|
From "Santo Tomas" by Frederic Stevens: British - Santo Tomas: brothers; Eric Charles Laing (1918 - 1981) and Ronald Ian Laing (19?? - 1987) and their mother, Maria Mercedes de C. Laing (18?? - 1946/47) April 4, 2008 Please find attached war photos of Manila. Specifically, there s a photo dated Feb 3/45 showing my father, Eric C. Laing and his brother Ronnie Laing outside STIC at liberation. My father is second to the left of the woman in the white shorts and top. His brother, Ronnie, is standing beside him (bare chested). Both were in STIC for the duration. They are listed under British P.O.W.s. My grandfather, Frederick Laing, made his way to the P.I. from Edinburgh in 1900 and got on with some of the British trading companies before ending up with his own businesses in copra and stock investments. He died in 1929. (photos can been seen here) My father was born in Manila July 1918, the youngest of six siblings (5 brothers and 1 sister). At the outbreak of the war, Eric, Ronnie and mother, Mercedes (nee Carvajhal) Laing, were living in Manila. All ended up in STIC with Mercedes Laing electing to go in with her sons regardless of possible exception under her Spanish papers. All survived to liberation. Mercedes Laing died shortly after the war around 1947/48. My father died in May 1981 after having moved his family to Vancouver, Canada in 1969. Ronnie Laing who had continued living in Manila was murdered at his Quezon City home in August 1987. Picture # 1 Hotel Great Eastern. Along side is the tumbled Kneedler Building. This is taken from Quiapo Rotunda near church. Picture # 6 The Masonic Building Heacocks and Aung Hing (sp?) Bldgs on the famous old Escolta. Picture taken across the Pasig from Post Office grounds. Two of the older siblings, Horace and Kenneth Laing, were with the RAF during WWII. Kenneth was ground crew and remained in England. Horace was a fighter pilot who went missing in action over Burma in 1945 and never to be found. If there is anyone who knows how I can research his war records, I d appreciate any guidance. Thx. Steve Laing AGM CIBC CCA Vancouver Tel# (604) 665-1605 Fax# (604) 665-1620  or would like to be added to my POW/Internee e-mail distribution list, please let me, Tom Moore, know. Thanks! |