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956528
Leading Airman - Medical
James Henry Banton
Known as Jim
1920/06/06 - Born Burton-on-Trent
Son of Ebenezer and Elsie May (nee Key) Banton
(Father Ebenezer was 91196, Driver, Royal Field Artillery, in WW1)
Jim’s occupation was Outdoor Brewery Clerk
Enlisted at Cardington between September 1939 and August 1940
1941 Jim married Dorothy J. Mason, Burton-on-Trent
Next of Kin - Wife, D J Banton, 78a Victoria Crescent, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Royal Air Force
RAF Kluang Medical Section
Service
Lofty (Douglas) Milne on left, Jim is on the right
Corporal, 987779, Lofty Milne, was a butcher in the RAF
Jim and Lofty were transported with the RAF to Java
1942/03/08 - Java surrendered to the Japanese
Japanese PoW
1942/03/08 - Captured Java
PoW No. 752
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
New PoW No. J-11085
1944/06/27 - Jim was transported oversea from Batavia to Singapore
with Java Party 22
1944/07/01 - Arrived Singapore
With the exception of the 26 sick left at Changi, 5 Parties left Singapore for Pakanbaroe, Sumatra on the 7th, 12th, and 19th July, 1st and 8th August, 1944.
The Parties consisted of:-
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British
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Royal Navy
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6
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Army
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102
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Royal Air Force
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176
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Civilian
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1
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Australian
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A.I.F
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114
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R.A.N.
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3
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R.A.A.F.
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3
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New Zealand
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R.N.Z.A.F
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3
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American
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8
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Danish
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1
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Dutch
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843
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Total
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1260
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1944/07/07 - Jim left with the 7th June, 1944 party to Pakanbaroe
New PoW No. I - 1622
About 5,000 Allied military personnel, mainly Dutch and English, but including a little over 200 Australians and 15 Americans, were held as prisoners of war, working on the railway by the Japanese. They were engaged in the building of a narrow-gauge railway across the central portion of the island of Sumatra, in what is now known as Indonesia.
The northern terminal of the railway was the city of Pekanbaru (new spelling), therefore the project became known as the Pekanbaru Rail Line, Sumatra Railway.
The PoWs were overworked, underfed, provided with little medicine, and subjected to constant physical and mental abuse by our Japanese overseers.
Over 700 perished building the railway, which until the 1990’s was not recognised by governments as even exciting.
1945/08/15 - On Pakanbaroe roll
1945/10/15 - Liberated
Liberation Questionnaire
Repatriation
Sailed home in the Highland Monarch.
HMS Belfast sailed alongside for a couple of days keeping the POWs entertained with their Brass Band.
1945/12/09 - Arrived Southampton
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Post War
Sadness for Jim as Lofty had died as a PoW at Hiroshima 9B - Ohama, Japan on 19th December 1942, aged 22. Cause of death was colitis, bronchitis and tongue cancer.
Died
Jim died 2003
East Staffordshire
Information
Keith Banton - Son
Glenda Godfrey
Java Index
Sumatra Railway
Liberation Questionnaire
KEW Files:- WO 392/23, WO 361/2006, WO 345/3, WO 361/2002, WO 361/1946, WO 361/2222, WO 361/1994, WO 361/2013,
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