William Harry Herbert Whitfield
Memorial: Hallen - Hallen Road
Regiment: Royal Air Force
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Leading Aircraftsman
Parents: William and Gladys Ethel Whitfield
Home address: 1 Bungalow Severn Street Hallen
Date of birth: 18/01/1922
Date of death: 03/12/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Yokohama War Cemetery, Japan and commemorated on Hallen War Memorial
Age: 20
Further information:
605 squadron RAF.
William had one sister and one brother.
William was posted with 605 squadron to the Far East at the beginning of 1942 but his Squadron arrived too late to help prevent the fall of Singapore so moved on to Java where they got caught up with the Japanese invasion. William was captured on 20th March 1942 and originally held in a POW camp on Java. He was later transported to a POW camp on Hokkaido Island in Japan. The Japanese used POWs as slave labour in industry and the mines to supplement the dwindling Japanese workforce and in the harsh conditions of the camps many prisoners died. William died from bacillary dysentery a few months after his capture.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/