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1115965
Gunner
Harry Stone
‘Dennis’ included as middle name in records
1920/12/06 - Born Walsall, Staffordshire
Occupation Driver
1941/06/19 - Enlisted
Royal Artillery
148 Field Regiment
Service
Posted to Hawick in Scotland with the 148th Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery. Stayed at a camp on Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley, from there to Monmouth where help was given to a farm. Whilst there, visited by King George VI. Tropical kit was issued and orders were to proceed to Liverpool.
1941/10/30 - Boarded HMS Andes in Liverpool. Sailing to Halifax in Convoy CT.5, final destination believed to be Middle East.
1941/11/08 - Arriving at Halifax the men were then moved across to the transport ship tied along side, the 27,000 ton Wakefield.
Photo is of Convoy William Sail 12X
1941/11/10 - The voyage continued with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way, destination still unknown.
The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo, arriving at Trinidad on 17th November in glorious sunshine so our tropical kit came out, but unfortunately no shore-leave, we left after two days of taking on supplies. On 24th we crossed the equator, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. By this time the Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that they were heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
1941/12/13 the convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and into the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay.
1941/12/27 - After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached .
1942/01/17 - Embarked back onto the Wakefield. The convoy sailed the next day with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers.
Japan had entered the war by attacking Malaya on 8th December 1941, destination was the far East. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse had both been sunk by the Japanese off Malaya. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Samatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Jap Planes, there was no damage, the Wakefield was the first of our convoy to reach the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore on the 29th January 1942. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. The Japanese had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away from Singapore.
The 18th Division was moved to hold the north-eastern part of the island near the Changi Peninsula.
1942/02/15 - Lt.-Gen Percival surrendered Singapore to the Japanese, at the Ford Car Factory.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - PoW No. 15170
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/10/30 - Transported to overland to Thailand in ‘S’ Letter Party
Under Command of Lt-Col C.E. Mackellar, RA 118 Fd. Reg.
New PoW No. 15356
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Date
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Camp
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Commander
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1942/12/01
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Tonchan
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Lt-Col Mackellar, 118 Fd. Reg. RA
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1943/11/07
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Rintin (Lin Tin)
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Lt-Col Mackellar, 118 Fd. Reg. RA
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Tampi
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Major Barnett, RNF
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1944/04/16
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Tarso (Tarsoa/Tha Soe)
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**Lt-Col Knight, Royal Norfolk Regiment
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1944/05/06
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Tamuang (Tha Muang)
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*Lt-Col Lilley 1/5 Sherwood Foresters
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1945/02/16
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Pechburi (Phetchaburi)
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Lt Davidson A.I.F. (Australian)
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1945/08/30 - Liberated Petchaburi Camp, No.9 Branch Camp, Thailand
*Lt. Col. H. H. Lilley (Sherwood Forresters) obtained money and medical supplies from outside sources and was subsequently taken away by Japanese military police for these activities. He was subjected to considerable torture - but did not disclose the names or whereabouts of his contacts.
**Lt. Col. A. E. Knights MC TD (4 Royal Norfolks) and Lt. Col. H. H. Lilley TD (Sherwood Forresters) constantly attempted to improve conditions in their camps by resisting Japanese demands and pressing for various amenities. By their efforts money and medical supplies were secretly obtained from outside sources.
Information
Mervyn Stone
Convoy William Sail 12X
Thailand - Burma Railway
KEW:- WO 361/2172, WO 392/26, WO 345/49, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2196, WO 361/2188
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