A rare & desirable Far East Prisoner of War 'Hell-Fire Pass' medal group of 5, to a Jock FEPOW with 'H Force' toiling on the 'Death Railway': Private George Stewart, 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders

- The 1939-45 Star
- The Pacific Star
- Defence Medal
- War Medal
- Military LS&GC. GVI 'Regular Army' bar (2869547 Pte. G. Stewart, Gordons.)

Important: Private George Stewart is a confirmed survivor of work on the 'Death Railway' and was present at the notorious 'Hell-Fire Pass' Camp (Kanu Camp)

George Stewart, was a native of Kincardine O'Neill, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

2/Gordons - and Private Stewart - had been serving in Singapore Colony, since 1936, as a 'Fortress Singapore' garrison battalion, in 2/Malay Brigade which was a constituent formation of 'Singapore Division'. In Singapore Colony, 2/Gordons, were based at Selarang Barracks, Changi. On 15 February, 1942, Singapore Colony surrendered to the victorious Imperial Japanese Army, and on the same date Private Stewart became an unwilling prisoner of war. In September 1943, George had the misfortune to be subsequently transported overland by rail from Singapore to Thailand, as a member of 'H Force'. 'H Force' was the last large organized draft of POW's forced to work as labour battalions on the Burma Railway. Under British Lt Col H.R.Humphreys and Australian Lt Colonel Oakes the party of 3270 left Singapore in 6 train lots during the period 5th to the 17th May 1943. Consisting of 1141 British, 670 Australians, 588 Dutch, 26 Americans, Malay Volunteers and Indians made up the rest. The last work party to leave for the railway, their death rate was extremely high. Initially this group went to Tonchan Camp 139 Kilometres north of 'Non Pluduc'. Private Stewart was in a group, premoniately of Australians - under Lt Colonel Oakes with Major green 2/IC - that went to Konyu Camp 2 and worked on the notorious 'Hellfire Pass Cutting', also the Three Tier Bridge, which took a deadly toll of the men. Living conditions were atrocious the only protection from the wet were 24 canvas tent flys (canvas sheets) The death rate in H Force was 27.4% or 885. George Stweart survived his more then 2 and half years of harsh captivity, and is recorded on the nominal roll compiled on 5 September 1945, as having been liberated at Changi POW Camp, Singapore, when returning British Empire forces returned to Singapore Colony at the end of the 'Pacific War'

Note: The Regimental Museum of the Gordon Highlanders hold at least one identified photograph of Private Stewart, and quite possibly others (it was the norm in the inter-war years to photograph and caption every draft intake of recruits when they passed out from training at the regimental depot(s), at Bridge of Don Barracks, in Aberdeen. A thumbnail picture of the recipient is included in the book 'Scattered Under The Sun: The Gordon Highlanders in the Far East 1941-1945 (Stewart Mitchell, 2012) - this latter book being the single best published source on 2/Gordons during the Pacific War

Note: 2/Gordons did not at battalion strength qualify for any named inter-war campaign medals, thus it is only rarely that groups to the regiment with an officially named medal are encountered on the market

Condition: LSGC toned the group about EF

Code: 22796