To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

Royal Engineers-tn

2138466

Driver

Harry Eaton

jcross

1906/01/08 - Born Liverpool

Occupation Labourer

 

1941/01/11 - Enlisted

Next of Kin - Wife, 32 Market Street, Wrexham, North Wales

Royal Engineers

251 Field Park Company

18th Division, Rear  HQ

 

Service

1941/10/30 - The main body of the 18th Division left Liverpool for Halifax in Convoy CT.5. After being transferred to American liners at Halifax, they departed 10th November 1941 in Convoy William Sail 12X, their destination was believed to be for the Middle East.

The 18th Division military equipment and supplies were just finished being loaded into the Empress of Asia in Liverpool. This included the 251 Field Park Company and equipment.

Empress of Asia - 3

1941/11/12 -  The Empress of Asia sailed from Liverpool.

1941/11/13 - Convoy William Sail 12Z was formed off Oversay and included the ships with formation to sail to Freetown:-

 

11L

ADRASTUS

 

21L

MATAROA

 

31C

NARKUNDA

(Commodore

 

41L

ORDUNA

 

51C

DEUCALION

 

12L

EMPIRE STAR

 

22L

DUCHESS OF BEDFORD

(Vice Commodore)

 

32C

AORANGI

 

42L

MONARCH OF BERMUDA

 

52C

ABBEKERK

 

32C

EMPRESS OF JAPAN

(same position number)

13L

SUSSEX

 

23L

EMPRESS OF ASIA

 

 

43L

CAPETOWN CASTLE

 

53C

RIMUTAKA

 

 

 

34C

ARUNDEL CASTLE

 

 

 

 

13th-16th November 1941 - Escort was provided by the destroyers Badsworth, Exmoor, Vanquisher,  Whitehall and Witch

13th-17th November 1941- Destroyer Maori joined convoy

16th-19th November 1941 - Destroyers Foresight, Forester and Fury joined the convoy

21st November 1941 - Approaching Freetown, the destroyers Velox and Vimy joined convoy

22nd November 1941 -  the corvette Clover joined convoy

25th November 1941 - the convoy arrived Freetown

28th November 1941 - Convoy sailed from Freetown to Durban

 

11

SUSSEX

21

DUCHESS OF BEDFORD

31

NARKUNDA

41

MONARCH OF BERMUDA

51

DEUCALION

12

ADRASTUS

22

EMPRESS OF ASIA

32

EMPRESS OF JAPAN

42

CAPETOWN CASTLE

52

RIMUTAKA

13

EMPIRE STAR

23

MATAROA

33

ARUNDEL CASTLE

43

ORDUNA

53

ABBEKERK

34

AORANGI

 

28th Nov.-14th Dec. 1941 - The escort consisted of the destroyers Dulverton and Southwold

 28th Nov.-15th Dec. 1941 - sloop Milford and corvettes Hollyhock and Verbena joined convoy

15th-18th December 1941 - corvettes Aster and Marguerite joined convoy

 28th Nov.-18th Dec. - the battleship Royal Sovereign for full voyage to Durban

18th December 1941 - Convoy arrived Durban

 

24th December departed Durban in Convoy William Sail 12ZB to Bombay

6th January 1942 Arrived Bombay

23rd January 1942 - Sailed from Bombay in BM12 (Bombay Malaya 12) destination Singapore

Troop Carriers

Empress of Asia

2235 troops and stores (18th Div. ammunition & supplies)

Felix Roussal

157 troops and stores (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers)

Plancius

987 troops and stores

Devonshire

1673 troops and stores

City of Canterbury

1053 troops

 

16th-27th January - HMS Falmouth ((Anti-Submarine) joined convoy

27th-31st January 1942 - Light Cruiser HMS Emerald (Light Cruiser) joined convoy.

31st January 1942 - HMS Danae (Light Cruiser) joined convoy detached Banka Straits

31st Jan.- 4th Feb. 1942 - RNN Java (Light Cruiser) joined convoy, detached as low on fuel.

1st February 1942 - HMAS Yarra and HMIS Sutlej (Anti-Submarine) joined convoy

2nd February - Heavy Cruiser HMS Exeter joined convoy, detached Banka Straits

2nd February 1942 - HMAS  Vampire (Destroyer) joined convoy

HMAS Bendigo and HMAS Woolongong (Mine-Sweepers) joined convoy Banka Straits

 

1942/02/05 - As the convoy entered the approaches to Singapore, they were attacked  south of Sultan Shoal Lighthouse by nine Japanese bombers who centred their attention on the Empress of Asia causing a serious fire on board. Anchoring the damaged ship within the Sulton Shoal, crew and troops made their way to the stern to avoid the fire.

Empress of Asia sinking

 The commander of the HMAS Yarra, Wifred Harrington, edged his ship to the stern of the damaged ship and managed to take off 1,804 survivors.

The HMAS Bendigo, which had been in the harbour, then rescued a further 78 and the escort vessel HMAS Woolongong took off the last two, the Master and the Chief Engineer.

There were sixteen deaths who went down with the ship, five miles south of Singapore Island. Salvage attempts failed to rescue any of the military equipment or supplies.

 

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese

 

1942/04/10 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 794. Reported ‘Missing’.

1943/05/11 - Casualty List No 1131. Previously posted on Casualty List No 794 as Missing. Now reported ‘Prisoner of War’.

 

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

1942/02/17 - Changi Camp

PoW No. M-2527

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Eaton-Harry-01

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

Eaton-Harry-02

1943/03/23 - Transported Overland to Thailand with ‘D’ Force, train 9

58th train to Thailand

Commander Lt-Col. G.G. Carpenter, 1st Cambridgeshire

With Lt-Col. McEachern, AIF, I/c of AIF

 

PoWs Consisted of:-

Southern Area

443

18th Division Area

116

Hospital Area

5

Total

564

 

1943/03/27 - Arrived Thailand

Attached to Group 1

New PoW No. IV 15220

 

Camp Card to Home

Eaton-Harry-10a

Eaton-Harry-10b

 

Thailand Camps:-

1943/03/ - Kanchanaburi

1943/05/ - Wang Yai

1943/10/ - Konkoita

1943/10 - Lines from Thailand and Burma joined near Konkoita

New PoW No. 6075

Nong Pladuk

Tha Muang

Attached to Group 4

1944/45 - There are four Hospital Records for Edgar at Tha Muang

1945/09/01 - Liberated

Liberation Questionnaire

 

1945/09/21 - WO417/96_2, Casualty List No. 1864. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1131 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.

 

pacific-star-tn

war-medal-1939-1945-tn

1939-1945 Star-tn

Pacific Star

War Medal

1939-1945 Star

 

Information

Paul Eaton - Grandson

Glenda Godfrey

Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre

Convoy William Sail 12X

Japanese Transports

Thailand-Burma Railway

Liberation Questionnaire - COFEPOW

KEW Files:- WO 361/2172, WO 345/16, WO 361/1954, WO 361/1979, WO 361/2196, WO 361/2166, WO 361/2070, WO 361/2059, WO 361/2191, k

*

''Our Thanks are for being a Chapter in Life.''

 

 

 

Keeping The Candle Burning

 

Fepow Family

In Memory of Fred Taylor, Arthur Lane and John Wheedon  
Designed and Maintained by Ron Taylor.

 

Honorary Life Member-1tn

Honorary member of COFEPOW

 

Email Ron Taylor 

 

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