DONALD WILLIAM ORMROD SAYER
Photographs courtesy of Nick
Donald is not remembered on the war memorial at Christchurch Park.
Born: 1912, Ipswich.
Died: 27th July 1943; age 30; died of Cholera, whilst a Japanese POW.
Captured: 15th February 1942 – Fall of Singapore.
Rank: Company Quartermaster Sergeant.
Regiment: Suffolk Regiment, 5th Battalion.
The body was originally buried at Hintock Valley Camp, grave 45. On the 12th March 1946, the body was exhumed, identified by records, and reburied at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
Grave Reference:
8.E.71.
Thailand.
Father: William James Sayer, 1884, Stow, Suffolk.
Mother: Eleanor Isa Sayer (nee Reoch), born 1887, Harwich, Essex.
CENSUS
1921 20, Bulwer Road, Ipswich.
Donald was 8 years and 8 months old. He attended School and lived with his widowed father and siblings.
William Sayer, 37 years & 4 months old, a Master Bricklayer – one account.
Reginald Percy Sayer, 7 years & 2 months old, at School, born Ipswich.
Herbert Horatio Sayer, 4 years & 11 months old, at School, born Ipswich.
Marie Irene Sayer, 11 months old, born Ipswich.
1 housekeeper.
Donald’s mother, Eleanor Sayer, died in April 1921 in Ipswich.
Donald Sayer is seated, operating the gun. His brother Reg is kneeling as his ammunition feeder.
Don and his wife Doris [ Dot ] pictured in 1937. The year they were married.
In 1937, in Devon, Donald married Doris Christine Thomas, born November 1915, Plymouth, Devonshire – daughter of Henry Thomas, a refuse labourer for Plymouth Corporation, and Lavinia Ethel Thomas (nee Mitchell), of Plymouth.
The Nov/Dec Suffolk Regimental Gazette extract announces the death of Don as a POW in the Far East.
The Battalion was attached to the 18th East Anglian Division ( including the 4/5th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment).
15 February 1942: After the fall of Singapore, approximately 620 of the Battalions were taken POW and later mostly died on the Burma-Thailand Railway.
One Comment
Hi. Donald Sayer was my uncle. Herbert Sayer was my father. I have a photo of the three brothers [ Don, Reg and Bert ] together which I can make available if required. They were all members of the Suffolk Regiment. Regards,
Nick