He served with the 4th battalion Suffolk Regiment and fought at Singapore. On 15th February 1942, The regiment was ordered to capitulate and spent the next three and a half years as prisoners of war in Japanese hands. He was initially incarcerated at Changi and in November 1942. He sailed for Malaya and then Thailand. He was at Chungkai Camp and was involved in "the Officers Crisis". The Japanese Commander ordered the officers to work which they refused to do in accordance the Geneva Convention. The officers were surrounded by Korean Guards and ordered to load their rifles. The British Commander gave way. He then worked on the Burma - Thailand Railway.The History of the Suffolk Regiment reports at page 218 that a Lt Scaife had seen Capts. Hollamby and Walker evacuated from Nicki. There is a report of a very grim picture with 2 officers and 111 O.R.s out of about 180 being lost. A note comments "Later to be many more". He was then shipped to Japan and liberated on 2/11/1945.