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803753
Sergeant
Wilfred James Fuller
1914/07/12 - Born Watford, Hertfordshire
Son of William James and Nellie (nee Adams) Fuller
Brother to Hilda and Mabel
Occupation Textile Trade
Next of Kin Mother, Nellie, Nevill Grove, Watford, Hertfordshire
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
4th O.S.C.
Service
1939/10/02 - Enlisted
Stationed Singapore
1941/12/08 - Japan enters the war by Bombing Pearl Harbour and attacking Hong Kong and Malaya. Japanese troops land the Malayan border with Thailand at Kota Bharu (Malaya), Singora and Patani (Thailand).
The 278 Battery of the 122 Field Regiment were transported to North Malaya and the 280 Battery took positions in Southern Area, Singapore.
As the Japanese had taken the airfield at Kota Bharu, the Allied troops had very little air cover and by the 31st of January 1942, Allied Troops were pushed back to Singapore. The causeway joining Singapore to Malaya was blown to stop the Japanese advance.
On the 9th February the Japanese attacked the North West coast of Singapore. General Percival had set his main defence on the North East coast line, and the Japanese quickly gained the advantage.
By the 15th February the Japanese were in danger of taking control of the water supply at the reservoirs, which would endanger the Singapore City water supply. General Percival had no alternative but to surrender.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
1942/03/12 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 776. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/06/08 - WO 417/62, Casualty List No.1155. Previously shown on Casualty List No.776 as Missing, 15/02/1942. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
Commander Colonel E.R. Holmes
PoW No. I 2824
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
Wilfred stayed at Changi
New PoW No. 4557
1945/09/05 - On Changi Roll
1945/11/02 - Liberated
General Seishiro Itagaki, Japanese Commander of Singapore, would not accept the surrender. Plus it gave him time to cover up all Japanese Atrocities in Singapore. The allied naval landing force 'Operation Tiderace' were delayed as it was still understood the Japanese would dispose of all the PoWs in Singapore if they landed. Mountbatten ordered British paratroopers into Singapore to protect the camps. To many of the PoWs in Singapore, those red berets of the paratroopers were the first signs that the war had ended. All this delayed organising the PoWs. It wasn't till the 12th September that Lord Mountbatten accepted the Japanese surrender at the Municipal Building. Hospital cases were the first to leave Singapore 1945/09/10 on the HMHS Koroa. They were soon followed by Repatriation ships which started reaching the UK about the 15th of October 1945. Why many of the liberated PoWs on these ships had November on their Japanese Index cards, I don't know as in other areas of the Far East, PoWs were marked as Liberated at their PoW camps with the correct date. Unless General Seishiro Itagaki did not make the cards available when the camps were liberated.
Liberation Questionnaire filled in by Wilfred after being liberated
Repatriated
1945/11/16 - WO417/99, Casualty List No. 1912. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1155 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Far East Medals
Post War
Wilfred married Teresa Mary Johnson in 1947.
Wilfred and Teresa were blessed with five children Paul, Peter, Marian, Barbara and Francis.
Wilfred passed away 17th August 1966 while on a family holiday at Roache, in Cornwall
Information
Peter Fuller - Son
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
KEW Files:- WO 361/2181, WO 392/24, WO 345/19, WO 361/1947, WO 367/02, WO 361/2229,
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