The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Millhouse
- First Name:
- Rupert John
- Nick Name:
- Dick
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX16675
- Company:
- ‘E’ Company, Special Reserve Battalion
- Enlisted:
- 22.09.1941
- DOB:
- 14.08.1919
- Place of Birth:
- Port Lincoln, South Australia
- Father's Name:
- Hugh Percy Millhouse
- Mothers's Name:
- Joan Margaret Millhouse
- Religion:
- Roman Catholic
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Farrier
- Memorial:
- Kranji War Cemetery, Plot 32, Row C, Grave 13, Age 23.
- Cause of Death:
- Executed by a Japanese firing squad
- Place of Death:
- Singapore
- Date of Death:
- 19.02.1942
General Description
Millhouse enlisted 23 September 1941 and joined 2/4th reinforcements ‘E’ Company. ‘E’ Company ran into a Japanese ambush on 11th February 1942. About 88 of 200 men survived.
Dick Millhouse was one of the fortunate, he was injured and survived.
Read further about ‘E’ Company
Wounded in action South-West Bukit Timah receiving four gunshot wounds to the right leg. Missing in action from 11.2.1942. He was taken prisoner with other soldiers and executed by a Japanese firing squad for no apparent reason, at map reference 753097.
See ‘Two came Home – The Firing Squads’
R.S.M. Airey who survived the firing squad wrote of Pte. Millhouse that he thought him gallant to the last as he let his executioners know exactly what he thought of them with his last breath of life.
Millhouse, brave to the end was too young at 23 years of age, especially to die by firing squad.
Hugh Percy Millhouse and his wife Joan Margaret named their son after Hugh’s brother who died in WW1.
Millhouse from Mt. Gambier, enlisted Adelaide 9 August 1915 aged 27 years, and joined 12th Reinforcements 10th Battalion.
Rupert Victor Mayfield Millhouse had not long returned to his Battalion in France from hospital in England where he was treated for GSW to his shoulder and arm when KIA 30 June 1918. He was later buried Borre British Cemetery, about 1.5 miles east of Hazelbrouck, France (56 km south east of Calais).
We wish to acknowledge and thank Mr. Tom Bakewell, great nephew to ‘Dick’ Millhouse who provided above family information. Tom had only recently discovered the existence of ‘Dick’ Millhouse when researching his great uncle Rupert Victor. May 2019.
Above: although not the most relevant information contained in
Rupert Millhouse (Snr’s) file, this tells the story of the end of a young man’s life.
It is not known when Rupert John Millhouse came to WA, however he was recorded living Westonia, in the Murchison and working as a miner prior to enlistment. Westonia, a goldmining town, about 300 km east of Perth and a little more than half way between Northam and Kalgoorlie on the Great Eastern Highway.
He enlisted at Kalgoorlie 4 July 1941.
Hugh Millhouse died in 1952.
Below: death of Dick Millhouse’s grandfather in 1932.
The history of the Millhouse family.
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