Frederick Arthur William Harper

A Sapper with 288 Field Company, Frederick died on 9th of August 1945 aged 30. 

Frederick was born at Pakefield on 19 September 1914, a son of John Edward and Emily Folkard Harper. In 1921 his family lived at 38 Sycamore Avenue, Oulton Broad. 

On 10 October 1934 Frederick married Mabel May Swatman at Saint Michael’s Church, Oulton. Frederick was a gas worker living at 54 Sycamore Avenue, and Mabel was a matron’s assistant living at Saint Osyth, Bridge Road, Oulton Broad. Their home was at Saint Leonard’s, 5 Highland Way, Oulton Broad. 

Frederick enlisted in the Royal Engineers at Ipswich on 1 April 1940. He served with 288 Field Company, part of the 18th Division. 

Frederick’s unit embarked at Liverpool on 30 October 1941 seemingly bound for Egypt, but, en route, their destination was changed to India and from there they were sent to Singapore, with various elements of the Division arriving in late January and early February 1942. Frederick was captured at the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Sources show that he was in a group of prisoners that were taken by sea, on 27 October 1942, to Formosa (Taiwan). 

Frederick died, from beri-beri and oedema, at No 6 Prisoner of War Camp, Formosa.