Retracing my Father's WWII Journey

In August 2024 I re-traced my Father’s WWII journey from Singapore to Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea

 

My Father, 7374184 Pte Frank Hill RAMC 198 Field Ambulance, was reported missing after the fall of Singapore to the Japanese on 15th February 1942. My Mother received a Certificate of Death from The War Office in February 1946 certifying my Father was presumed killed in action on 14th February 1942 while serving in the Far East. I didn’t know until 1987, 42 years after the war ended, that my Father is commemorated at Singapore Memorial in Kranji War Cemetery.

Another 23 years later in 2010 however, I miraculously found out he survived the massacre at Singapore and was taken as a POW. A search within the Army Medical Services Museum, Ash Vale, Aldershot by my son-in-law Colonel Marty Slade L/RAMC, discovered a surviving original copy of Singapore Changi POW No.1 Camp first journal, produced by some of the inmates in May/June 1942. It had been signed by those members of 198th Field Ambulance then available and able to do so. Amongst them can clearly be seen the signature of my Father! It was another 10 years (2020) before discovering he had been transported on a Japanese “hell” ship with the Royal Artillery ‘Gunners 600 Group’ which sailed from Singapore on 18th October 1942 to Rabaul, on the island of New Britain, New Guinea.

A total of 599 POWs disembarked at Rabaul on 5th November 1942 (one POW died during the voyage). 82 prisoners were left behind at Rabaul as being unfit to travel. The remaining fittest, including my Father, were taken on another Japanese ship to Ballalae Island, one of the Solomon Islands, arriving in late November 1942. There, the Japanese used the British POWs as forced labour to construct an airfield, in unrelenting appalling conditions. They were ill-treated, starved and overworked in the tropical sun. Not one of those taken to Ballalae survived. A mass grave was discovered by the Australian Forces after the war from which 438 bodies were exhumed. Their service tags had been removed and they could only be identified with artefacts linking them with the British POWs transported from Singapore in October 1942. The other 79 men are assumed to have died or been killed by the Japanese.

This was a terrible atrocity carried out by the Japanese Army. Their remains were subsequently reinterred in separate graves at Bomana War Cemetery, near Port Moresby, Papua New Guninea on 13th December 1945. They are tended by the Australian War Graves Commission. There were 18 survivors of those left behind at Rabaul, who were recovered by the Australian Forces after the war.

I visited Singapore in September 2019 during my 80th year with my daughter Melanie and son-in-law Marty Slade. It was significant that we met Tan Ding Xiang, who works at Alexandra (ex-British Military) Hospital. This resulted in communications with FEPOW (Far East Prisoners of War) Family Members and research at the Imperial War Museum and National Archives Kew which established in early 2020, 75 years after the war ended, that my Father in captivity was sent from Singapore to Ballalae Island.

During the Covid pandemic, retracing my Father’s wartime journey gained some momentum. Last autumn, I read articles of British Royal Navy warship HMS Tamar, visiting the Solomon Islands in the summer of 2023. The crew refurbished the Ballalae War Memorial on the 80th Anniversary of the Ballalae massacre. A service of re-dedication was held to remember the soldiers who had died on the island, led by the ship’s Chaplain and attended by local island Chiefs and the British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands who was proud of the work the crew were able to do honouring the men of the Gunners 600 Party. This was good news and gave me encouragement to plan my journey this year. Although I am fit, active and well travelled, I felt this may be my last opportunity at 85 years old to make such a long emotional journey. My daughter Natalie Hogarth (age 56) accompanied me. We followed Foreign Office travel advice for safety and security in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. I booked our long haul flights and hotels through Trailfinders at the end of January, but had to personally book these in the Solomons and Papua New Guinea, as Trailfinders have no access to these countries.

 

VISIT TO KRANJI WAR CEMETERY AND SINGAPORE MEMORIAL 9th AUGUST 2024

My Father has always been listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commissions (CWGC) records and his official commemoration was included on the Singapore Memorial which stands in Kranji War Cemetery, when it was officially opened in 1957. The Singapore Memorial commemorates the names of more than 24,000 soldiers and airmen of the British Commonwealth and Empire of the Second World War who have no known grave.

With the knowledge in late 2019/early 2020 that my Father had been sent from Singapore to Ballalae Island, the CWGC amended their Singapore Memorial records of my Father’s death from 14/15th February 1942 (records in 1946) to 5th March 1943 (records in 2020).

