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2331665
Corporal
Horace Douglas Benton
1917/12/08 - Born Staffordshire
Son of Emanuel and Martha Annie Benton
Brother to Evelyn May
Occupation Committee Clerk, Wolverhampton
Civilian role Air Raid Precautions
Royal Corps of Signals
attd. 3rd Indian Corps of Signals
Service
Transported to Singapore, Malaya.
1941/12/08 - Japan entered the war by attacking Pearl Harbour, Hong Kong and Malaya.
Japanese troops landed at Singora and Patani, Thailand plus Kota Bharu, Malaya.
The Japanese troops landing at Kota Bharu, soon took control of the airfield leaving the defending troops with very little air cover.
The battle hardened Japanese quickly gained a foothold and pushed the defending troops back to Singapore Island.
On the 31st of January 1942, the Causeway joining Malaya to Singapore was blown in an attempt to halt the Japanese troops.
On the night of the 8th of February 1942, the Japanese landed on the North West side of Singapore Island. General Percival had made strong the North East coastline thinking that is where the Japanese would attack, but the Japanese bluff worked, as by the 15th February 1942, Singapore was forced into surrendering.
1942/05/02 - WO 417/42, Casualty List No. 813. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/09/01 - WO 417/65, Casualty List No. 1227. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 813 as Missing, 15/02/1942. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. M-6482
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/11/04 - Transported overland to Thailand, ‘N’ Letter Party, train 11
29th Train to Thailand
Commander Lt-Col. S.C. Scott, 2/17 Dogra Regiment
New PoW No. II 6091
Work Party 2
Thailand Camps:-
Wang Lan - 68 Km from Nong Pladuk
Tha Kilen- 98 Km from Nong Pladuk
Wang Pho - 112 Km from Nong Pladuk
Nam Chon Ya - 229 Km from Nong Pladuk
1943/06/01 - Reported sick at Nam Chon Ya Camp
Died Nam Chon Ya, Thailand
Buried grave 38.
After the war he was re-interned at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Died
Age 25
1943/06/18
Loved Ones
Son of Emanuel and Martha Ann Benton, of Willenhall, Staffordshire
Memorial
6. C. 36.
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Thailand
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING, WE WILL REMEMBER
Information
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Thailand Burma Railway
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
KEW Files:- WO 361/2172, WO 361/1526, WO 345/4, WO 361/1954, WO 361/1979, WO 361/2053, WO 392/23, WO 361/2189, WO 361/2058, WO 361/2167, WO 361/1623, WO 361/1585,
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