Image of the PJM Medal
Banner Text = Fight For the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal
Reply to topic Page 1 of 1
World War II Veteran
Author Message
Reply with quote
Post World War II Veteran 
From Reuters News Agency.

World War Two internee wins compensation
Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:36 PM BST

LONDON (Reuters) - An octogenarian woman imprisoned aged 17 as a Briton by
Japanese troops in World War Two but denied compensation by Britain on the
grounds of her parentage, finally won her case on Tuesday -- and 13,900
pounds.

Diana Elias and her family were dragged from their beds in 1941 by invading
Japanese troops and held for four years in atrocious conditions in Hong
Kong's Stanley Prison.

Held by the Japanese as a British citizen because Hong Kong was part of the
British Empire, Elias was in 2000 excluded from a British government "debt
of honour" internee compensation scheme because her parents were from India
and Iraq.

This, argued the Ministry of Defence, meant she had no "bloodlink" to
Britain.

But the High Court on Tuesday dismissed appeals by the MoD against last
year's finding that it had been guilty of unlawful indirect discrimination
against her under the Race Relations Act.

"It is perhaps right that it should be by reason of that Act that the
acknowledged debt of honour owed to prisoners of war incarcerated in the Far
East should now be appropriately discharged," said Lord Justice Longmore.

Elias, now 82 and living in North London, was in court to hear a judgement
that opens the door to a host of claims worth an estimated 24 million pounds
from other former internees who have been similarly denied compensation.

Details of the horrors she suffered in Stanley Prison were so shocking that
when the case was originally heard in the High Court only the parties to the
case and the judge were allowed to see a statement detailing them.

The court dismissed a cross-appeal by Elias who had argued that there should
be a finding not of indirect discrimination against her but direct
discrimination.

http://tinyurl.com/pp9s8

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-10-10T123546Z_01_L10245800_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-POW.xml


_________________
Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka,
from the HD Committee and its decision.
View user's profile Send private message
Reply with quote
Post Re: World War II Veteran 
John Feltham wrote:
direct discrimination.


Will the MoD's insensitivity ever diminish?

Barry

PS Just made a note of those two words... could come in handy!


_________________
BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Reply with quote
Post Battle of Britain Pilot Remembered - in Australia 
Heard it on the Radio National and on ABC Sydney Local Radio, Australia. A transcript of the news item, short as it may be is as follows:

*********************************************************
Australia : NSW : Bega

Sunday, 17 September 2006. 09:20 (AEDT)

Cooma celebrates 'forgotten WWII hero'

The British High Commissioner and veterans from World War II will be in Cooma today to remember a pilot who has been described as the town's forgotten war hero.

Flight Lieutenant Pat Hughes shot down 16 German planes during the Battle of Britain, before dying two months after the battle started in 1940.

Polo Field airport operator and organiser of the commemorative service, Mike Apps, says residents of the southern New South Wales town should be proud of his achievements.

"The Battle of Britain began in July 1940, and Pat was credited with the first kill for the squadron, shooting down a Junkers 88 near Land's End," he said.

"Between that day and when he was finally killed, in September, he'd shot down 14 enemy aircraft with two others and was credited as being the highest scoring non-British fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain."

********************************************************

Not having my books with me (away and using my laptop and trusting in wi-fi) wasn't Pat Hughes the third top scoring non British Battle of Britain pilot, I thought that the honour went to the Czech Josef Frantisek. I also believe that the Ju88 he shot down some 20m off lands End was a shared 'kill'. In fact his first full kills did not take place until August 15 or 16 when he downed 2 x Bf109s. I do stand corrected though.

==================================

I often visit Pat Hughes grave at Sutton on Hull Yorkshire.

His wife is buried with him and this is the first time I have seen such an inscription on a offical Commonwealth War Grave.

In the spring the daffodills are splendid and I wonder if any of his wifes local relatives are visitors and planted the bulbs.

The Cemetery is behind the historic Parish Church and cared for by Hull City Council

============================================

Nice to know that people take the time to visit the graves of Allied servicemen and women in countries far from the land of their birth.

To my knowledge all of Pat's relatives reside in Australia and frequent visits to the U.K are not always possible so for your time and consideration I thank you on behalf of the Hughes multitude.

Pat and his wife were only married a matter of weeks and there was no offspring.

The grave site has in recent years undergone some refurbishment with a new gravestone replacing the woodencross.I think this work was supported by Cooma RSL(ex-servicemens club) and a delegation from Oz was present on the day.

==========================================

Daffodils are spring bulbs and any new ones are planted about now, I have planted them on my brothers grave [ Sgt Pilot Stanley Andrew of 46 Squadron ] in the Churchyard at North Ferriby near Hull

I assume you know his wife was from Leconfield where he was stationed for a time. There is another young Australia Airman buried in Leconfield Churchyard [ not BOB ] but I did make contact with relatives and they did visit

========================================


_________________
Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka,
from the HD Committee and its decision.
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:
Reply to topic Page 1 of 1
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum