Charles William Porter

A Private, Charles died on 8th of December 1944 at the age of 30. 

Charles was born at Lowestoft on 7 April 1914, a son of John and Violet Mabel Porter. He was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church on 24 April 1914 and his family lived at 70 Stanley Street. In 1921 his family lived at 12 Minden Road and by 1939 his parents were living at 14 Union Road, Lowestoft.

Charles was working as a fish curer when he joined the Army. 

In late 1939 the 6th Battalion was stationed at Sheringham and in spring 1940 guarded the coast from Sheringham to Overstrand. In August 1940 the Battalion moved to Holt and later in the year they moved to Weybourne, and then Swaffham.

The 6th Battalion was part of the 18th (East Anglian) Division and in January 1941 the Division moved to Scotland until April when they moved to Hartford and in August to Knowsley Park, Lancashire.

In October the Division received orders that they were to go overseas and the 6th Battalion embarked on the S.S. Duchess of Atholl, at Gourouk, and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 27 October 1941. The Battalion, being part of the 53rd Brigade, was transferred to S.S. Mount Vernon and sailed for Trinidad and then Cape Town, arriving on 9 December 1941 and three days shore leave was granted.

On 13 December 1941 they sailed for Bombay but orders came redirecting them to Mombassa and then Singapore, where they disembarked on 13 January 1942. From 16 January they were involved in the battle to save Malaya. 

Charles was taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. By late 1942 he was confirmed a being a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. Charles worked on the Burma Railway and was at Brankassi Camp when he died. 

By 1944 the Thai-Burma railway had become an effective supply line for the Japanese Army and the Allies took steps to disrupt the flow of supplies by air raids on the railroad. On 8 December 1944 an air raid on the railway led to bombs being dropped on the nearby prisoner of war camp and several men, including Charles, were killed. 

(With thanks to Trevor Porter for the information)