Remembering Today 31/10/1944 Aircraftsman 2nd Class Leonard BARRACLOUGH, RAFVR.

Name: BARRACLOUGH, LEONARD
Rank: Aircraftman 2nd Class
Service No: 1104245
Date of Death: 31/10/1944
Age: 31
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Panel Reference: Column 441.
Memorial: SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
Additional Information: Son of William Henry and Ellen Barraclough; husband of Marjorie Barraclough, of Lightcliffe, Yorkshire.

 

Name: BARRACLOUGH, LEONARD
Rank: Aircraftman 2nd Class
Service No: 1104245
Date of Death: 31/10/1944
Age: 31
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Panel Reference: Column 441.
Memorial: SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
Additional Information: Son of William Henry and Ellen Barraclough; husband of Marjorie Barraclough, of Lightcliffe, Yorkshire.

Details of the above loss.

POW of the Japanese - RAF Kallang - Held Java, Moluccas (Haruku, Ambon ) Died Maros Maru 31 October 1944.


Maros Maru

The small ex Dutch vessel, sunk at Batavia in 1942 and refloated again by the Japanese, set sail from Ambon in the Muluccas on September 17 commanded by Lieutenant Kurishima. Over-crowded with 500 British and Dutch P.O.W.s, who had been working on the building of an airstrip on the island, another 130 prisoners were picked up on the way, making conditions on board horrendous with only two wooden boxes slung over the ship's sides to act as toilets. Her destination was Surabaya in Java but half way there the ships engine broke down and the vessel had to enter the port of Macassar, South Celebes, for repairs. The repairs took longer than anticipated and after 40 days in harbour the prisoners, who were not allowed to leave the ship, began dying in increasing numbers. Cramped conditions, lack of fresh air and no proper food caused the deaths of 159 prisoners during its time in dock. Eventually, sixty-seven days after she had sailed from Ambon, the 'Maros Maru' reached Surabaya. Of the 630 prisoners who had originally been on board only 325men, half-dead, diseased and crawling with vermin, survived.