Milson-George-William

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

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100922

Flight Lieutenant

George William Milson

Distinguished Flying Cross

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1916/09/26 - Born Lincoln

Son of Harry Hall and Mary Ann Milson

Brother to Eric

Occupation Motor Engineer

Next of Kin Parents, E H & M A Milson, Boston Road, Coningsby, Lincolnshire

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

84th Squadron

Service

1939/09/26 - Enlisted

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Statement by Flight Lieutenant George William Milson

Captured Tjilatjap, Java

Evasion and Capture

The Squadron was taken to Tjilatjap arriving 5th March 1942. We were too late in the evacuation so the commanding Officer W/C Juedwine, R.A.F. got hold of three boats, two lifeboats and a motor launch, and the whole party of about 45 to 50 left in these three boats and sailed to the island of Kambangan off the South Coast of Java. This was on the 6th March. One lifeboat and the motor boat were damaged.

On the 7th March, W/C Jeudeine and 11 others left in the undamaged lifeboat for Australia. They were successful and made Australia after a long voyage. The Wing Commander had a submarine sent back to pick up the remainder of us but it arrived too late.

Two small parties went back from the Island to Tyilatjap to look for food, after we had been on the island for about a week. One consisted of F/Sgt. R.D. Millar, R.N. Z.A.F, F/Sgt. Small, Sgt. Geoffrey George Bell 915140, Sgt. Archibald William George Wakefield 957219, Sgt. Douglas George Argent 913431, and one or two others. The other boat included F/Sgt. Sharley, L.A.C. Northwood, F/Sgt W. Mare 541523 and Sgt. F. Cameron 404135 R.A.A.F.. All of the above were from the 84th Squadron, RAF. They all returned the same day with the exception of Shartley, Northwood, Small and Dell. I heard afterwards that Bell had been executed at Tjilatjap on about the 13th or 14th March 1942, but I heard no more of the other three.

We continued to live on a secluded part of the island as best we could, waiting for assistance, if Wing Commander could send it from Australia. On the 8th April 1942, I went off on my own to explore the island and was captured by guards from a Dutch Convict Settlement and was taken to Tjilatjap the same day, where I was handed over to the Japanese. Before this we had dumped or arms and ammunition in the sea.

Japanese PoW

1942/04/08 - Captured Tjilatjap, Java

PoW No. I 471

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

Japanese PoW Camps:-

1942/04/8 - Tjilatjap

1942/06/27 - Bandoeng

1943/09/23 - Transported in Makassar Maru from Batavia, Java to Singapore with Java Party 17A

New PoW No. 733

1943/09/29 - Selarang

1944/06/01 - Changi Jail

1945/03/31 - Kranji

1945/11/02 - Liberated Singapore

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 as filled in by George after being liberated