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797493
Gunner
Stanley Weston
1909/11/18 - Born Slough, Buckinghamshire
Son of Frederick and Gwendoline Weston
1934 - Married Ellen May Bennan, in West Ham, Essex
Royal Artillery
12th Battery, 6 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment
Service
After training in Wiltshire in 1941, the 6 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment were entrained to Nottingham and then on to Yorkshire were they were given leave before being transported to Liverpool where they were issued with Kaki Drill uniforms before embarking on the Monarch of Bermuda, bound for the Middle East.
Monarch Bermuda
They sailed North to the Clyde to join the Convoy William Sail 12X and sailed with sixteen ships plus escorts. Eventually sailing to the Middle East early November 1941.
Stopping at Freetown, Sierra Leone on the 28th November with shore leave. They then they sailed to Durban, South Africa, berthing 18th December 1941 and being given shore leave.
As Japan had then entered the war by attacking Pearl Harbour and invaded Malaya it was decided to split the Convoy, send half to the Far East and the other half to the Middle East.
Aorangi
On returning from shore leave the 6th H.A.A. were transferred to the Aorangi, but because of the muddle, their stores were not loaded with them.
The convoy now became D.M.1 and sailed 24th December 1941, arriving at Singapore 13th January 1942.
The convoy disembarked together with the 18th Division to find the docks ablaze and the Japanese having control of the air. Singapore was under siege.
It was now found the shells had not been transported with the 6th H.A.A., an urgent message was sent for more shells but they did not arrive before Singapore fell to the Japanese.
1942/01/30 - A convoy of small ships left Singapore carrying the 6 H.A.A. Regiment (less 3 Battery), along with the 78 Battery of 35 LAA Regiment RA, left Singapore, arriving at Palembang in Southern Sumatra on 2nd February 1942.
They were deployed to the two airfields P1 and P2. The 15 Battery defended P1 airfield seven miles north of Palembang, whilst its other troop was deployed in the large oil refineries just outside Palembang.
1942/02/14 - As the Japanese advanced in Sumatra the airfields were taken by the Japanese and the 6 H.A.A. were evacuated to Java.
The 6 HAA Regiment were deployed in the Batavia area in defence of the airfields.
1942/03/08 - Java fell to the Japanese.
1942/05/13 - WO 417/58, Casualty List No. 1087. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
Japanese PoW
Captured Garoet, Java
PoW No. 2994
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/09/22 - Departed oversea from Batavia, Java with Java Party 2
1942/09/26 - Arrived Changi, Singapore with 1300 PoWs
Transported oversea to Borneo.
Arrived at Sandakan from 8th to 18th April 1943
Died
Age 37
7th May 1945
Sandakan Number 1 Camp
No known grave
Loved Ones
Son of Frederick and Gwendoline Weston
Husband of Ellen May Weston, of Slough, Buckinghamshire
Memorial
Column 33.
SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
Japanese recorded death from Malaria.
The Japanese made out false death certificates as a cover up to the deaths of almost 2500 who died at Sandakan Camp and the Sandakan Marches.
Only 6 Australians survived as they escaped on the Sandakan Marches.
Sandakan Memorial Park
Formerly the Sandakan POW Camp
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Jeffrey Paul Davies - Grandson
Sandakan
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
‘Sandakan - A Conspiracy of Silence’ by Lynette Ramsay Silver
‘The Last March’ by Don Wall
‘Kill the Prisoners’ by Don Wall
‘The Knights of Bushido’ by Lord Russell of Liverpool
KEW Files:- WO 345/55, WO 392/26, WO 361/1676, WO 361/1676, WO 361/2208,
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