WW2 Australian Military casualties (including Army / Navy / RAAF / POW & Civilian Internees)

Sorry for the vague title, but I couldn't find a suitable place for a couple of incidental research points so I created my own.....


First off is a photograph with caption doing the rounds of Facebook / Pinterest of a training incident in 1942 and what I think it refers to.

The caption reads "Australian officers, blown into the air by an accidental explosion, fall in the river amid the splinters of their wrecked boat. 1942"


************************************************************************************


I presume that it is this incident referred to in the newspapers in May 1942 - note mention of a press photographer being present in the second article - no images found in the newspapers at the time


Killed was Private EVANS, Gordon Spence N256809 of 45 Australian Infantry Battalion. Date of death 1 May 1942 – enlisted 13 Mar 1942



AWM Cause of death: Accidental (Drowning)

 

Seeing the photo and not knowing the circumstances you would think this was staged.

Poor buggers.



Geoff

 

That's horrifying. Given the nature of it, I am actually surprised that nobody else was killed as that amount of gellignite is substantial for a small wooden boat.

I remember reading somewhere (and I'll do my best to find it again) that when staging river crossings and beach landings, 10% casualties were seen as fairly standard and acceptable.

As Spidge says, poor buggers.

 

Some statistics concerning Aussie WW2 veterans


Please note - all figures are a combination of all services (Navy, Army, RAAF) plus Women's services. I have also rounded out a lot of the data for ease of comprehension.

First off, the DVA & AWM (& Wiki) agree that around 1,000,000 Australians served during WW2 - the strength at the end of the war is given as 600,000

Just under 40,000 were killed (either in action or of illness, accidents etc). I would presume that another 360,000 served for a period of time and were released before the war ended for a variety of reasons (no longer fit for service due to injury, illness etc or released for personal reasons or needed for their expertise in the civilian workforce).

A recent newspaper article gave a figure of just under 70,000 surviving WW2 veterans according to DVA records. That represents 7% of WW2 Aussie personnel still with us. DVA stats show that around 10,000 are leaving us every year.

Logically, the youngest WW2 veterans would have been born in 1926 (maybe 1927 in a few cases) - they would have turned 18 in 1944 and by the time they went through all of their training and made it to a unit in time to see action it would have been towards the end of the war.

Therefore those youngest WW2 veterans would now be 87 years old.

 

Service Record

Name - GOAD, ALAN JOHN

Service - Australian Army

Service Number - VX43150

Date of Birth - 15 Jan 1917

Date of Enlistment - 11 Jul 1940

Next of Kin - GOAD, CLARICE

Date of Death - 7 Jun 1941

Rank - Gunner

Posting on Death - 3 Anti Tank Battery

Prisoner of War - No

Roll of Honour - PORT MELBOURNE

 

From a 2010 news article.

On a crisp, clear May afternoon in 1945 Australia suffered its worst military training accident. An explosion at the Kapooka Army Base killed 26 men.

Trainee sappers (engineers) and Royal Australian Engineers Training Centre staff were conducting training in the preparation of hand charges when a massive explosion destroyed the dugout they were in, and killed 26 men.

One man survived - Sapper Allen Bartlett, who was profoundly deafened and badly injured after the force of the explosion imbedded him in the clay wall. One of the instructors killed was Sgt Herbert 'Jack' Pomeroy. It was his birthday.

The funeral brought the town of Wagga Wagga to a standstill, with four semi trailers carrying the coffins of the soldiers through the town. About half the town's population lined the street to watch this part of the funeral - Australia's largest military funeral.

For many years this event has been considered a 'forgotten tragedy', but a new memorial near the site of the explosion ensures families, the military and members of the public can pass by and remember what happened on May 21st 1945.

Until now the site was marked by an inconspicuous plaque. The actual site of the bunker now lies on private land just across from the new memorial, and a change in boundary fencing means the memorial site is open to the community - previously it had been within the lines of the Kapooka Military Area.

Each year the memory of these soldiers will be honoured with a special service at the memorial site at 2.30pm - the time of the explosion.


