Name
Charlie Ivins
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
07/12/1943
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Bombardier
905481
Royal Artillery
135 (The Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regt.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHUNGKAI WAR CEMETERY
7. L. 1.
Thailand
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St. Mark’s Church Memorial, Hitchin, Hitchin Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 (Book) St Mary’s Church, Hitchin
Biography
Although shown as ‘Jvins’ on the Hitchin War Memorial ‘Ivins’ is the correct spelling. He was born in Bedfordshire but was resident in Hertfordshire at the date he enlisted. He had been employed by F. R. Shillitoe, Solicitors in Hitchin and he was probably a Territorial prior to the war.
He served with the Service Number 905481 in the 344 Battery in the 135th (Herts Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery which was a Territorial Army unit equipped with 8 x 4.5 howitzers. The Regiment sailed from Gourloch at the end of October 1941 for Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were transferred to the S.S. ‘Mount Vernon’ and went to Cape Town heading for the Middle East. On the way they were diverted to Singapore and arrived during an air attack on the 13th January 1942. After disembarking they were despatched to the west coast of Johore and were in action before withdrawing to Singapore Island by the 31st January 1942. They fought vigorously on the island until ordered to destroy their equipment and surrender on the 15th February 1942.
Following the surrender they were moved to Changi and in May 1942 moved to Bukit Timah, both on the Island of Singapore. Late in 1942 about 500 of the Regiment were at Tamarkan building the bridge on the River Kwai which was completed in April 1943. They then continued in various work camps in Thailand and Malaya where they were starved and ill-treated.
About July 1943 a postcard was received from R.S.M. Coles to say that Ivins was a P.O.W. but safe. Charlie Ivins was a nephew of the wife of R.S.M. Coles. Unfortunately, Ivins died six months later probably through ill-treatment, disease or starvation.
He was buried in Plot 7, Row L, Grave l in the Chungkai War Cemetery, Thailand.
He had lived with his aunt who was Mrs Baxter of the Half Moon Public House in Hitchin. His father had been killed in the Great War in 1918, but his mother was living in Leyton in 1943.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, Paul Johnson - local historian, ‘History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery - Far East Theatre - 1941-1946’ by M. Farndale, Herts Pictorial dated 27th July 1943, Herts & Beds Express dated 21st August 1943
