Description

1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45, sold together with an archive of original paperwork including named documents, very fine (3)
Medals mounted for display

Leslie Harold Fisk was born at London on 3 April 1920. At the time of his enlistment in the 5th Battalion Suffolk Regiment he was living at Bedingfield, Suffolk. In October 1941 prior to embarking for overseas service he married Grace Clark at Cambridge.

The 5th Battalion (T.A.) were part of the ill-fated 18th Division which comprised mostly of Territorials from the eastern counties, left for the Middle East in October 1941, was diverted to Singapore when Japan entered the war, arriving there on 29 January 1942. Immediately thrown into action they were involved in some early intensive actions in Malaya before retreating with the rest of the Allied forces to Singapore. Just over two weeks later Fisk and the 5th Battalion were ‘put in the bag.’ On 15 February 1942.
Initially imprisoned at Changi, Singapore the Battalion left in cattle trucks as part of Letter Party ‘R’ on 31 October 1942, destination Thailand and what was to become the gruelling and hazardous work constructing the infamous Burma Thai Railway. It’s testament to his resilience that he survived the privations as a prisoner of war of the Japanese.
Sold together with copied research and an original archive comprising a letter from the Infantry Record office addressed to Fisk, his certificate of transfer to the Army Reserve, and his repatriated military pass with several notes issued during Japanese occupation.

Condition as shown in photographs