Stanley Blatherwick

Private Blatherwick served in the 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

The 2nd Battalion was deployed to Malaya and Singapore and it is not known if Stanley was taken prisoner in earlier fighting or at the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. According to his Japanese POW record, Stanley was held in Thailand Camp No. 4. but he may have been moved to other camps during his captivity.

Stanley died at sea on 21 September 1944 when he was one of thousands of prisoners of war being transported to other camps. He was onboard the cargo ship Hofoku Maru which left Singapore in convoy for Miri Borneo but diverted to Manila for engine repairs. The ship left Manila in mid-September 1944 in Convoy MATA-27 and was sunk by American carrier aircraft which attacked the convoy, sinking every ship. The Allies were not aware that the ships, which were carrying supplies for the Japanese war effort, also had prisoners of war onboard. 1047 of the 1289 POWs held on the Hofoku Maru died.

The wreck of the Houku Maru was identified near Zambales province, off the western coast of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, by archaelogists in June 2026. The wreck is deemed a war grave by the British and Dutch authorities. (edition.cnn.com/2026/06/18/science/hofuku-maru-wwii-hell-ship-discovery and other websites)

Stanley's death was not confirmed until December 1945. He is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial (Column 81) which is in Kranji War Cemetery, Kranji, Singapore. Many of the 24,000 casualties commemorated on the Memorial have no known date of death.

CWGC history of Singapore Memorial (extract): 'Before 1939 the Kranji area was a military camp and at the time of the Japanese invasion of Malaya, it was the site of a large ammunition magazine. On 8 February 1942, the Japanese crossed the Johore Straits in strength, landing at the mouth of the Kranji River within two miles of the place where the war cemetery now stands. On the evening of 9 February, they launched an attack between the river and the causeway. During the next few days fierce fighting ensued, in many cases hand to hand, until their greatly superior numbers and air strength necessitated a withdrawal. After the fall of the island, the Japanese established a prisoner of war camp at Kranji and eventually a hospital was organised nearby at Woodlands. After the reoccupation of Singapore, Kranji War Cemetery was developed from a small cemetery started by the prisoners at Kranji, by the Army Graves Service.' (www.cwgc.org). For further information use the link from the CWGC grave reference number.

Another Nottingham man, 4983723 Private Kenneth Douglas Samuels, Sherwood Foresters, who was taken prisoner of war by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore in 1942, died when the cargo ship Rakuyo Maru, which was transporting prisoners of war to other camps, was sunk by Allied Forces on 12 September 1944. (See record on this Roll of Honour)

Nottingham Evening Post, 5 December 1945. Photograph with caption: ‘Pte Stanley Blatherwick, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 57, Brooklyn-road, Highbury-vale Estate, Bulwell, who died at sea, whilst a P.O.W.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 7 December 1945: ‘Blatherwick. On September 21st, 1944, Stanley (POW Japanese), only son of Mr and Mrs Blatherwick, 57 Brooklyn-road. May God forgive a silent tear and a constant wish that you were here. Time turns the page in every grief, but memory turns back every leaf. His memory is our greatest treasure; in our hearts he will live for ever. Broken hearted mam, dad, sisters and brothers-in-law.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 8 November 1975: ‘Rickers (nee-sic Blatherwick) Died Nov. 5th, aged 88. After much suffering patiently borne. Loved mother of Jinny, Eva, Joyce, in-laws, grandchildren.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Additional research RF (July 2026)