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2356410
Signalman
Joseph Burton
(Joe)
1915/12/09 - Born London
Son of Nathaniel and Deborah Burton
Lived Tottenham, London
Next of Kin Wife, 91 Leadale Road, London N15
Royal Corps of Signals
77th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Signals Section
27 Operating Section
Service
1940/11/21 - Enlisted
The 77 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment was a Welsh TA Regiment, comprising of four Batteries, 239, 240, 241 and 242.
In August 1940 they were attached to the 4th Anti-Aircraft Division, but by September 1940 they had returned to Wales, protecting Mardy Farm, Llwyn-y-grant, and Pye Corner, Newport.
In June 1941, the 77 H.A.A. were now down to three Batteries 239, 240 and 241.
1941/12/06 - The Territorial Chester area 21st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment together with the 48th L.A.A Regiment, 77 H.A.A. and 18 L.A.A. Regiments of the Royal Artillery left the Clyde for the Middle East in Convoy William Sail 14.
1941/12/08 - Japan entered the war by Bombing Pearl Harbour and attacking Malaya and Hong Kong.
1941/12/09 - The Convoy William Sail 14 was formed off Oversay.
The convoy consisted of:- City of Pretoria, Empress of Australia, Troilus, Warwick Castle, Malancha (which joined convoy at Capetown) and Dunera (Which joined the convoy at Durban). The City of Canterbury was detached to BM 12 and went to Singapore.
Empress of Australia
The 77 Heavy Anti Aitcraft Regiment were aboard the Empress of Australia.
1942/01/13 - By the time WS 14 had reached Durban, South Africa, their destination had changed to Singapore, and they sailed from Durban in Convoy DM-2 (Durban Malaya -2).
1942/01/19 - Off Mombassa at 01.05 N, 91.28 E they merged with Convoy BM-12 (Bombay Malaya -12) and were re-routed to Batavia, Java with their supplies.
1942/01/26 - The Empress of Australia was diverted to to Addu Atoll in the Maldives to refuel.
1942/02/03 - Arrived at Batavia, Java and docked under a Japanese air attack.
The 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 to sett up their guns to defend Eastern Java against enemy aircraft. The 239 battery stayed in defence of Batavia.
The train taking the 241 Battery to Surabaya crashed into an ammunition train on a single track bridge just outside Surabaya, 30 were killed and 100 were injured.
1942/05/08 - WO 417/43, Casualty List No. 818. Reported ‘Missing’.
1942/09/12 - WO 417/52, Correction to entry on Casualty List No. 818. The Entry should be deleted (Listed in Error).
1943/03/15 - WO 417/58, Casualty List No. 1083. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/07/12 - WO 417/63, Casualty List No.1184. Previously shown on Casualty List No.1083 as Missing, 01/02/1943. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
1945/11/23 - WO417/99, Casualty List No. 1918. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1184 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Netherlands East Indies.
Japanese PoW
Joe became known in the camps as “the Doctor” although he had no medical qualifications he worked in the hospital.
1942/03/23 - Captured Java
PoW No. M-3386
1942/03/23 - Boel Gloguk Jail (Camp Ldr. G.C. Noble, RAF)
1942/05 Tandjoeng Priok (Camp Ldr. Col Lane)
1943/04 - Cycle Camp
1943/06 - Mata Dolorosa Hospital
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1943/08 - Makassar Camp (Camp Ldr. Wing Commander Ramsey RAAF)
New PoW No. 3764
1944/06/27 - Transported with Java Party 22 to Singapore
Departed Singapore with Queen Elizabeth Ferry to Camp 1 Sumatra Railway
1944/07/07 Paken Baroe Area Camps (Camp Ldr. Wing Commander Davies)
New PoW No. 2595
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.
1944, May - Sumatra Camp 1 and 2 - Camp Leader W.C Davis
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.
1945/08/15 - On Pakanbaroe roll
1945/10/15 - Liberated
Liberation Questionnaire, filled in by Joe after being liberated
Post War
Joe was an active member of the F.E.P.O.W Association in UK whilst running an estate agency business in Tottenham and Southend in the 1950s and 1960s. He emigrated to Australia (Western Australia) in 1965 and immediately became a member of Perth Legacy to continue his work with war widows.
Died
Joe died in 2000 of natural causes.
Information
Michael Selt - Mother’s Uncle
Japanese Transports
Sumatra Railway
Java Index
Books:- ‘PoW on the Sumatra Railway’ by John Geoffrey Lee, edited by Christine & Eddie Bridges.
‘Death and Deprivation on the Forgotten Sumatra Raiway’ by James H Banton.
KEW Files:- WO 345/8, WO 361/1623, WO 361/2002, WO 392/23, WO 361/1623, WO 361/1946, WO 361/2006, WO 361/2222,
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