This was Natalie’s first visit to Kranji and it was a very hot and humid during our walk from the station to, and at, the Cemetery. The central avenue of the Cemetery rises gently from the ‘Stone of Remembrance’ near the entrance, which has the words ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE’, to the ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ beyond which flights of steps lead to a terrace on top of a hill on which the Memorial Stands. Twelve wide columns bear the name panels and support a flat roof, which gives protection to the inscribed names and shade and shelter to the visitor. Rising through the roof in the centre, to a height of 24 metres, is a great pylon surmounted by a gold star. A curved panel at the foot of the pylon includes the words ‘THEY DIED FOR ALL FREE MEN’.

We visited Column 105 where my Father’s name, Corps and rank are engraved. We looked in the Memorial Register and found my Father’s details and left a double sided laminated copy of his Ballalae Roll of Honour/brief story in the Register safe nearest the Column. Everything is immaculately maintained. This was a visit of remembrance. When I visited in 2019 I had no knowledge of Ballalae Island. I had visited in 1989 with my wife Ann, during my 50th year.

On the following day, we visited Changi Chapel and Museum (it had been closed for redevelopment when I last visited Singapore in 2019). The newly revamped Museum includes new stories and personal objects donated from families of former internees. It was interesting to see the Changi Murals. It was very informative and a reminder of life as a Prisoner of War. A 180 metre section of the original prison wall, its entrance gate and two turrets are preserved for their historical significance in the nearby new Changi Prison complex. I understand the original Chapel constructed by the POWs has been dismantled and rebuilt at the National Archives in Canberra, Australia.

 

VISIT TO BALLALAE ISLAND, SOLOMON ISLANDS 13th AUGUST 2024

The main reason for retracing my Father’s wartime journey was to visit the small War Memorial on the remote and uninhabited Ballalae Island, to fit a commemorative plaque in memory of him and the small contingent of RAMC medics attached to the Royal Artillery and lay a poppy wreath to pay our last respects. The plaque and fixings are made from marine quality stainless steel, and feature a RAMC cap badge donated by Marty Slade. I discovered I would have to fit the plaque myself, below the existing plaque which was donated by the Royal Artillery when the dedicated Memorial was constructed in 2003. Solomon Airlines still use the air strip built by British POWs, and provides a weekly return flight from the capital Honiara. The air strip runs the central length of the island, beside which there are dense jungle and swamps. The nearby islanders maintain the grass, covering the original airstrip, which was constructed using crushed coral. Ballalae Island was left with more than 40 Japanese aircraft shot down by Australia, New Zealand and American forces in 1943, which are now relics in the jungle.

My planning was fraught with concerns as the Foreign Office travel advice reports delays and cancellation of flights occur regularly at Honiara airport. Checks with Destination Solomons Travel & Tour Company in Honiara confirmed Solomon Airlines weekly flight from Honiara to Ballalae frequently does not happen. A De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 16 seater is the only aircraft Solomon Airlines currently has that is able to land on Ballalae Island narrow airstrip. It is used to provide a weekly service for the nearby Shortland Islanders, who transfer by boats available from operators from the nearby islands. I was totally reliant on this flight, as it is the only means of getting to Ballalae from Honiara.

In February, I was introduced to the British High Commissioner of Solomon Islands, who put me in touch with a contact at Solomon Airlines, as it was important they were made aware of my plans so that they could try and help. He said every effort would be made for everything to run smoothly on the day of our flight to Ballalae Island and the only thing that could disrupt this would be the weather. I asked the airline if they could allow some additional time at Ballalae for the commemorative plaque to be fitted to the Memorial. The High Commissioner gave permission for me to fit the plaque and he is keen to maintain the Memorial as it is not a registered Commonwealth War Grave.

There was torrential rain during the night of 12th August which continued until mid-morning. The hotel shuttle bus driver taking us to the airport for a 08:40 check-in, remarked that the flight may be cancelled because of the weather. On arrival at the airport, the check-in desk was closed, with no sign of activity. I was on tenterhooks. I would have been devastated if the flight did not go.

After some time waiting at the airport, a destination card ‘BALLALAE’ appeared on the check-in desk but there was still no sign of check-in staff. Eventually it stopped raining, staff arrived and we were checked-in but not allowed to proceed anywhere. Solomon Airlines Marketing Team representative, Jenny Lobo, arrived and said she was coming to Ballalae with us.

We were then allowed to enter the security area check and quickly boarded the Twin Otter. Our seats were in the front row behind the cockpit. The co-pilot came in through the seated passengers to give safety instructions. The engines started and we were very quickly on the runway and airborne. We could see the joystick and other manually operated lever controls. I could not believe after so much research and planning we were finally, joyfully on our way to Ballalae! The plane was generally flying below the clouds and it was breathtaking looking down on the spectacular Solomon Islands. One and a half hours later we landed on Gizo atoll airstrip to re-fuel and a few passengers disembarked. Refuelling was carried out manually from 2 drums rolled up to the plane with 2 men taking it in turns to manually pump fuel into the plane. On completion of refuelling the plane took off for Ballalae.

