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2336672
Signalnan
Bennett Roberts
1919/10/16 - Tal-y-Bont, Banger, Wales
Occupation Electrical Wireman
Next of Kin W Bennett, Bontnewydd, Aber, Caernarvon
Royal Corps of Signals
Southern Area Signals
Service
1940/03/15 - Enlisted
1941/12/08 - Japan entered the war by attacking Pearl Harbour, Hong Kong and Malaya.
Japanese troops landed at Singora and Patani, Thailand plus Kota Bharu, Malaya.
The Japanese troops landing at Kota Bharu, soon took control of the airfield and the defending troops then had very little air cover.
The battle hardened Japanese quickly gained a foothold and pushed the defending troops back to Singapore Island.
On the 31st of January 1942, the Causeway joining Malaya to Singapore was blown in an attempt to halt the Japanese troops.
On the night of the 8th of February 1942, the Japanese landed on the North West side of Singapore Island. General Percival had made strong the North East coastline thinking that is where the Japanese would attack, but the Japanese bluff worked, as by the 15th February 1942, Singapore was forced into surrendering.
‘Singapore Surrender’ by Leo Rawlings
1942/05/11 - WO 417/43, Casualty List No. 820. Reported ‘Missing’.
1944/10/13 - WO417/83, Casualty List No. 1576. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 820 as Missing (date obscured on original source). Prisoner of War in Japanese Hands (Thailand).
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. M-502
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/10/25 - Transported overland to Thailand with Letter Party ‘X’, train 1
Commender C.E. Morrison, 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
Work Party 2
New PoW No. II 5039
1943/July - Transported via river to Kanchanaburi Hospital from north of Tha Sao.
1943/10/25 - The rail tracks from Thailand and Burma were joined near Konkoita, Thailand
New PoW No. 13633
1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand
Flown from Bangkok to Rangoon to be shipped to the UK
Liberation Questionnaire filled in by Bennett afterbeing liberated
1945/11/08 - WO417/99, Casualty List No. 1905. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1576 as reported 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
1946 - Married Mona Templar in Bangor
They were blessed with two girls and a boy
2000 - Bennett died at Bangor.
Information
Simon Parry - Nephew
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Thailand Burma Railway
Royal Corps of Signals
KEW Files:- WO 392/26, WO 361/2196, WO 361/1955, WO 361/2167, WO 345/44, WO 361/2172, WO 361/2043, 2190,
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