It's been amazing to read all the posts so far, I am hoping to go back to some earlier ones that have mentioned my father John Whitton. His father Henry Whitton who was in the 2/3rd MG Battalion in Java, was one of a group of men executed for trying to escape. My father is 80 now and I would dearly love for him to be able to locate his father's body. He is still listed as MIA and listed on the Singapore War Memorial. My father has tried a number of avenues to locate his father but without any real leads. I was wondering if Liam Flanagan was able to find out anything? He seems to have been to Java and done some searching for the grave where 3 or 4 Australians were executed. His father and mine did a bit of corresponding over the years. Any further information would be greatly appreciated. My father has been involved with the 2/3rd MG Battalion family and friends association for many years and has been close to Snow Fairclough and Ken Wood (who passed away earlier this year). They have been a great source of information for dad who was able to find out more about what his father was like, what sort of person he was. Dad was only 6 when his father died, so he's wanted to find out anything he could about him. Jocelyn Brown
Hello Jocelyn Perhaps you already know but a "Harry Whitten" is mentioned in M.Th. (Snow) Fairclough "My Soldiering Days", page 9. Just google the title and the author and you will find it. Your grandfather must be one of the men that tried to reach the southcoast of West-Java. S his capture (and probable execution) must have taken place at some distance south-west of Leles / Garut. Best regards, Simon
Jocelyn, I forgot something... the "six blokes" Fairclough refers to were probably: Bessel, Philip Mowbray Frank Jones, Jack Victor Manning, Howard Thomas Stewart, Kenneth Thompson, Henry Francis Whitton, Henry Simon
In July 2015 I placed a message on this forum regarding 2/3 MG Battalion in relation to the so called pigbasket attrocities that happened on Java during the Japanese occupation 1942-1945. This message has been removed. Could someone tell me why? Regards, Simon
