SARKIES Walter Andrew VX27723 HQ Coy [F Force Ponds Party]

Walter Andrew Sarkies (VX27723) 1923 – 2012

Walter Sarkies VX27723 (Pte), who served as a machine gunner with HQ Company (Carriers) and later with A Company, and was a POW with F Force ('Pond's Party') in Thailand, died in Melbourne on 17 June.

Walter was born on 2 February 1923 in Glenhuntly and spent his youth in Reservoir. In June 1940, aged 17, he enlisted in the 2nd AIF, and after basic training joined the 2/29th at Bonegilla. At 18 Wal was with the battalion at Segamat (Malaya). When the Japanese entered the war in December 1941, his unit was assigned to defend airfields and he experienced bombing at close range with only the protection of a shallow slit trench.

Too young to become a carrier driver, he was reassigned to A Company. As part of a small unit he went behind enemy lines to bomb bridges to slow the Japanese advance down the peninsula. After successfully destroying two bridges, the unit found its way back to allied lines, following creeks and avoiding the Japanese. He was wounded in action against advancing Japanese as the unit attempted to rejoin the main body of the 2/29th which had been sent north to Muar. Unable to break through, the commandos regrouped with British gunners. After his wound was dressed at a British aid post (RAP), he was sent on the last train south to the makeshift Australian field hospital at Jahore Baru before being evacuated to Singapore. He was in hospital in Singapore when the Allies surrendered. A few days later, with other wounded he marched to the Selarang Barracks, Changi. Wal's closest friends, Tommy Hall and Donny McCallum, had been killed at Muar.

As a POW in 1942, Wal was with work parties ordered to build the Japanese Bukit Timah Hill memorial, and on the Singapore wharves. Later he worked making timber supports for the network of tunnels constructed under Singapore. In April 1943, Walter was sent to Thailand with F Force (Pond's Party). Disembarking from the train at Bampong, the men were force-marched, always at night after days of labouring, 160 miles north to Konkoita camp where they began work on the Burma- Thailand railway. In poor health since being wounded in January 1942, Walter succumbed to severe illness after only three days and was sent to a 'hospital' camp ("a funny name to give it", he said) back at Bampong. Walter attributed his 'good luck' in this to Dr Roy Mills. His friend Geoff Forster died on the boat that took these desperately ill men away from 'the line'. Walter remained at Bampong camp for some months before returning to Changi, having rejoined the F Force survivors as they came south.

In Changi hospital Walter took up drawing, with paper and pencils supplied by his friend Frank Day who worked in the camp library. The Walter Sarkies Collection of 41 drawings of Changi life is held at the State Library of Victoria. Walter remembered the day of the Japanese surrender, and the early days of freedom in liberated Singapore. Interviewed in 2011, he remembered the sweet taste of ice cream after years of near starvation. He also remembered 'marvellous' days and nights on the Esperance Bay, which brought the 2/29th home. Walter was 23.

In 1947 Walter married Betty. He had a lifelong career with Shell. He and Betty travelled extensively, including business trips to Japan. In later years, Walter and Betty lived with their son Richard at Wallan. Brian Cleveland represented the Battalion at Wal's funeral, which was held at Fawkner Cemetery on Thursday 21 June.

Marguerita Stephens

[Marguerita, the daughter of 2/29th veteran Bob Stephens, interviewed Walter Sarkies for the Battalion Association in 2011.]

STANTON Hilton Alfred QX23428 B Coy [Sum]

Tributes

Hilton Alfred STANTON QX23428 (Q7810) 1923 - 2017 - Nulli secundus

STANTON, Hilton Alfred Of Holy Spirit, Carseldine, passed away peacefully on 15th August, 2017, aged 94 years.

Hilton (known as Hilly to friends and family) was a generous, compassionate and charitable man, known for his high regard for honesty and truth in reporting. Hilton’s mission was to leave a faithful report of the experiences of the 200 Australians in Sumatra, especially on the Atjeh Road and the Forgotten Railway - the Pakenbaroe/ Moeara Railway.

Originally in the 11th Light Horse Regiment in Queensland, Hilton enlisted in the AIF in August, 1941, and was posted to Singapore just prior to its fall – one of the many men needed to replace those lost in the Battle of Muar. He joined B Company, of 11 Platoon, led by Lt Arthur Tranter.

During the Battle for Singapore, B Company was charged with defending the Kranji River area, including a large ammunition dump. After being overrun by Japanese, the 12 remaining men of B Company tried to rejoin their own lines, but were cut off at every attempt, losing one more man in the process. They eventually commandeered a small, leaky rowing boat, and were near Pulau Belakang Mati (now Sentosa) when Singapore fell. By now the exhausted and hungry men had found a tiny tongkang and headed towards Sumatra, across the heavily mined Malacca Strait, until they reached the Kampar River, which they mistook for the Indragiri River - part of the designated escape route to India.

Here they met up with a Dutch party who issued them with clothing and ammunition. With the Dutch, they faced an arduous journey across swamp and jungle to Aemolock (Armoluk) on the Indragiri River. Then, aided by a Swiss rubber planter and his wife, they were trucked to Sawaloek (Sawaluk) and from thence to Padang, but too late for evacuation.

On March 19, 1942, his nineteenth birthday, Hilton and his mates were captured. Padang became the first of several POW camps in Sumatra. The Australian prisoners were transported in cramped and stifling railway box cars, then by truck, to Gloegoer Camp near Medan. Hilton was to endure three and a half years as a prisoner. Conditions at Gloegoer were reasonable at first. The first commandant, Col. Banno, saw that the prisoners were treated humanely, but when he was replaced by “The Mad Major” conditions worsened and by now there were Korean guards.

