Coventry War Memorial Park Plaque - 2
Bombardier Jack England Royal Artillery
Jack England was born at Wormleighton, near Southam on Saturday 6th July 1907, son of Arthur Wellesely England, a postman and later a Licencee and Mary Ann nee Grant. He was one of five children, Harold born in 1901, Stanley 1905, Jack 1908 and Kenneth 1910.
Jack was Baptised in Wormleighton on 22nd September by the local Vicar G Percy Alford and following his education became a Farmhand. In 1925 aged 17 he travelled to Australia aboard the Steamship Diogenes, part of the Aberdeen Line, possibly intending to permanently emigrate, but returned to the UK and was later employed at Morris Motors Ltd in Coventry.
During the last quarter of 1935 Jack married Hilda Rawlins in the district of Warwick and they lived at 68 Honiton Road, Wyken, Coventry.
With World War II becoming inevitable, Jack enlisted on 1st September 1939 into the Royal Artillery with service number 812557. On the 1939 census taken on 29th September, he is shown living at 3 The Close Leamington Spa as Gunner B Battery, B Squadron, Anti-Tank Regiment. Hilda is still sown at the Coventry address.
Jack was sent to France as Part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1939 and became part of the general withdrawal following the fall of France and evacuated from Dunkirk in May 1940 returning to the UK.
Jack was promoted to Paid Acting Bombardier attached to the 1st Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Indian Artillery, Burma Auxiliary Force in French Indo China (now Vietnam). This came into being in the summer of 1941 as the threat of war with Japan grew. In February 1941, a new Burma Auxiliary Force unit was created for air defence, the 1st Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A., B.A.F., initially equipped with 20 light machine guns. This unit remained as part of the Rangoon Field Brigade until 15th August 1941 when the battery was detached to form part of the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A., B.A.F. Around 200 all ranks had been training since May 1941 and the remaining personnel joined the Regiment from late August 1941. It appears that some of the men and officers, including Jack went to Singapore to be taught anti-aircraft gunnery.
Following the Japanese invasion, Jack was involved in the The Battle of Singapore, also known as the Fall of Singapore. This was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan captured the British stronghold of Singapore—nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East". It was the major British military base in South-East Asia and was the key to British imperial interwar defence planning for South-East Asia and the South-West Pacific. The fighting in Singapore lasted from 8 to 15 February 1942. The Japanese victory was decisive, resulting in the Japanese capture of and the largest British surrender in history.
Jack was captured and taken Prisoner of War on 15th August 1942, on hos PoW card, Hilda is shown as living at 4 Lytleton Road, Warwick. Numerous British and Australian soldiers taken prisoner remained in Singapore's Changi Prison and many died in captivity. Thousands of others were transported by sea to other parts of Asia, including Japan, to be used as forced labour on projects such as the Siam–Burma Death Railway and Sandakan airfield in North Borneo. Many of those aboard the ‘hell ships’ perished. Jack appears to have been sent to Camp M 1306, apparently still in Malaysia. However he is later shown as being transferred from Thailand to Japan. Despite the confusion it is clear he was in captivity from his capture until he was being transported by the Japanese aboard a train that was attacked by Allied aircraft on 9th April 1945 when he died of wounds, just four months before Japan’s surrender. He was buried buried in Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore plot 2.E.12. There is an irony that he survived the hell of being a Japanese PoW for three years only to be killed by his own side so close to victory.
Hilda continued living 68 Honiton Road, Coventry and remarried to Donats Zelcs in 1952, Donats died in 1977 and Hilda in 2003 aged 93 in Solihull. Hilda had a plaque in memory of Jack placed in the Coventry War Memorial Park and later another under the next tree to Donats Zelcs.
Jack was Baptised in Wormleighton on 22nd September by the local Vicar G Percy Alford and following his education became a Farmhand. In 1925 aged 17 he travelled to Australia aboard the Steamship Diogenes, part of the Aberdeen Line, possibly intending to permanently emigrate, but returned to the UK and was later employed at Morris Motors Ltd in Coventry.
During the last quarter of 1935 Jack married Hilda Rawlins in the district of Warwick and they lived at 68 Honiton Road, Wyken, Coventry.
With World War II becoming inevitable, Jack enlisted on 1st September 1939 into the Royal Artillery with service number 812557. On the 1939 census taken on 29th September, he is shown living at 3 The Close Leamington Spa as Gunner B Battery, B Squadron, Anti-Tank Regiment. Hilda is still sown at the Coventry address.
Jack was sent to France as Part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1939 and became part of the general withdrawal following the fall of France and evacuated from Dunkirk in May 1940 returning to the UK.
Jack was promoted to Paid Acting Bombardier attached to the 1st Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Indian Artillery, Burma Auxiliary Force in French Indo China (now Vietnam). This came into being in the summer of 1941 as the threat of war with Japan grew. In February 1941, a new Burma Auxiliary Force unit was created for air defence, the 1st Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A., B.A.F., initially equipped with 20 light machine guns. This unit remained as part of the Rangoon Field Brigade until 15th August 1941 when the battery was detached to form part of the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A., B.A.F. Around 200 all ranks had been training since May 1941 and the remaining personnel joined the Regiment from late August 1941. It appears that some of the men and officers, including Jack went to Singapore to be taught anti-aircraft gunnery.
Following the Japanese invasion, Jack was involved in the The Battle of Singapore, also known as the Fall of Singapore. This was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan captured the British stronghold of Singapore—nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East". It was the major British military base in South-East Asia and was the key to British imperial interwar defence planning for South-East Asia and the South-West Pacific. The fighting in Singapore lasted from 8 to 15 February 1942. The Japanese victory was decisive, resulting in the Japanese capture of and the largest British surrender in history.
Jack was captured and taken Prisoner of War on 15th August 1942, on hos PoW card, Hilda is shown as living at 4 Lytleton Road, Warwick. Numerous British and Australian soldiers taken prisoner remained in Singapore's Changi Prison and many died in captivity. Thousands of others were transported by sea to other parts of Asia, including Japan, to be used as forced labour on projects such as the Siam–Burma Death Railway and Sandakan airfield in North Borneo. Many of those aboard the ‘hell ships’ perished. Jack appears to have been sent to Camp M 1306, apparently still in Malaysia. However he is later shown as being transferred from Thailand to Japan. Despite the confusion it is clear he was in captivity from his capture until he was being transported by the Japanese aboard a train that was attacked by Allied aircraft on 9th April 1945 when he died of wounds, just four months before Japan’s surrender. He was buried buried in Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore plot 2.E.12. There is an irony that he survived the hell of being a Japanese PoW for three years only to be killed by his own side so close to victory.
Hilda continued living 68 Honiton Road, Coventry and remarried to Donats Zelcs in 1952, Donats died in 1977 and Hilda in 2003 aged 93 in Solihull. Hilda had a plaque in memory of Jack placed in the Coventry War Memorial Park and later another under the next tree to Donats Zelcs.
Jack England's old and replacement plaques Coventry War Memorial Park April 2021
Zelcs and England's trees in Coventry War Memorial Park
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This page last updated 17 Jun 21