Before the war Leslie Millington was employed in Hong Kong as a Revenue Officer in the Import and Export Department.
On Sunday 7 December 1941, following the declaration of a State of Emergency in Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC) was mobilised, in which Leslie Millington and his brother Harry were both sergeants serving in the No 1 gun battery.
No. 1 Battery, HKVDC, was responsible for a battery of two 4-inch naval guns located on a hillside at Cape D’Aguilar on the south-eastern extremity of Hong Kong Island. The D'Aguilar Battery consisted of some 69 men and three officers. The Officer Commanding was Captain George Rees.
On Monday 8th December the men were advised that the war had started, but the period from 8 December until 19 December was relatively uneventful for No. 1 Battery as the Japanese navy stayed well back from the guns defending the Colony.
On the night of 18th December the Japanese landed on the north-east shore of HK island and moved quickly inland. As there was a danger that troops and gun positions in the eastern half of the island would be cut off, the order was given to retreat to Stanley and form a defensive perimeter there. The battery guns were put out of action and a retreat made to Stanley.
The final fierce battle for Stanley took place on the 24th/25th December. Both the Millington brothers led machine gun detachments, and they put up a fierce defence during the night of the 24th. Harry was killed in action on the 25th and Leslie was taken prisoner when the surrender was made later that day. The battery had suffered a death rate of over 50% in 24 hours.
In August 1943 Leslie was transferred to Japan to Fukuoka POW Camp, near Nagasaki.
In 1944 he was transferred to Zentsuji Camp, a bit further north.
When war ended in 1945 he was transferred from Tokyo to Sydney on HMS Ruler.
Once restored to full health he returned to Hong Kong and continued in the civil service. On his retirement in 1968 he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal (ISM), an award for civil servants recognizing their long and faithful service in the UK and former British colonies.
The name Leslie C Millington appears on newsletters of the Shatin Children’s Home in the 1960s serving as honorary treasurer for a while prior to the closure of the home in 1966. He gave valuable assistance in getting the 25 Chinese passports for the party travelling to the UK. I am assuming it is the same person as described above. It's a tenuous link but I'm hoping others may be able to add more information.
Sources:
Philip Cracknell - Battle for Hong Kong Blogspot.
University of Melbourne archives.