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Gunner Clifford Aplin - Died in Captivity 29th March 1945
 | Gunner Clifford Ernest APLIN
Service Number: 1734002
Age: 31
242 Battery, 48 Light Anti-Aircraft, Royal Artillery
Died: 29th March 1945
Commemorated: Singapore Memorial, Column 12 Kranji War Cemetery
Clifford was married to Ethel J (nee Jenner) and they lived in "Brickfields", Gladstone Road.
Son of Mr and Mrs C Aplin of 279 Junction Road. Brother of Harold, Jack and two others (?).
Before the War Clifford had owned a retail greengrocery business and was known to many in Burgess Hill and over a wide area of Sussex.
In 1942, 5 Royal Artillery Regiment consisting 21 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment; 35 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment; 48 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment and two heavy artillery regiments, 77 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment and 6 Heavy Anti-Aircraft was destined for the Middle East but they were diverted to Java. Clifford was serving with 242 Battery of the 48 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
5 Royal Artillery Regiment first landed in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) at Tanjong Priok, Batavia (Jakarta). 48 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment disembarked on 4 February 1942, having called at Singapore on the way with 5 Royal Artillery Regiment.
The same day the regiment was dispersed throughout Java, to defend various airfields against the Japanese assault. 242 Battery, 48 LAA Regiment went to Tjililitan military airfield, Western Java.
The men of 48 LAA Regiment were mainly based in West Java and they were imprisoned in that part of the island in due course. Many were then moved down to camps in the vicinity of Batavia's (Jakarta) civil prison, Boei Glodok until October 1942. They were then the first of two parties to leave for Borneo via Singapore. After a journey made in terrible cramped conditions they arrived at Sandakan, in what was then British North Borneo, where they were put to work building an airfield.
In early 1945, as the Allies advanced, the Japanese operated a policy of moving Prisoners of War in order to prevent them from being liberated by possible allied seaborne landings. At Sandakan over two thousand Australian and British Prisoners of War were in a very poor health suffering from disease and starvation.
On 28th January 1945, the Japanese began the first of the 175-mile death marches forcing the Sanadakan Prisoners of War to make for Ranau. 455 prisoners, including Clifford, were in this first group and by early March 1945, he and about 300 others were still alive. On 26th March a group of between fifty to sixty men, including Clifford, left a place called Paginatan bound for Ranau. Clifford died before arriving at Ranau Camp Number 1 on 29th March at 17.50 hours (Japanese time) on the Paginatan-Ranau track.
The Japanese massacred all the survivors in the final weeks of the war (and some after the official surrender). Only six prisoners, all Australians, survived the Sandakan-Ranau death march, all of them escaping, while just over 2,400 POWs were killed in the process. There were 1787 Australians and 641 British prisoners in the camp at Sandakan.
The men of 48 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment suffered terribly during captivity with 83 of them dying in captivity.
For many their graves are unmarked and lost, and these men are now commemorated on the Singapore Memorial in Kranji War Cemetery, where the names are engraved of all men whose last resting-places is unknown. Regiments and Batteries did their very best to keep records in desperate conditions but in most cases only the date of death was noted. Many men were given burials but over time, and perhaps through understandable errors in recording gravesites, many of those graves were lost to the jungle. The Australians recovered what remains they could along the route and at the massacre site and they were finally laid to rest at Labaun, as island of the coast of Brunei.
The family waited a long time for his death to be confirmed and even then details were very sketchy with little detail forthcoming. It is still too painful today for brother Jack to recall those memories and I am very grateful for his assistance in compiling this "biography".
Source: CWGC, Mid-Sussex Times, Mr Jack Aplin (Brother), "Sandakan - A conspiracy of Silence" by Lynetter Silver, Brian Green (whose Uncle served and died with 48 LAA) and The Family of 1808928 Gunner William Cyril Anderton 242 Battery, 48 LAA.
Photo: No
Cemetery Visited: No
Grave Photo: No
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Major John GAYE - Killed in Action 30th July 1944
Major John Chester GAYE
Service Number: 113168
Age: 29
102 (Northumberland Hussars) Lt Anti-Aircraft /Anti Tank Battery Royal Artillery
Killed in Action: 30th July 1944
Buried: Hottot les Bagues War Cemetery Calvados Plot 9 Row D Grave 9
Son of Arthur Stretton Gaye and Dulcibella Chester Gaye
Major Gaye was married to Nancy Joan.
