Signalman Alfred Arthur Manning Royal Signals
India General Service Medal 1908 'North West Frontier 1935'. India General Service Medal 1936 'North West Frontier 1936-37'. 1939-45 Star. Pacific Star. Defence Medal.
War Medal 1939-45.
The Man Alexander Malcolm (Alex) was born on Wednesday 17th April 1912 at 35 St Salvador Street, Dundee, Scotland, son of Andrew Fyffe, a Gas Works Labourer and Jane nee Wales.
Following his education Alex enlisted into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with service number 2753338. He saw service with the 2nd Battalion in India from 1935-1938 being awarded his India General Service Medal 1908 with ‘Northwest Frontier 1935’ clasp and then his India General Service Medal 1936 with clasp ‘Northwest Frontier 1936-37’.
In 1938 aged 26 Alex was discharged to the Army Reserve, only to be recalled again in 1939 at the start of World War II and went on to serve in the Royal Army Service Corps, who added the letter T in front of his service number.
Alex was promoted to Corporal and saw service at home before being posted to Malaya and subsequently the defence of Singapore, until he was taken as a prisoner of the Japanese on 15th February 1942, following the surrender.
Having been shipped to Thailand to work on the infamous Burma Railway, Alex endured the hardships the Japanese meted out and nis nephew recalled a story relayed by another prisoner to Alex’s mother Jane after the war, that the Japanese had ordered Alex to drive a lorry for them; he refused and was hung up by his thumbs in the sun.
Allied forces including units from the United States Army Air Forces intensively bombed the Burma-Thailand Railway throughout 1944 as part of a campaign to destroy Japanese logistics. While heavy attacks on the famous Bridge on the River Kwai itself peaked in early 1945, bombing raids, bridge destructions, and attacks on railway infrastructure were regular occurrences in late 1944
Having survived for over two years, Alex was killed on 7th September 1944 aged 32 when an American Air Raid accidentally hit the camp he was working from at Nong Pladuk, which served as the transit camp for prisoners sent to work on the railway. He was mortally wounded; his chest being perforated by bomb splinters, in an ironic tragedy to be killed by one’s own side together with 100 other prisoners.
He was buried at Nong Pladuk, but on 1st March 1946 he was exhumed and reburied in Don Rak Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, Kanchanaburi in Plot 3.D 2-20. Alex was posthumously awarded his 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45 and also named in the Dundee Roll of Honour.
Following his education Alex enlisted into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with service number 2753338. He saw service with the 2nd Battalion in India from 1935-1938 being awarded his India General Service Medal 1908 with ‘Northwest Frontier 1935’ clasp and then his India General Service Medal 1936 with clasp ‘Northwest Frontier 1936-37’.
In 1938 aged 26 Alex was discharged to the Army Reserve, only to be recalled again in 1939 at the start of World War II and went on to serve in the Royal Army Service Corps, who added the letter T in front of his service number.
Alex was promoted to Corporal and saw service at home before being posted to Malaya and subsequently the defence of Singapore, until he was taken as a prisoner of the Japanese on 15th February 1942, following the surrender.
Having been shipped to Thailand to work on the infamous Burma Railway, Alex endured the hardships the Japanese meted out and nis nephew recalled a story relayed by another prisoner to Alex’s mother Jane after the war, that the Japanese had ordered Alex to drive a lorry for them; he refused and was hung up by his thumbs in the sun.
Allied forces including units from the United States Army Air Forces intensively bombed the Burma-Thailand Railway throughout 1944 as part of a campaign to destroy Japanese logistics. While heavy attacks on the famous Bridge on the River Kwai itself peaked in early 1945, bombing raids, bridge destructions, and attacks on railway infrastructure were regular occurrences in late 1944
Having survived for over two years, Alex was killed on 7th September 1944 aged 32 when an American Air Raid accidentally hit the camp he was working from at Nong Pladuk, which served as the transit camp for prisoners sent to work on the railway. He was mortally wounded; his chest being perforated by bomb splinters, in an ironic tragedy to be killed by one’s own side together with 100 other prisoners.
He was buried at Nong Pladuk, but on 1st March 1946 he was exhumed and reburied in Don Rak Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, Kanchanaburi in Plot 3.D 2-20. Alex was posthumously awarded his 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45 and also named in the Dundee Roll of Honour.
The Story The medals awarded to Alexander Malcolm were acquired from the Medal Centre on 14th January 2026, whilst in Thailand. They were of immediate interest as the Alex had perished working on the Burma Railway, a sub-theme of this collection.
Thankfully because of the seven-hour time difference (ahead), the medals were secured having only just been put onto the site and seemingly some interest being shown in them from other collectors.
From Ancestry, Scotland’s People and basic additional information with the group, it was possible to build up a brief biography and to visit Alex’s grave at Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery and place a Poppy Cross.
The group is interesting as it is the first such combination to a Burma Railway Casualty in this collection as well as the first India General Service Medal 1936 held, plus the fact he was tragically killed by allied air attacks in late 1944.
Alex now joins those others in this collection who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Thankfully because of the seven-hour time difference (ahead), the medals were secured having only just been put onto the site and seemingly some interest being shown in them from other collectors.
From Ancestry, Scotland’s People and basic additional information with the group, it was possible to build up a brief biography and to visit Alex’s grave at Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery and place a Poppy Cross.
The group is interesting as it is the first such combination to a Burma Railway Casualty in this collection as well as the first India General Service Medal 1936 held, plus the fact he was tragically killed by allied air attacks in late 1944.
Alex now joins those others in this collection who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Commemorative Stone at Nong Pladuk Railway Station.
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Don Rak Comminwealth War Grave Cemetery, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. 10th February 2026.
Alexander MALCOLM is one of 35 soldiers in this collection who perished whilst working on the Burma Railaway and whose final resting place is Kanchanaburi or Chungkai Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Thailand or Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Click on each name to read about:
- Arthur AIRD
- Jonathan William ALLEN
- John AXON
- John Alan BRATT
- Thomas BURNS
- William James Johnstone BYERS
- Walter Richard COLBERT
- Percy Denis CORNWELL
- Joseph DUCKWORTH
- Harold Edward EKE
- Kenneth Robert EYLAND
- Charles Nevil Worton FOX
- Denys John HYDE
- George Sidney JOHNSON
- Henry LINDLEY
- Charles Roger LLOYD
- Stanley Richard LOVEDAY
- Myles McMANUS
- Raymond Ernest MADGETT
- Alfred Arthur MANNING
- John MARKS
- Horace Edgar MAXWELL
- James Gordon MITCHELL
- Edward John PHILLIPS
- George Edward RUDDICK
- Kenneth William SHIPP
- Harold Norman SPALDING
- Alfred Henry STEVENS
- Harwood Alfred TAYLOR
- Walter Leonard TAYLOR
- Douglas TRUMAN
- Alfred Robert Kitchener UNDERWOOD
- Henry Garnsey VEITCH
- Alan Kirtley WATSON
Medal Details:
- India General Service Medal 1908: 2753338 PTE.A.MALCOLM. A. & S.H.
- India General Service Medal 1936: 2753338 PTE.A.MALCOLM. A. & S.H.
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
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This page last updated 21 Mar 26
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