AS Redland City prepares to commemorate Anzac Day this year, let us draw our community's attention to the account of former Cleveland resident Charles William Robins.
This Anzac Day marks 72 years since the Fall of Singapore. Following the surrender of British Commonwealth Forces, the fate of Gunner C. W. Robins was sealed.
Gunner Charles William Robins became one of many Australian Military Forces prisoners of war and missing in the Far East and South West Pacific Islands during the World War II.
More than 22,000 Australians and about 40 nurses became prisoners of war of the Japanese Imperial Army in South East Asia.
Most Australians were captured early in 1942 when Japanese forces invaded Malaya, Singapore, New Britain and the Netherlands East Indies.
Of the Australians, about 14,972 were captured in Singapore.
The remaining were captured in Java, Timor, Ambon and New Britain.
By the end of the war more than one in three of these prisoners, about 8000, had died as a result of unspeakable cruelty, inhuman treatment, barbaric torture and summary execution at the hands of their Japanese captors.
Another 1000 POWs died when Allied submarines torpedoed unmarked Japanese ships that were carrying POWs around Japan's wartime empire.
QX14209 Gunner Robins, 2/10th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery was one of more than 2000 Allied prisoners held in Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo.
Gunner Robins was one of the 1494 POWs who made up "B Force" and was transferred from Changi prisoner of war camp on July 7, 1942, on board the Ubi Maru, and arrived in Sandakan Harbour on July 18, 1942.
Gunner Robins, aged 36 years, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on February 9, 1945.
He was the son of Charles and Catherine Wilson Robins, of Cleveland, and the husband of Ernestine Mary Robins, of Wynnum Heights, Queensland.
He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial, Malaysia and the Cleveland Cenotaph, Queensland, Australia.
Lt. Hoshijima's address to 1494 Australian POWs of the 8th Division who had arrived at Sandakan from Singapore: "You are prisoners of the Imperial Japanese Army.
"I am your commanding officer and you will obey my orders and the orders of my men guarding you.
"You have been good soldiers for Australia, but now you are slaves for Japan and you will carry out my orders.
"You have been brought here to construct an aerodrome you will be diligent in your work and will not attempt to escape. If you do the jungle will consume you or you will be shot.
"You will work for the Japanese Co-Prosperity Sphere and I am prepared to die for Japan in carrying out my assignment."
Charles William Robins was born at Mareeba on October 11, 1908. He was the fourth child and third son of Charles (senior) and Catherine Wilson Robins.
Both Charles (senior) and Catherine are buried in the protestant section of the Cleveland Cemetery.
Catherine Robins died at 34 years on November 4, 1911, from complications resulting from childbirth.
According to an interview with the late Norm Dean OAM, recorded on Saturday, June, 5, 2002, the Robins family home and farm was located on the corner of Bloomfield and Bay streets, Cleveland.
The family, including Charlie (Charles junior) Robins were prominent in the St Paul's Anglican Church at Cleveland.
Charles (senior) was also a member of the local Cleveland VDC (Volunteer Defence Corps), and his name appears on a cairn at the Redland Museum.
Charlie Robins was a keen fisherman in his youth and Norm Dean recalled numerous occasions when he, Charlie and Norm's brother, Harding Dean, went on fishing expeditions off Coochiemudlo Island and near Sandy Island in Moreton Bay.
Charles enlisted on July 8, 1940, at Kelvin Grove and was posted to the 2/10th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.
The regiment, made up of Queenslanders from all parts of the state, was formed at Redbank Camp in July 1940 and was part of the 8th Division's three artillery regiments.
From October to December 1940, the regiment, conducted field manoeuvres with 18-pounder guns left over from World War I.
The regiment undertook a nine-day field manoeuvre through the Brisbane Valley with live shooting, firing from Caloundra range.
It was given leave in January 1941 and on February 1, 1941, moved from Redbank Camp to the South Brisbane railway station to travel by train to Sydney.
The next day the regiment departed Circular Quay on the Queen Mary which had been converted into a troop ship and was a part of a convoy taking the 8th Division, AIF, to Malaya and Singapore.
The convoy reached Malaya two-and-a-half weeks later with the Queen Mary disembarking the regiment at Malacca, in Johore on the February 19, 1941.
The regiment took up residence in the Malacca High School and the school at Tranquerah for the next two months.
While at Malacca the regiment was attached to the 8th Division's 22nd Brigade.
On January 9, 1942, while stationed at Mersing, the regiment was re-equipped with 25-pounder guns. Four days later, the regiment's position was bombed and straffed by Japanese aircraft.
Following the Japanese swift advance through Malaya, Japanese forces reached Johore by the end of January.
The regiment first went into action on January 21, 1942, when it unleashed artillery fire on Japanese troops making their way along the Mersing-Endau Road, north of Lalang Hill.
The regiment later engaged the enemy on the night of January 26 and 27 providing artillery support for the 22nd Brigade's successful ambush of Japanese troops in the Nithsdale Estate.
After receiving orders to retreat, the regiment successfully crossed a causeway leading to Singapore.
It reached Singapore just after 9pm on January 30 shortly before the causeway was destroyed in an attempt to slow the Japanese advance.
Between February 2 and 8, 1942, the regiment was subjected to a heavy artillery barrage by the Japanese.
The main Japanese assault on Singapore began at 11pm on February 8 and the regiment was forced to withdraw to Singapore Harbour.
By February 12, 1942, Commonwealth troops had withdrawn to the city and the regiment remained in action firing 2100 rounds at Japanese forces in and around Bukit Timah village.
The next day the regiment relocated to the Tangling Golf Course where it came under intense enemy artillery fire and air strikes.
The regiment ceased firing at 10.30pm on February 14 and the next day the garrison surrendered.
For the next three-and-a-half years servicemen had to endure the brutality of being prisoners of war of the Japanese.
Norm Dean recalled that the last time he saw Charlie Robins was in Changi prisoner of war camp in Singapore.
Before his capture, Charlie had been wounded in the shoulder during action and he had his arm in plaster that pointed skyward.
Norm Dean had gone to Charlie Robins' area of the camp after he had heard of a concert that was being staged by the regiment.
"I found Charlie because of his arm standing out. We talked all night and saw nothing of the concert. Unfortunately, I didn't see Charlie again. I was sent to work on the wharves and Charlie went off with 'B Force' to Borneo," Norm said.
By June 1943 there were just over 2000 Australian and 750 British prisoners of war under Lieutenant Hoshijima's (commandant of Sandakan) command.
Japan knew the war was lost, but they fought on. On superior orders Hoshijima instigated a regime of starvation and brutality to ensure the POWs would be rendered as ineffectual soldiers who would be incapable to assist the anticipated Allied invasion.
By late 1944, with Allied forces advancing toward Borneo, the Japanese High Command decided to despatch about 2000 Australian and British POWs westward to Ranau, in Borneo's rugged interior.
Weak and sick prisoners were forced to stagger for about 260 kilometres along dense and rugged jungle tracks without food or water.
Prisoners were deliberately starved and ill-treated. Many POWs who were unable to continue were executed or died on the way, their bodies never recovered.
Those too weak to march had been left behind in Sandakan, where all died of illness, wounds or were killed by their Japanese guards.
This dark chapter of human history has become known as the "Sandakan Death March".
By August 1945, the last Sandakan POWs were massacred so there were to be no witnesses to tell their story miraculously there were six survivors all Australians.
The "Sandakan Death March" remains the greatest single atrocity committed against Australians in war.
楼主
发表于 27-4-2012 11:03 AM
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