Forty minutes later, we could see Ballalae Island and the runway came into sight. We quickly landed and the plane taxied close to the small Memorial. I could not believe we were on the WWII runway constructed by the British POWs! On deplaning, we expected the Memorial to be deserted, as no one lives on Ballalae Island. However, there were groups of locals from the nearby Shortland Islands Group. Jenny, of Solomon Airlines marketing team, said she had informed the Chiefs of the nearby islands of our visit. Natalie and I walked to the Memorial and embraced for a while in respect. The wreaths from last year’s HMS Tamar crew refurbishment were still on the Memorial. When opening my tool boxes and preparing to start fitting the plaque, we were quickly surrounded by local islanders.
I positioned the plaque under the existing plaque which honours the members of the Royal Artillery. The excited local bystanders were eager to join in and after a while two of the men were invited to help. The plaque was finally fixed to the Memorial!! We shook hands with the two local helpers and thanked them for their assistance, then laid the poppy wreath at the base of the Memorial so that we could pay our final respects. The heat and humidity were intense and the new passengers were sheltering in the shade under the wings of the aircraft. Photographs were taken and as we rushed to embark, we took one last look at the Memorial. We could not believe what we had achieved and we had set foot on Ballalae Island where my Father had been a POW and died. We thanked the pilots, through Jenny, for allowing us sufficient time.

We sank gratefully into our seats. The engines started, the aircraft manoeuvred into position on the runway and we began our take-off. Natalie made an excellent video of the plane departing. We were able to have a final look as the plane gained speed travelling past the Memorial. As we left the island, I looked back and was able to take a poignant photo showing the airstrip. We drank a lot of water on the way to Gizo as we cooled down.

We returned to Gizo atoll for re-fuelling. During the time on the ground, we were introduced to a Shortland islander who had embarked at Ballalae. His name was William Morgan, age 72, who told us he had helped to construct the original Memorial on Ballalae in 2003 for three relatives of the Royal Artillery Gunners Group. He lives in the village of Maleai in the nearby Shortland Islands and was going to visit his niece in Honiara. He remembers his Father often visited Ballalae Island during the war and could see white men being used as slave labour by the Japanese Army. We landed at Honiara at 17.10.

Jenny Lobo’s partner met us at the airport to take us back to our hotel. On the way they kindly took us to see the Guadalcanal American Memorial, the Pride of the Nation Monument which includes the Coastwatchers Memorial and Unity Square which features the National Solomon Islanders flag and the flags of the nine provinces and cultural totems.

The visit to Ballalae Island WWII Memorial was extraordinary and very emotional. It gave great satisfaction to pay final respects after all this time and have peace of mind. It was good to have my daughter Natalie share it with me. It was a day we will never forget.

Our visit created a lot of interest and raised awareness of the Second World War history in the Solomon Islands and Ballalae. Everyone we met in the Solomons greeted us with kindness and smiles.

I thanked the British High Commissioner and Solomon Airlines management for their considerable assistance to have made it possible for us to visit to Ballalae Island. Also, Jenny Lobo for her kind hospitality and remarkable video which captured the events of our day and the story in the Solomon print news.

Tourism Solomons website provided a wealth of information last year when I commenced pre-planning a visit to Ballalae Island. In late 2023, Solomon Airlines put me in touch with Destination Solomons Travel & Tour Company, Honiara when I was making enquiries of tours to WWII Battlefields. I developed a good relationship with Christina Setiano, Tour Consultant/Director, who was most helpful during my search to find the best way of visiting Ballalae Island War Memorial. She also recommended the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara. One WWII tour operator thanked me for my sharing the brief WWII history of Ballalae Island and commented it was good to learn more about WWII since most of the Western Province of Solomon Islands had been affected by it.

 

VISIT TO BOMANA WAR CEMETERY NEAR PORT MORESBY, PNG 15th AUGUST 2024

In May, the British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands introduced me to his colleague, the British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, based in Port Moresby, who in turn, passed my request for information on to the Australian War Graves Commission Manager at Bomana War Cemetery.

It was another very hot and humid day. A secure escort guide picked us up from our airport hotel and took us by car to Bomana War Cemetery.

At the entrance, there are two open walk-in Memorial Buildings. One included the Cemetery Register safe which houses the Burial Register. Above the Cemetery Register is a Royal Artillery plaque to commemorate the 438 Ballalae British Soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery unidentified by name.

