Ex-PoW wins fight for compensation (From Stourbridge News)

Ex-PoW wins fight for compensation

1:53pm Wednesday 19th November 2008

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A STOURBRIDGE war veteran - held prisoner by the Japanese during WWII - has finally won his fight to receive a £10,000 payout compensating him for his ordeal.

Mohammed Gulzar, a gunner in the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery in his teens, was a prisoner of war in Hong Kong between February 1942 and August 1945.

Many of his former comrades died without ever receiving a penny in compensation for their time during captivity more than 60 years ago, but in 2000 the Government announced it would make a one-off payment to surviving members of British groups taken prisoner by the Japanese during the 1939 to 1945 conflict.

However - since then Mr Gulzar, of Grange Lane, Pedmore, has had to endure the further battle of proving his entitlement to compensation.

And now the 83-year-old great-grandfather has finally been victorious - thanks to help from Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho and Lye councillor Mohammed Hanif.

Pakistan-born Mr Gulzar, who moved to Britain in 1963, said: "I have been trying to receive this compensation for so long and I really doubt if I would have succeeded without their intervention. I’m really happy.”

He said during his time as a PoW - the Japanese would punish prisoners for disobeying their orders; and Mr Gulzar’s uncle Jamdar Muhammad Hussain was killed.

He recalls: “If you refused to do something they would beat us with sticks.”

Labour MP Lynda said: "I am delighted Mr Gulzar has now received the payment owed to him. This is long-overdue. He sacrificed so much for this country and I am glad that he has finally received recognition for this."

She said Mr Gulzar first approached her about the payout in September 2005 following a failed claim to the Veterans Agency in 2001.

Despite extensive enquiries the agency could not verify Mr Gulzar's time as a PoW, as it appeared his service documents had been destroyed. The only evidence was Mr Gulzar's own statement, but it was deemed insufficient to substantiate a claim.

Lynda - however - made enquiries with the Red Cross tracing team and contacted the previous Minister for Veterans, Derek Twigg MP, who confirmed the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) was looking at the records of the International Red Cross to try and verify Mr Gulzar's claim.

She also contacted SPVA chief executive Rear Admiral Trevor Spires on Mr Gulzar's behalf before finally receiving news the pensioner's claim could indeed be verified and approved.

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