Source: http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/05/26/2909736.htm







This is the only return for pictures on the AWM website - I tried searching for some keywords but without much joy (ie Kapooka & explosion).

www.awm.gov.au/collection/P07725.001

Studio portrait of WX25792 Sergeant (Sgt) Ronald Irwin Linthorne, 1st Royal Australian Engineers Training Battalion, of Claremont, WA. Sgt Linthorne was a carpenter prior to enlistment in July 1942. On 21 May 1945 Sgt Linthorne and 25 other engineers were killed by an explosion during a training exercise at Kapooka, NSW. Sgt Linthorne was 25 years of age.

 

Hi Dave,

These photos were difficult because of the light however readable.

 

Cheers Spidge - it's good to see the actual memorial being referred to in the story. Searching the NLA newspaper archive for details of the incident shows a few articles and what appear to be the same photographs. However, the on-line scans are very dark and hard to make out detail.

The shots you took show the photographs on the memorial as being quite crisp.






And because I haven’t seen it anywhere else, here is a list of the 26 members of the Royal Australian Engineers that were killed that day:


Sapper Boyd, Colin Francis NX204475 Son of Colin James Boyd and Bridget Boyd, of South Grafton

Sapper Collins, Joseph James NX205981 Son of Joseph and Lavinia Collins, of Nowra

Corporal Cousins, William Barclay NX141715 Son of William Melbourne Cousins and Mabel Annie Cousins, of Mary Vale

Sapper Dilley, Norman Rourke John N481536 Son of Albert Ernest and Kathleen Mary Dilley; Husband of Catherine Dilley, of Lorne

Sapper Faull, Joseph William NX205863 Son of Roy Leonard and Kathleen Amelia Faull, of Concord

Sapper Flood, Allan NX205969 Son of Alfred Ferris Flood and Ethel Jane Flood, of Naremburn

Sapper Grasby, Denby Eric SX34059 Son of Eric Albert and Edna Marie Grasby, of Dulwich, South Australia

Sapper Hurley, Colin Leslie NX180545 Son of Mark Vincent and Elsie Della May Hurley, of Herons Creek

Sapper Hurst, Kevin Alexander NX205951 Son of Richard Charles and Jessie Christina Hurst, of Carrathool

Sergeant Linthorne, Ronald Irwin WX25792 Son of Irwin Montague Linthorne and Elizabeth Linthorne; Husband of Pauline Patterson Linthorne, of Ashburton, Victoria

Sapper Mather, Leslie John NX180219 Son of Joseph John and Margaret Maud Mather, of Glebe

Sapper Merritt, Ivan Walter Thomas SX34069 Son of Walter Thomas John and Olive Elizabeth Blanche Merritt; Husband of Dorothy Joyce Merritt, of Mitcham, South Australia

Sapper Moore, Terence Ronald NX205652 Son of Edward Alfred and Beryl Jean Moore, of Arncliffe

Sapper Morphy, Stanley Robert Q273563 Son of Wilfred and Elizabeth Morphy, of Chartres Towers Queensland

Sapper Nixon, Jack Clinton NX205833 Son of William James and Elsie Ida Nixon; Husband of Alice Marjorie Nixon, of Cobar

Sapper Partridge, Geoffrey Wilton NX180218 Son of Stanley Wilton Partridge and Laurel Nora Partridge, of Macleay River

Sapper Pierce, Kevin Francis VX96197 Son of Francis Henry and Ruby Veronica Pierce

Sapper Platt, Frank Wilfred QX63309 Son of Frank Austerlands Platt and Martha Jane Platt, of Clontarf Beach, Queensland

Sergeant Pomeroy, Herbert John VX57880 Son of William and Susan Pomeroy; Husband of Dorothy Margaret Pomeroy, of Port Melbourne, Victoria

Sapper Poschalk, Ernest Frederick Q273551 Son of Ernest Augustus and Celia Elizabeth Poschalk, of Maryborough, Queensland

Sapper Reid, William S115574 Husband of R. Reid, of Adelaide, South Australia

Sapper Robson, Edward Charles NX205938 Son of Jack and Maude May Robson, of Moorebank

Sapper Ross, Stanley Ernest NX81964 Son of Francis George and Elizabeth Kathleen Ross, of Summer Hill

Sapper Witt, Alfred George WX23101 Son of Frederick and Ella Verona Witt, of Waroona, Western Australia

Corporal Woods, Alfred Edward WX27166 Son of Edward Loy Woods and Magdaline Wade Woods; Husband of Lynda Jean Woods, of Maylands, Western Australia

Sapper Woods, Thomas N480870 Son of Sydney Herbert and Dorothy May Woods; Husband of Harriett Lavinia Woods, of Brighton-Le-Sands

 

Not too sure if this fits in here or if I should start a new thread, but becoming a POW was considered to be a type of casualty so here goes……

The story & photos come from a social networking site (Reddit) and after contacting the author I thought that this forum would be a great place to reproduce the article. The grandfather's name is given as Jack Walker.


