Rup Millhouse was a brave young Australian – with several wounds to his leg Millhouse remained defiant to the end.
WX16675 Rupert John Millhouse, known as ‘Dick’ to his family and ‘Rupe’ to 2/4th MGB was named after his uncle – Rupert Victor Mansfield Millhouse, Service No. 3809 10th Infantry Battalion KIA WW1 30 June 1918 France.
Uncle and nephew were born in SA. ‘Dick’ Millhouse was born 14 Aug 1919 Port Lincoln, SA to Hughie Percy Gilbert Millhouse and his wife Joan Margaret Millhouse (nee Kennedy).
Hugh Millhouse was brother to Rupert Victor Millhouse.
Millhouse enlisted AIF 22 Sep 1941 and sent to Northam Army training.
He was assisgned to E Coy, SRB No. Platoon under commanding officer Lt H.F. Green and embarked on ‘Aquitania’ for Singapore on 16 January 1942.
‘Rupe’ Millhouse received four GSW to his knee during the Japanese ambush at South West Bukit Timah 11 February 1942. He was one of a number of Special Reserve Battalion soldiers who found themselves behind Japanese lines that day. Some escaped to Sumatra, some ‘stayed out’ for several months and others either managed to find their way back to Singapore or locate another 2/4th Coy.
Please read about ‘E’ Coy Special Reserve Battalion
Above: Les McCann.
On 13 February 1942 WX17837 Les McCann from his Platoon found injured Rupe lying low in a nearby village. McCann had received a mortar injury to his leg and with several other soldiers, British and Indian had found shelter in a native nut which had a tunnel below. McCann cleaned and dressed Millhouse’s badly injured knee before finding a rifle to act as a walking stick. They returned to the tunnel. The following day the others departed to head to the coast. McCann and Millhouse waited another day before setting out for Singapore via the West Coast Road and sought medical aid at Mohammedan’s Institute where they learned the British forces had surrendered to Japan on 15 February.
On their route they met up with three other Australians and – all believed they would be safely rejoin their Battalions as POWs. As they neared Pasir Panang Village in the evening they were ushered inside by Japanese soldiers. This incident would lead McCann and Millhouse facing a Japanese firing squad and Millhouse’s execution at the age of 23 years. Miraculously McCann woke to find he had received a further GSW but was alive.
Over a period of days McCann managed to reach Changi. Please read his story
Above: Fred Airey
Another 2/4th soldier to survive the execution was Fred Airey who wrote of Millhouse and thought highly of his bravery.
This is what Airey presented to the War Trials:
‘Turning off the road into light growth we proceed south. Looking around I discovered that McCann and Millhouse were distressed. Breaking ranks I went back to McCann, who was being forced along with a bayonet in his rear. I sent McCann forward, the Japanese soldiers who had forced him along staying and threatening me. Millhouse was practically exhausted when he reached me having been forced to walk fast with a bullet wounds to his knee, the Japanese bayonets drawing blood every time he slackened his pace. I went with Millhouse and we joined the party, taking up my former position.
Proceeding a further distance along the bank of a small stream we were told to form a single file. The Japanese in charge halted and pointed across the stream, calling an order the men immediately turned right to see how to cross the stream, when the first volley was fired. I saw two men falling forward into the stream, others crumpling up where they stood. A bullet whiz past my head (it had been impossible to form any plan to escape and up to this very second I had no idea that there was a chance in a million), I somersaulted into the bed of the stream and lay still. Millhouse couldn’t do anything and the Japanese in their usual cruel way left him to the last. In the meantime he told the Japanese in no uncertain terms just what he thought. I considered this extremely gallant.’
You can read Fred Airey’s escape from the execution