John “Skip” Bailey

11.0
The Fate of Allan Mervyn Brown

In Rabaul in 1943, many POWs were said, by the Japanese, to have been transported to Japan by ships to work in industry. One of these was Allan Mervyn Brown, a member of Skip’s crew.

A Mr. S. Iguchi who was the Director of General Affairs, Central Liaison Office of Japan, sent a memo to the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, listing F/O Allan Mervyn Brown as being transferred to Japan from Rabaul.

Brown Sent to Japan [38]

This was confirmed in another report from the Japanese, that Brown was sent to Japan by air on 16th February 1944.

Brown Sent by Air to Japan [39]

The flight to Japan was not without incident as they stopped over at the Truk Atoll (now called Chuuk Lagoon) which was being bombed by the United States Navy at the time. The plane they were flying in was an attack bomber, nicknamed “Betty” by Allied forces, and was destroyed in the air raid. At the time the prisoners were sheltering in a foxhole.

Flight to Japan [40]

On arrival in Tokyo on 10th July 1944, he was registered as a POW and was kept in Tokyo for some time.

Registration of POW [41]

The International Red Cross then advised he had been transferred to Zentsuji POW camp on 27th August 1944.

Transferred from Tokyo to Zentsuji POW Camp [42]

Allan was liberated from the Zentsuji POW camp at the end of the war. On 20th September 1945, the Australian authorities sent a telegram to Allan’s wife saying he was safe in Allied hands.

Allan Safe in Allied Hands [43]

Mrs. Brown was then notified by telegram that Allan was onboard HMS Ruler and was due to berth in Sydney on 29th September 1945.

Allan Mervyn Brown Arrives in Sydney [44]

Allan underwent a medical exam and was then sent on leave to be with his family. The RAAF requested Allan to provide a statement on what he knew about the other members of his crew but it provided little information. The statement was sent to Skip’s wife, Marjorie, on 2nd November 1945.

Allan Brown’s Statement forwarded to Marjorie Bailey [45]

The statement from the offices of M. C. Langslow, Secretary of the Department of Air, said Allan Brown thought Skip probably boarded a ship to Japan and that the ship was sunk before reaching Japan. The Department of Air said, in the statement, that they had no evidence of this and were making enquiries with Japanese Naval authorities in Tokyo. The reply they received from Tokyo did not provide any further information.

The month before Marjorie, Skip’s wife, wrote a letter to the International Red Cross seeking information on Skip. On 14th October she wrote the following letter:

Transcript:

To Red Cross Association,

I thought by contacting you people I might be able to get some news of my husband, his number was 4240 and rank W/O J.P. Bailey. The last news I heard was two or three days ago from a former P.O.W. Japan who told me that my husband and his Pilot C. Vincent were shipped from Rabaul to an island in Nov. 1943 or early Dec. 1943. I quite understand the difficult task ahead of locating Missing Members of the R.A.A.F., but I am afraid my anxiety has caused me to write this note.

He was flying Beaufighters and the Group No was 600.

If you could possibly give some information if you have any at alI I would be deeply grateful.

I am yours faithfully
(Mrs) A. M. M. Bailey

No evidence exists of a reply from the Red Cross.

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[38] [39] National Archives of Australia
[40] Pacific Wrecks
[41] [42] [43] [44] [45] National Archives of Australia