Lieutenant Colonel John Pelham Acworth (AI/387) served in 12th Frontier Force Regiment during the Second World War. Born on 31st December 1897, he was the son of Amos Benjamin Acworth and Emily Anne Acworth (née Field) of Milton, Kent. He was the husband of Jean Craig Acworth of Newcastle, Co. Down. Their marriage took place in London in 1931.
Ackworth served in France during The Great War and spent much time in India on the staff of the Indian Army with the Poona Horse. He had fled Singapore after the surrender and made it to Indonesia. He died on 3rd March 1942 aged 44 years old. He was on board the Dutch steamship SS Roseboom, when it came under attack from Japanese submarine I-159 on 1st March 1944.
Sinking of SS Roseboom
Captain MCA Boon of the KPM Line set sail on SS Roseboom from Tanjong Priok, Batavia, Indonesia on 22nd February 1942 as part of Convoy SJ-8. Batavia is now known as Jakarta. While en route to Columbo in present-day Sri Lanka, the crew received instructions to pick up fleeing evacuees from Emmahaven Port, Padang, Indonesia. Records differ on the number of evacuees picked up without official documentation but it was likely to have been between 300-500.
The ship, laden with evacuees, left the port town in Padang, Indonesia on 26th or 27th February 1942. As well as evacuees, records suggest 18 Officers and 227 Other Ranks on board the steamship. At around 2350hrs on 1st March 1942, the torpedo struck the ship. Acworth was among 135 people to reach the only lifeboat launched. Around a month later, only 6 of those survivors made it to shore.
John Pelham Acworth has no known grave. His name is on Column 229 of the Singapore Memorial, Singapore.