permitted to travel south on a truck which was heading in that direction. The Japanese agreed to allow six sick men to travel south and one of these was Cpl Frank Evans. He was admitted to hospital at Tamarkan and, when discharged three months later, worked on the Tamarkan Bridge. His next camp was Nacompaton where a Hospital Camp was to be constructed to accommodate the men moving south following the construction of the Burma-Thailand rail link. At this stage Frank was selected for one of the Japan or French-Indo China Parties, but instead remained in Thailand and moved from Non Pladuk to Kao Rin to construct the Specialist Hospital Camp. Frank was recovered at wars end from Tamuang from where he moved to the Sports Stadium Camp at Bangkok.
- POW#:
- 4/6105
- Return Details 1945:
- Bangkok‐Singapore, R.A.F. Lancaster aircraft; Singapore-Moratai-Wewak-Townsville by aircraft; Townsville-Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-Adelaide-Kalgoorlie, by troop train; Detrained at Kalgoorlie and travelled to Leonora to attend to his sick Mother, Ivy, before continuing his journey to Perth; Admitted to 110 (P)MH before moving out to Point Walter Camp, Bicton
General Description
Frank Evans enlisted 11 June 1941 from Leonora where he was born 1922 to parents Clifford Statin Howard and Ivy Lillian Evans. Frank was working in the mines as a supervisor.
He left Northam as one of 146 reinforcements to 8th Division Singapore, half of these joined 2/4th MGB, boarding ‘Aquitania’ on 15 Feb 1942 and sailed the following day to Singapore. He joined ‘E’ Company’ Special Reserve Battalion Platoon No. 2 as Corporal to CO Lt Till. He was promoted to Corporal on 7 Feb 1942 at Singapore.
Bluey was wounded at Bukit Timah on 13 Feb 1942, admitted to 2/10th Field Ambulance with gunshot wound to his left leg. Transferred to 13th Australian General Hospital on 16 February and discharged to his unit on 22 Feb 1942.
As POW Singapore’s Selarang Barracks Bluey was engaged in wood carting. At Adam Park he took part in work parties to wharves and go downs. Also constructing road around Golf Course and Japanese Shrine.
From Selarang he was selected to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion. V Battalion left by train from Singapore on a 4-day horror journey on 17th March 1943 with about 25 men per carriage headed to Bampong,
Thailand. They were housed at the Komna Transit Camp before being taken ton Kanchanaburi by lorries. It had commenced raining and the next day were ordered to march (in the rain) to Kinsaiyok Camp.
Here the POWs worked on rail cuttings, embankments, constructing low bridges, cutting and hauling timber for the bridges.
Bluey became very sick and the accompanying doctors requested the sick be sent south. After long discussions the Japanese guards finally allowed only 6 of the sick men onto a truck travelling to Tamarkan. Bluey was one of the six.
Following three months at Tamarkan Hospital Camp Bluey worked on the bridge and then transferred to Nacompaton where he was one of a party of men constructing camp huts.
Speedo was over and the Japanese began moving the POWs south from the rail link. The buildings at Nacompaton was one of several main hospital camps for the sick and others in transit on their journey back to Singapore. Nacompaton was located 30 miles west of Bangkok.
Several months passed, the Allies commenced their air attacks and Bluey was included in a work party of 100 POWs to Non Pladuk and then to Kao Rin Specialist Camp. Bluey was here when the war finished. He was moved to Tamuang before travelling to Bangkok and accommodated at the stadium.
He made his way to Don Muang airport where he managed to hitch a ride with a Lancaster Bomber flying to Singapore. He made his way to a holding Camp where he was fed and clothed.
He few out of Singapore to Morotai on a DC3, then Wewak, New Guinea overnight before flying to Townsville for 2 days, to Sydney for 2 days, Melbourne 2 days and Adelaide where he caught the train to WA. Bluey got off the train at Kalgoorlie where he knew his mother was near-death in the hospital at Leonora. He later travelled to Perth and admitted to 110(P) MH (Hollywood Hospital) then sent to Point Walter to convalesce before being discharged in February 1946.
Read about Nacompaton Camp.
Back Row L-R: Jim Burns, John Lane, Jim Elliott, Cowboy Matthews, Frank Evans, Alf Worth, Trevor James, Wally Lynn, Les Cody, Owen Morris
Front Row L-R: Greg Burdon, Ron Badock, Des Coleves, Jim Gilmour, Joe Pearce.
‘Bluey’ on Left
Please listen to interview with ‘Bluey’ Evans
Camp Locations:
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- Johore Bahru, - Malaysia
- River Valley Road Camp - Singapore
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Kao Rin, Specialist Camp 46.92k - Thailand
- Kinsaiyok Main, 170.2k - Thailand
- Nacompaton, Nakom Pathom Hospital - Thailand
- Non Pladuk, 0k - Thailand
- Tamarkan, Tha Makham 56k - Thailand
- Tamuang, Tha Muang 39k - Thailand