Sergeant Henry Whitton
- Rank
- Sergeant
- Appointment
- Australian Army 1942 South East Asia
- Service number
- WX4758
- Unit
- 2/3 Machine Gun Battalion
- Cause of death
- Died as a Prisoner of War
- Place of death
- Java
- Date of death
- 30 April 1942
- Age
- 36
- Plaque number
- L174
- Dedicated by
- His family on 5 December 1948
- More information
Sergeant Henry Whitton WX4758 (1906-1942, born Perth, Western Australia) enlisted in the Australian Military Forces at Perth, Western Australia, on 23 June 1940 and was trained at Northam, Western Australia. On 11 November 1940, he was taken on 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion strength. In May 1941, the Battalion was sent to the Middle East and then, in January 1942, was being sent hastily to Malaya. The Battalion was diverted to Batavia (Jakarta), Netherlands East Indies, arriving on 18 February 1942 as Japanese Forces had captured Singapore three days earlier. On Java in March 1942, he was taken Prisoner of War by the advancing Japanese Forces who executed him on 30 April 1942.
Sergeant Whitton has no known grave and his Official Memorial is the Singapore Memorial, Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore, where his name is shown on Column 134. His Roll of Honour has not been determined.
His Honour Plaque in Kings Park was dedicated by his family on 5 December 1948. He is the son of Thomas James Whitton (1866-1948) and Minnie Whitton (nee Cowe) (1865-1933) and husband of Delce Lambeth Whitton (nee Weir, later Daniel (remarried 1964)) (1913-2010) of Inglewood, Western Australia. The plaque applicant is his wife.
Sergeant Whitton is remembered with honour.
Note: The cause of death shown on the Honour Plaque is incorrect and should read “Died as a Prisoner of War”.