Walter was born in 1908 in Blackwood, Monmouthshire to Walter Ernest and Mary Ann Young. He was the third eldest of 12 children. He trained as a hairdresser and cycled to Oxford in search of work. There he met and married his wife, Doris.
In 1939 Walter signed up for National Service and joined the 35 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA becoming Lance Sergeant 1483240.
Walter’s last letter to Doris is dated 28 November 1941. He wrote it was the first Christmas they had spent apart in their married life (then 9 years). The port stop mentioned could be Durban, South Africa, given the references to a captain’s daughter – Captain Sir Thomas Sheppard was a WWII admiral.
Did the letter reach Doris in 1942? On 15 February Walter was taken prisoner of war in Singapore. In October, 600 British prisoners of war there were loaded on to a ship said bound for a prison camp in Japan. The POWs headed instead south of the equator to Rabaul, New Britain in Papua New Guinea. In November the 517 fittest men were shipped to Ballalae Island to build a secret runway.
Many prisoners died from overwork and disease or were killed by allied air raids. A raid on 12 March 1943 may have killed 300 when their encampment was bombed. In June 1945 another heavy US raid convinced the Japanese the island was about to be invaded and they executed all surviving prisoners.
5 March 1943 is Walter’s official death. His sons, Morris, Trevor and Kenneth were 6, 8 and 10 years old.
After the war ended a mass grave was discovered by Australia and the remains of over 400 men were removed and buried at the Bomana Commonwealth War Cemetery in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Walter is commemorated at the Singapore Memorial and at The National Arboretum.
Doris never remarried. As records were official secrets for 50 years, she died knowing little of Walter’s fate. Her sons found the letter in her home years after her death. The last picture of them together also remained on her bedroom wall until 2020.
28 November 1941
L/SGT Young 1483240, 89/95 LAA RA
Dearest Doris,
By the time you receive this letter, Christmas for you will be well and truly over and I hope you had an enjoyable one, although for the first time since we have been married, we had to spend it apart. I am more than sorry that this had to be but under the circumstances of course could not be helped. Let us hope we will be able to spend next Xmas together and perhaps make up for lost time. I feel sure that Morris, Trevor and Kenneth would have a good time because being young world affairs would not worry them in the least and I know when I was home last you were well prepared for Xmas. By the way dear, let (me) know if mother came to stay for Xmas or any of the family. Well dear now to write a little about myself. I believe I have lost a bit of weight, but I am likely to lose a bit more yet but seeing that I can afford to lose some I don’t think it matters much as long as I feel fit as I do at the present. We made another call to a port and this time we got three days shore leave and I don’t think I enjoyed myself better and so me day I hope to visit that place again. I made some very good friends while we were there. One in particular has promised to write to you and I believe she will. I say she because her name is Miss Sheppard, she is a nice young person and has a very nice house.
I know this because I went there to dinner for two of my evenings and of course met her parents who are very nice people, her father is a retired naval captain. Miss Sheppard herself is an architect and incidentally has a very nice car which came in way useful as I was able to see the sights of the town and the country in real comfort. people of that town gave us a really good welcome a most hospitable type of people. We left that port two days before Xmas which was real bad luck for us, as I am sure we would have had a real good time there. As it was, we spent Xmas on board ship this did not turn out too badly under the circumstances, still it left a lot to be desired. We are still on the high sea and so I have not received any mail from you, and I do not expect any until a month after we reach our next station(?) but, do write regular as they will, at so me time, I expect catch up with me. Well dear remember me to Morris, Trevor and Ken and give them my love also remember me to the rest of the family. I must close now dear so cheerio until next time.
Your Loving Husband Ern, XXXX XXX
