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