He was commissioned into the Army on 24/12/39 and promoted to the rank of War Service Captain on 08/09/42. Promoted to Major in mid-1944.
John Gaye joined the Northumberland Hussars as a Captain sometime during the Sicily Campaign. He was not listed in the Regimental ORBAT (Order of Battle) for the invasion in July 1943 but is shown for when the Regiment left in October 1943. As he was commissioned in December 1939 he is assumed to have beem serving with another unit or in a staff post.
Returning from the Sicilian Campaign and Salerno Landings in September 1943 the Northumberland Hussars docked at Liverpool on 5th November 1943. They had been away from the UK for twelve days less than three years when they first sailed in to battle.
John was then Second-in-Command of "C" (288th) Battery under the command of Major G.R Balfour.
The Northumberland Hussars were by this stage a very experienced unit with six major battle honours including two amphibious landings under their belts. They were an obvious choice to be placed at the forefront of Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings. For the next six months they joined thousands of allied servicemen training in Britain for the assault on the French Coast.
The Regiment was to land at Gold Beach on D-Day with the 50th (Northumbrian) Division as part the 69th and 231st Brigade. 69th Brigade would land at La Riviere and move south by Crepon and Creuilly to St. Leger on the strategically important Bayeux-Caen road. The Anti-Tank Plan was for "A" Battery to remain with 69th Brigade until reaching St. Leger. "C" Battery would stay with 231st Brigade for the first phase only and then change over, the Battery going to 151st Brigade (less one troop who went to 56th Brigade). They would then be relieved by "B" and "D" Batteries and would then go on an "exploitation" role with 8th Armoured Brigade.
"A" and "C" Batteries would be the first of the regiment to land at about H-Hour plus one (that is to say one hour after the first assault landing) followed by the two self-propelled units with "B" and "D" Batteries coming after. In addition to themselves the Regiment was allotted two self-propelled Anti-Tank Batteries (189th and 234th Anti-Tank Batteries of the 73rd Anti-Tank Regiment R.A) who were to be placed under the direct command of the Northumberland Hussars.
As the 1st Battalion The Hampshire and The 1st Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment, the lead units of the Gold Beach Invasion force landed, they were met by fortified positions that had barely been affected by the pre-invasion bombardment. The resistance and fire from the 1st Battalion of the German 716th Infantry Division was fierce and accurate. Unfortunately, the tanks arrived too late to give immediate support the infantry.
As time progressed from H-Hour the beach became congested due to the slower than expected progress. Many vehicles were coming through four feet of water and some were drowning in the water, as they were off loaded (drowning meant temporary not necessarily permanent loss). Major G Rae Balfour, the C Battery Commander, was concerned about the rest of his Battery and in order to reach his men already on the beach he swam ashore for the craft bringing in the vehicles. This was a sensible move by the major, as his own vehicle did not eventually land until 15.00 hours that day. After a walk of around a mile Major Balfour came upon 231st Brigade Tactical Headquarters, in a ditch two hundred yards east of Le Hamel, and enemy resistance had been stiffer than expected. He then met his Second-in-Command, Captain John Gaye, who was also on foot as his "M.14" had drowned on landing. Together they made their way to Asnelles-sur-Mer, the Battery Headquarters assembly area. Captain Gaye reported an "M10" blown up on a minefield, another ashore and heading for the assembly point, and three six-pounder guns on the beach and one drowned. Two jeeps and two fifteen-hundredweight trucks were also drowned.
The Dorsets outflanked Asnelles and the St. Come des Fresnes crossroads establishing themselves on the high ground to the west. On pedal cycles, conveniently borrowed, Major Balfour and Captain Gaye reconnoitred this area and, as it was now nearly 11.00 hours, Captain Gaye returned to the beach in order to try and hurry the guns up to the position. One gun arrived shortly after with the remainder following on through the afternoon.
