Herbert-Clifford

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

1438436

Sergeant

Clifford Herbert

1909/06/16 - Born Senghenydd, Wales

Son of Thomas John and Louisa Herbert

1931 - Married Agnes Matilda Raymond at Pontypridd

Next of Kin - Louisa Herbert, 143 Commercial Street, Senghenydd, Wales

Royal Artillery

77 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment

239 Battery

Service

1941/12/09 - The 48 L.A.A Regiment, 77 H.A.A. and 21 L.A.A. Regiments of the Royal Artillery left the Clyde for the Middle East, assembling off Oversay to form Convoy William Sail 14.

1941/12/08 - Japan attacked Malaya entering the war against Britain.

1942/01/13 - By the time WS 14 had reached Durban, South Africa their destination had changed to the Singapore and they sailed in Convoy DM-2 (Durban Malaya -2).

1942/01/19 - Off Mombassa at 01.05 N, 91.28 E they merged with Convoy BB-12 (Bombay Malaya -12) and were re-routed to Batavia, Java with their supplies.

1942/02/03 - Arrived Batavia in Empress of Australia.

48 LAA Regiment, Royal Artillery, on arrival in Batavia, deployed the 49 Battery around Kalidjati airfield, North of Bandoeng. The 95 Battery were deployed at Andir airfield, Bandoeng and HQ together with 242 Battery were in Batavia.

The 77 H.A.A Regiment less 239 Battery, were transported by train to Surabaya setting up their guns to defend Eastern Java against enemy aircraft. The 239 battery stayed in defense of Batavia.

1942/02/06 - At 0300 hrs a troop train carrying part of 77 HAA Regiment crashed into an ammunition train on a single track bridge just outside Surabaya, 30 were killed and 100 were injured.

1942/02/28 - A strong Japanese force landed on the North Coast of Java at Eretenwetan. Using tanks they soon reached Kalidjati airfield, destroying the 49th Battery of the 48 L.A.A. Regiment.

1942/03/04 - By this time the Dutch forces in Java were being severely hit by the Japanese advance. The 239 Battery, 77 H.A.A and the 242 Battery, 48 L.A.A were ordered to move and defend the Bandoeng area.

1942/03/08 - Java surrendered to the Japanese.

1943/02/01 - WO 417/58, Casualty List No. 1082. Reported ‘Missing’.

1943/07/14 - WO 417/63, Casualty List No.1186. Previously shown on Casualty List No.1082 as Missing, 01/02/1943. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.

Japanese PoW

1942/03/08 - Captured Java

PoW No. J-1203

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1943/02/09 - Transported to Singapore from Java in Roko Maru with Java Party 13. 1000 PoWs, 299 were 77 HAA, which included cousin William John Lewis

Part Consisted of:-

Service	Officers	Other Ranks	Total
Royal Air Force	7	324	331
Navy	0	5	5
Army	10	358	368
Total	17	687	704

Of the list above 299 of the Army were 77th HAA Regiment

1943/02/13 - Arrived Singapore

1931/05/05 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘H’ Force, train 1

This was the 77th train to Thailand

Cousin William was on the same train.

Commander Major George Frederick Gerald Gaskell and Lt-Col. R.R. Humphreys, 77th HAA Regiment, RA

1943/05/09 - Arrived Ban Pong and were marched six days, 100km to Hin Tok Road/Valley camp where they worked on Three Tier Bridge and Hin Tok Cutting.

1943/06 - PoWs from H5 and H6 joined them and a new camp at Hin Tok River was started a few kilometers away to work on Pack of Cards Bridge and Compressor Cutting linking the railway around the mountain towards Kinsaiyok.

Clifford remained at Hin Tok Road with the sick.

1943/08/20 - Clifford died

Cause of death Dysentery and Colitis

Hin Tok Valley Camp 1 Cemetery, Buried grave 49

Died

Age 33

1943/08/20

After the war Clifford’s body was moved to Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

1945/12/12 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1934. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1186 as reported Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Netherlands East Indies. Now reported ‘Died’.

Loved Ones

Son of Thomas and Louisa Herbert

Husband of Agnes Matilda Herbert, of Senghenydd, Glamorgan

Memorial