A ‘Stone of Remembrance’ with the words ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE’ is located at the front of the Cemetery, which contains 3,824 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 699 of them unidentified. The graves are laid in three blocks A, B and C, at the head of which stands the ‘Cross of Sacrifice’. Beyond is ‘Port Moresby Memorial’ which commemorates almost 750 men of the Australian Army (including Papua and New Guinea local forces), the Australian Merchant Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force, who have no known graves.

The remains of the 438 Ballalae British POWs are buried in individual graves in plots C2, C3, C4, C5 and are marked by white marble headstones, each of which has a cross and is inscribed simply ‘A SOLDIER OF THE 1939-1945 WAR KNOWN UNTO GOD’. Natalie and I walked along all of the 438 headstones (17 rows) in respect of those men so far from home. We placed a poppy wreath under the Cemetery Register in the Memorial Building and left a double sided laminated copy of my Father’s Ballalae Roll of Honour/brief story inside the Burial Register located in the Cemetery Register safe. The gratitude of the Papua New Guinea nation to the Allied Forces preventing the country from being taken over by the Japanese is strong and their immaculate care of the Cemetery is a testament to that. Whilst it is most probable that my Father is buried there, I cannot be absolutely sure. Of the 438 remains repatriated from Ballalae after the war, it did not account for everyone believed to be there in 1943.

One of the Gunners survivors at Rabaul, Alf ‘Blackie’ Baker, wrote a book entitled ‘What Price Bushido’ first published in the 1990’s, which tells the story of life in the POW Camp and what happened to the 517 POWs taken from Rabaul to Ballalae Island. It also mentions that an engraved stainless steel plaque recording the history of their capture in Singapore and death in the Solomon Islands had been erected in Bomana War Cemetery. The Australian War Graves Commission Manager at Bomana could not find this plaque within Bomana War Cemetery. Therefore there is no plaque at Bomana recording the history of the 438 Ballalae British POWs. The Commonwealth War Graves website for Bomana states ‘The unidentified soldiers of the United Kingdom forces were all from the Royal Artillery, captured by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore; they died in captivity and were buried on the island of Ballalae in the Solomons. These men were later re-buried in a temporary war cemetery at Torokina on Bourgainville Island before being transferred to their permanent resting place at Port Moresby’.

A known number of Royal Army Medical Corps servicemen are not commemorated at Bomana. There were 6 RAMC, my Father was one of them, attached to the Royal Artillery taken by the Japanese from Singapore to Ballalae Island. It would be fitting if there was a permanent tribute to the RAMC fallen at Bomana War Cemetery.

In July I had communications with the Australian War Graves Commission regarding the above. They are planning appropriate signage at Bomana War Cemetery to tell the stories of more than 3,800 Commonwealth war casualties at rest. This would include the stories of the British servicemen at Ballalae Island in 1943. During the development of this signage they say reference can be made to those others who were with the British artillerymen at Ballalae Island in 1943.

I have thanked Aaron Hayes, Managing Director of Ecotourism Melanesia Ltd for recommending the secure escort guide for our visit to Bomana War Cemetery and the Airways Hotel near Port Moresby International Airport. He also gave reassurance on the safety and security for our travel arrangements in the Port Moresby area.

The whole journey exceeded my expectations and was a once in a lifetime opportunity to honour my Father.

I joined FEPOW in March 2020 and COFEPOW in April 2020 and found there were other relatives of POWs who had not been given satisfactory explanations of how, where and under what circumstances their loved ones died as prisoners of the Japanese in the Far East during 1942-1945. New Members are still searching for information of their loved one, therefore I had not been alone in seeking emotional closure.
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My father is remembered at Kirkburton, Huddersfield where he was born. In early 2021, I received a telephone call ‘out of the blue’ from Anna Boden (Kirkburton Environment Group) in her quest to find information and relatives of the local servicemen who lost their lives in WWII. She was searching for the son of Frank Hill. In the Memorial Garden, the names of the WWII Kirkburton fallen were added to the WWI Cenotaph in 2009. In November 2021, a new Memorial Board honouring the men of Kirkburton who gave their lives in WWII, was unveiled after the Remembrance Sunday Service. This includes images of the fallen, including my Father together with an abbreviated version of his newly found wartime story. There exists a similar WWI Memorial Board. The names of the Kirkburton fallen in WWI and WWII are read out every year during the Remembrance Sunday Service.
Brian Hill (born March 1939)
Lives in Bournemouth
First Issue September 2024
Update October 2024