|
PLY/X3812
Marine
Robert William Charles Brown
1920/03/25 - Born East Croydon
Son of Charles Edward and Florence Ethel Brown
Occupation Bakers Roundsman
H.M.S. Prince of Wales
Royal Marines
Pictured with Stanley Williams
Robert left - Stanley right
Both were Marines on H.M.S Prince of Wales which docked at Singapore 2nd December 1941.
Japanese troop ships were sighted on the 6th December and Force Z, which comprised of Prince of Wales (flag ship), the battle cruiser Repulse, and the destroyers Electra, Express, Tenedos and HMAS Vampire. set out from Singapore to intercept the Japanese fleet at Kota Bharu. Force Z was spotted on the 9th December by a Japanese submarine and Force Z was attacked on the 10th December by Japanese Planes.
Force Z under attack on the 10th December
With no air cover, it was a lost battle and both the Repulse and Prince of Wales were sunk.
Survivors were rescued and taken back to Singapore. Vice-Admiral Phillips and Captain Leach were among the 327 fatalities on the HMS Prince of Wales.
Both Stanley and Robert were among those rescued and taken to Singapore.
Under Captain R.G.S. Lang they were formed into a Naval Battalion, the Plymouth Argylls. They defended the Kranji Wireless Station, then Tyersall Park, Singapore.
1942/02/05 - Robert was wounded in the back by shrapnel in an air raid and taken to hospital
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered
Japanese PoW
PoW No. 23699
1942/02/23 - Hospital to Changi
1942/05/14 - Transferred Havelock Rd
1942/10/15 - Transported overland to Ban Pong, Thailand
New PoW No. 3639
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
New PoW No. 10429
1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand
Information
Mike Heather
Jonathan Moffatt
KEW:- WO 361/2172, WO 361/1979, WO 361/1954, WO 361/2196, WO 361/2165, WO 345/7, WO 392/23
|
