The Soldier's Details

This soldier it is believed, worked down into Thailand with Williams Force from Burma.  He was recorded being at Neikhe Camp.

Chas sailed from Singapore 14 May 1942 with 3,000 POWs of ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Btn to Victoria Point to repair and enlarge aerodrome.  He is recorded having an operation at Ye Camp Hospital, Burma.

Please read about ‘A’ Force Green Force Burma

By 1 Oct 1942 Green Force was working on Burma end of Railway at Kendau 4.8km.  The other camps Green Force worked were Thetkaw, Meiloe and Aungganaung 105km – by which time it was end of 1943,   Because it is believed Chas joined Williams Force – we really cannot be certain of his movements except we have outline Williams Force movements from that time – even then nothing is certain.  Kami Sonkurai, 122 Camp, Neikhe Camps.

He was selected for Japan 27 March 1944 and Work force were initially sent to Saigon, French Indo China where it was intended to ship all the POWs to Moji, Japan.  The POWs were accommodated in Saigon and were included in daily work parties around the wharves.

The Rakuyo Maru Party had to return by rail to Singapore (because American submarines had effectively blockaded the port around Saigon) where they stayed at River Valley Road Transit Camp to await a ship.  They mostly worked around the dock until early Sept 1944 when they sailed on ‘Rakuyo’ Maru.

Please read story of ‘Rakuyo’ Maru

2019 was 75th Anniversary of the sinking of ‘Rakuyo’ Maru.

During Sept-Oct 2019, several stories of 2/4th men who perished when ‘ Rakuyo’ Maru sank in 1994 – were placed on 2/4th’s Facebook.  Please read.

MUTTON, Private, CHARLES, WX7181, A.I.F. 2/4 M.G. Bn., Australian Infantry. 12 September 1944. Age 31. Son of Arthur Stephan Mutton and Bridget Agnes Mutton, of St. Kilda, Victoria. Panel 18.

Labuan Memorial, Malaysia.

Charles Mutton was one of three children born to parents Arthur and Bridget (known as Dol) Mutton.

Mutton enlisted from Agnew.
The Agnew Goldfield is 35 kilometres south-west of Leinster.

“Gold was discovered in the region about 1894.  The  town of Agnew was declared in 1936, named after John A Agnew, an employee of London finance firm Bewick Moreing and Co, who was heavily involved in developing the mines in the region. At its zenith the town had a population of 500.   The mines in the area were operational again in the 1930’s and 1940’s, largely through the promotion of Claude De Bernales. The company here took up the old East Murchison United name and was operational from 1936 to 1948.  The still operational hotel was built in 1945.”  (information from Mindat)

When Chas enlisted August 1940 his sister and Father had died.  By the end of the war, Bridget and her younger son Arthur were all that were left of the Mutton family.

In 1931 Charles’ only sister Joyce aged 5 years died in an accident,

His father died in 1937.