Rush-Ronald

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

2055562

Gunner

Ronald Rush

1920/09/07 - Born Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Son of Charles Ernest and Francis Eva Rush

1938/05/03 - Enlisted

Next of Kin - Parents: C E & F E Rush, 37 Chesterfield Road, Staveley, Derbyshire

Royal Artillery

240/77 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment

Service

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 14X.

1941/12/08 - Japan attacked Malaya entering the war against Britain.

1942/01/13 - By the time WS 14X had reached Durban, South Africa their destination had changed to the Singapore and they sailed 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.

1942/02/03 - Arrived Batavia in Empress of Australia.

The 48 L.A.A Regiment was formed in 1940 and comprised of 49, 95 and 242 Batteries.

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 setting up their guns to defend Eastern Java against enemy aircraft. The 239 battery stayed in defence of Batavia.

1942/02/06 - At 0300 hrs a troop train carrying part of 77 HAA Regiment crashed into an ammunition train on a single track bridge just outside Surabaya, 30 were killed and 100 were injured.

1942/02/28 - A strong Japanese force landed on the North Coast of Java at Eretenwetan. Using tanks they soon reached Kalidjati airfield, destroying the 49th Battery of the 48 L.A.A. Regiment.

1942/03/04 - By this time the Dutch forces in Java were being severely hit by the Japanese advance. The 239 Battery, 77 H.A.A and the 242 Battery, 48 L.A.A were ordered to move and defend the Bandoeng area.

1942/03/08 - Java surrendered to the Japanese.

1943/03/01 - WO 417/58, Casualty List No. 1085. Reported ‘Missing’.

Japanese PoW

1943/03/08 - Captured Java

1942/03/16 - Glodok Camp

PoW No. J-1706

1943/05/26 - Tanjong Priok, Java

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1942/02/09 - Transported oversea in Roko Maru to Singapore with Java Party 13

With 704 British and 296 Dutch PoWs

1943/02/12 - Arrived Changi, Singapore

New PoW No. 9361

1943/05/05 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘H’ Force, train 1

This was the 77 train to Thailand

Under Commander of Lt-Col. R R Humphries, 77 H.A.A Regiment, RA

1943/06/21 - Kanyu Jungle Camp, 151km from Nong Pladuk

Various Camps in Thailand

1944/05/12 - Back to Sime Road, Singapore

1945/8/ - Changi

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.

1945/12/21 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1941. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1193 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Netherlands East Indies.