On March 8, 1944, 500 prisoners, Dutch, British and 50 Australians, including Hilton, were sent to Atjeh to build a road, travelling the first 308 km by truck, then a march of 120 km. The two most senior Australian men were the only Australian officer, Lt Tranter, and Cpl. Len Mackay. Living conditions were extremely primitive, the tools basic - chunkles, axes and baskets - and the cruel treatment by the Korean guards despicable. The men, constantly wet, hungry and cold at night, suffering from lice, skin diseases, malaria and dysentery, endured constant beatings by the Korean guards. Many were later indicted as War Criminals.

Despite the pleas of Lieut Miura, the Japanese commandant, for transport, on November 3, 1944, the working party, by now starving and suffering from malaria, dysentery, beri beri, tropical ulcers, lack of clothing and footwear, began the 120 km long march to Koetatyane (Katayana). Hilton managed to steal some salt which he mixed with cooked rice. This act almost certainly saved many lives. From there they were trucked to Sungei Sengol, near Medan.

At this time, Hilton was very ill with malaria, delirium and hallucinations, but helped by his mate, Slim Nelson. Slim believed that he wouldn’t have survived had Hilton not shared his food! True friends.

A nightmarish journey to Moeara followed - a stifling train, lice, mites and filth, more mosquitoes. This began the worst period of internment - constructing a railway which the Dutch had decreed years earlier as impractical - through jungles and swamps.

From now on treatment was even worse with Korean guards from Atjeh, but also engineers and guards from the Burma/Siam Railway - well skilled in cruelty towards P.O.Ws and Romushas (forced Asian labourers). There were 14 camps in all. At the end of the war, Hilton and his friends were at Logas, Camp 9, by this time near death and scrounging for anything edible. Lt Tranter had been removed to Camp 2 - the Death Camp - in a bid to deprive the men of leadership, as the Japanese misunderstood the resilience and individualism of the Australian soldier.

The railway was completed on August 15,1945, the day Victory in the Pacific was declared. However, the 2,850 men at Logas, of whom 850 were seriously ill, knew little about that, although the next day, the Japanese behaviour changed.

As the outside world knew nothing of their existence on August 15, there were no immediate food drops and men continued to die.

It wasn’t until August 24 when South African Major G. F. Jacobs announced it at Camp 2, that the prisoners knew the war was over. Medical supplies, clothing and food had increased.

The Railway, never to be used and destined to sink back into the jungle, had cost about 82,500 lives, of which 80,000 were Romushas. Eventually Hilton was transported to Singapore to recover and finally, home to his family.

He met Thelma (dec’d). They married on September 28, 1946, and had two sons – John (dec’d) and Robert – and were blessed with loving daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Hilton worked as State Manager for Comsteel, supported World Vision, Royal Flying Doctors, Vision Australia, the Cancer Council, the United Church’s many missions and the Bible Society. Hilton was the last remaining Sumatran POW in Queensland.

Brenda M. Tranter

STILES, Leo Vern VX40201 A Coy [F Force, Ponds Party]

TRUE FRIENDSHIP

Colin Stiles

On 14 October 1945 Neil Ross, of 50 Virginia Street, Newtown, Geelong, wrote as follows to my mother Joyce Stiles, the wife of Sgt Leo Vernon Stiles VX40201 A Coy 2/29th Battalion:

I don't think you know me, but I was lucky enough to be a very good friend of your husband, Leo. We were in A Coy together and got very friendly. But I would like to offer you my sincerest sympathy on you great loss.

Leo was one of the great men of this world. Everyone thought the world of him and his death left a gap in our lives which can never be refilled.

Up to the last on the Thailand railway Leo was working to help other people and although he was sick himself he did not spare himself in trying to help other sick people. He has left a name behind that will never die. In the 2/29th Bn he is looked upon as the ideal Sergeant and everything a man should be.

It must be quite a relief to you that you have two sons left to carry on.

You and they were always in his thoughts. Once again I offer my sincere sympathy and if there is anything I can do I will only be too glad. Full records of his death are kept by the 2/29th Bn.

Writing to John Lack, Colin Stiles adds:

'I went to my first 2/29th reunion dinner in 1994 and was put alongside Jack Lonsdale. During the evening Jack spoke about my Father, which was great to hear. Near the end of the evening he said the day my Father died there was a call for a volunteer to go to a camp nearby to pick up some rice. My Father volunteered and despite Jack and his friends trying to stop him because he was very sick, he went. On his return to the camp he collapsed and Jack was nursing him and trying to get him to eat when he died. Jack did not give me any more detail than that.

'But on page 196 during an interview recorded in your book No Lost Battalion, Frank Nankervis stated "I remember one of our sergeants, who was an old sergeant, a highly respected sergeant. His health deteriorated to a stage where I walked into the camp one night and he was lying on the ground.

He was being cradled by three of his men who were a group. And they were begging him to eat. He was that sick, he couldn't be bothered. And one of the three, a rough tough man himself, this fellow, he was a miner down Wonthaggi, he got the food and he chewed it and he leaned over and he spat it into the mouth of this man. That was one of the most moving I think I've ever seen. And his sergeant - 'Ooh, sergeant', you know, as long as there's been army there've been fables about sergeants. These fellows begged him to live, and he died, and they just wept over him. They were men used to death and yet their sergeant died and they nursed him until the end."

'Frank told me he did not name Jack or my Father during the interview in case it embarrassed me. I know Tich Davitt was there also, but unfortunately do not know who the third person was.'

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Leo Stiles and a mate