The Battery continued moving forward with their Brigades as the 50th (Northumbrian) Divison moved on to occupy Bayeux on the 7th June and then pushed on another three miles towards Tilly-sur-Seulles, Sully and Longues.
At daybreak on 10th June the German's counter attacked at St. Pierre, which temporarily was a success. The Battery fought a rear-guard action in an infantry role as Infantry and Tanks fell back with a certain amount of confusion. They regrouped on the Infantry Battalion's Headquarters (8th Battalion The Durham Light Infantry) where every soldier was positioned for a last-ditch stand. Much good work by Lieutenants Packham, Brameld and the men of the Battery helped stem the German attack. Major Balfour sent Lieutenant Packham's troop to "Point 103" to avoid overcrowding in an already risky area. Major Balfour, Captain Gaye and Lieutenant Brameld remained in the village to keep in contact with the quickly changing events. Although the actions by the Battery certainly helped to reduce losses in men and equipment the casualties, especially from mortar fire, where heavy.
All morning the battle continued and at one time the force with St. Pierre were holding only one small farm and orchard. It was completely surrounded and to those watching further away on "Point 103" it seemed they "had had it". Casualties continued to mount with ammunition running low and the strain beginning to tell on men who had been in action and contact with the enemy for four days and nights.
As the situation became extremely precarious Lieutenant Brameld once more took charge, and with the support of some tanks, helped to stabilise the position. Slowly the German's began to retreat and the Infantry were able to enlarge their positions. The Anti-Tank Platoon had lost four of its six guns, so the responsibility for holding the position fell to Captain Gaye's C Battery six-pounder guns.
The 8th Durham Light Infantry suffered some three hundred officers and men killed, wounded or missing. C Battery had two gun crew casualties when they came under accurate mortar fire and the remainder of the crew had to move to safety and abandon the gun temporarily. As the Infantry had lost their guns, every Battery piece counted, so Captain Gaye and Driver Bartholomew, who was Lieutenant Packham's carrier driver, volunteered to rescue it. They reached the gun but as soon as an attempt was made to hook it to the carrier another accurate concentration of mortar fire hit the position. Both tried to take cover but Driver Bartholomew was badly injured when the carrier he was sitting in was set ablaze. He needed to be rescued and this was managed but Captain Gaye was then himself wounded in the leg and the gun and carrier were burned out. Stretcher-bearers along with Lieutenant Packham evacuated both men. Driver Bartholomew's injuries were so serious he was downgraded from active service. Captain Gaye went to hospital for a period before re-joining the regiment. When Major Balfour visited Captain Gaye in the Regimental Aid-Post he was "almost in tears" at the thought of being evacuated. Four other Battery casualties, one killed, one mortally wounded and two other also evacuated were received. Although short of men the Battery continued to have seven out of twelve guns in action. This however changed later on the 10th to five working guns. After a hard fight the German's were pushed back and the position was finally made safe.
The Battery remained in action throughout June and July in the hard fought bloody battles for Normandy, many of which are today forgotten and un-remembered by the public.
John rejoined the Battery on 29th July having been promoted to the rank of Major. While away there had been many casualties and changes of faces and John joined D Battery. Major Balfour, who was also wounded at St. Pierre also, re-joined at this time as Battery Commander for B.
The next day A Battery were in support of 231st Brigade, C in support of 151st Brigade and D Battery in support of 56th Brigade, advanced to the final attack against the line from Viller Bocage and Aunay-sur-Odon where they were supported by two hundred and fifty four-engined bombers. Progress was slow and it was not until the three British Armoured Divisions (Guards, 7th and 11th) broke through near Caumont that the enemy fell back and abandoned Villers Bocage.
D Battery was supporting 56th Brigade in its attack south of the Le Lion Vert - Caumont road when Major Gaye was killed by a sniper's bullet while out on reconnaissance.
From the landings on D-Day to the terrible fighting in Normandy and the devastation of the German Forces at Falaise in August the British suffered many casualties. Many of these men lie in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries that are dotted around Normandy away from the beaches in countryside that has changed little since 1944.
Major Balfour and Lieutenant's Brameld and Packham all survived the war.
Sources: CWGC, Army List, "Overlord" by Max Hastings and "The Northumberland Hussars 1924-1949 by Joan Bright.
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