KEITH CLIFFORD MILL
Born: 27th September 1921, Thirsk, Yorkshire.
Died: 26th June 1943; age: 21; Died of Beriberi as a Japanese PoW at Thai Camp, Siam.
Captured: 15th February 1942 – Fall of Singapore.
Residence: Crown & Castle Hotel, Orford, Suffolk.
Rank: Marine; Service Number: Ply/X.3180.
Regiment: Royal Marines, H.M.S.’Repluse.’
Grave Reference:
4.N.4.
Kanchanaburi,
Thailand.
Father: Donald Huxham Mill, born October 1895, Tonbridge Wells, Kent.
Mother: Bertha Irene Mills (nee Firth), born April 1894, Thirsk, Yorkshire.
Probate to Bertha Irene Mill – mother.
H.M.S. Repulse
H.M.S Repulse took part in the Norwegian Campaign of April–June 1940 and used in the searched and sinking of the German battleship The Bismarck in May 1941. From August to October 1941 she was an escorted for troop convoy around the Cape of Good Hope to the Far East. Assigned to “Force Z” Consisting of an aircraft carrier H.M.S Indomitable and a small group of fast capital ships including, H.M.S Prince of Wales. “Force Z” mission was to deter and intercept the Japanese landings in British Malaya. The 9th-10th December 1941 the ships were spotted by the Japanese and bombed by 8 G3Ms planes, taking a hit which penetrated through the hangar to explode on the armoured deck below of the Repulse, inflicting a number of casualties. Later a second attack by 17 Mitsubishi G4M torpedo bombers struck her with four or five torpedoes in rapid succession.
At 12:23, H.M.S Repulse listed severely to port and quickly capsized with the loss of 508 officers and men. The destroyers H.M.S Electra and Vampire rescued the survivors, including Captain. The H.M.S. Prince of Wales was also hit and sank with the loss of 327 crew. The survivors were taken to Singapore Naval Base, “HMS Sultan” to be reassigned for the defence of Singapore. Fierce fighting on land lasted from 8th to 15th February 1942. Singapore fell to the Japanese with thousands of British and commonwealth troops being taken and used as slave labour.
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