Arthur William Barton (1913 - 1942)

Born 28 Jan 1913 in Echuca, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 29 in At Sea

Biography

Arthur Barton was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Arthur Barton died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Arthur was born in 1913 at Echuca, VIC, the son of Arthur Thomas Barton and Agnes Cook. He was known as Boy.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, VIC on 12 Jun 1940 as a Private (VX23146). At the time he was single, a railway employee and was living at Coburg, VIC.

Although identified for 7 Div Signals, he was posted to 2/22nd Bn on 31 Jul 1940.

He married Mavis Gladys Hatty in Victoria in 1940. There were no children.

He entrained from Victoria for Sydney on 11Mar 1941, embarking there on HMT "Katoomba" on 12 Mar 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea and disembarking there on 28 Mar 1941. His Battalion was to form the core of "Lark Force" for the defence of the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion of 23 Jan 1942 he was captured at Gavit and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as a part of B Coy.

He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Sources

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 3059 / 1913; Family name: BARTON; Given name(s): Arth Wm; Place of event: ECHUCA, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Agnes; Mother's family name at birth: COOK; Father's Name: Arth Thos

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BARTON ARTHUR WILLIAM : Service Number - VX23146 : Date of birth - 28 Jan 1913 : Place of birth - ECHUCA VIC : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - BARTON MAVIS - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6227433

• Marriage - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 20438 / 1940; Family name: BARTON; Given name(s): Arth Wm; Personal detail Spouse's family name: HATTY; Spouse's given name(s): Mavis Gladys

• Deaths On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, October 27). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205651272

• In Memoriam On Active Service - Family Notices (1946, July 1). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 9. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206374627

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1687600

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615354/barton,-arthur-william/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/619244

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/barton-arthur-william/