******************************************


I went in search of a set of keys my grandfather left behind in a Prisoner Of War (POW) camp in WW2, in 2013.


My grandfather (still living at 91) was an Australian POW in WW2. He was captured in Greece and spent the war in Torun, Poland, a fortress town. I had an opportunity to travel there in 2013. My grandfather had been a bit of an "artful dodger" in the camp and made a set of keys that he used to break into storage-rooms in search of food and coal. When he was repatriated he hid the keys in a specific window frame. Before I left, he asked me to have a look for the keys. (NB from DaveB – the keys would be better described as lockpicks, created from scrap materials to unlock doors in the old castle / POW camp).


Image Torun1 shows shows the author at the entrance to the fort

Image Torun2 shows Fort XV painted on the external wall to the camp

Image Torun3 shows a long corridor within the fort. This photo gives some impression of the prison atmosphere

Image Torun4 shows a bedroom in Fort XV. When used in the 1940's, each room contained 4 bunk beds. They were 3 bunks high, with two men to each level. The mattress was straw filled.

Image Torun5 shows one of the areas that served as a bedroom. He is holding the previous photo in this series. You can just make out the dome of the back wall. The dome looking structure to the left would've been hidden by a wall to constitute a bedroom.

Image Torun6 shows a clandestine still used to brew alcohol from left over potato peelings. Grandfather on the right. He said that the colour of the liquid that emerged from the still was green and had an appalling taste. The still was hidden in a store room. The camera was hidden in a modified water-bottle (by Sergeant Fred Butterfield) and developed in a room that was fitted with red lights. All hidden from the guards and smuggled out.

Image Torun7 shows a good example of the window frame that my grandfather hid the set of keys. The window itself is quite deep and has wooden slats at the base. With age, the slats erode producing a series of gaps that act as an effective hiding place. Even though this isn't the window frame my grandfather had specified, we looked in every bloody window frame we could find.

Image Torun8 - You can imagine the disappointment when we came to the window frame specified only to find that it was bricked up. I felt happy to have documented as much as I had, yet still felt deflated to have come so far, made it into the Fort, only to see the solid and comprehensive brick structure.

Image Torun9 - When we came out of the fort, on the other side of the window frame in question, we saw that it was only bricked up from one side. The opening was just enough for a torso to fit through.

Image Torun10 - Accessing the base of the window frame by reaching down a small gap in the brickwork.

Image Torun11 - We retrieved 4 or 5 pieces of wire that fit my grandfather's description. I brought one of the pieces back into Australia and when I presented it to my grandfather he felt certain that they represented the original keys. He wrote the following in a thank-you note a few weeks later. “While you were there, I felt as though I was there with you. They were exciting and sometimes worrying times, but have now had a safe mental revival which has taught me to hate wars, respect other people and their way of life. Love Poppa Jack.”

Image Torun12 - Due to the large number of requests, I have included a more recent photo of Jack. This was taken on the occasion of his 90th birthday. He is accompanied by his wife (Dorothy- Doss), my grandmother. They now share a room in a nursing home.


******************************************


From what I can see his grandfather’s friend (with the camera) was Sergeant Frederick Henry James Butterfield NX15492 of 2/5 Australian General Hospital from Fairfield, NSW - discharged 21 Aug 1945.

 

Sergeant Frederick Henry James Butterfield NX15492 of 2/5 Australian General Hospital from Fairfield, NSW - discharged 21 Aug 1945.

A note on the original story stated that apparently Fred Butterfield died shortly after his discharge. According to a caption on a photo in the AWM collection which was taken when he was captured Fred was repatriated by the Germans in 1943.


http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P04640.004

Mixed group portrait of Austrian mountain troops and Australian personnel of the 2/5 Australian General Hospital (2/5 AGH) standing together at the entrance to the hospital grounds in Ekali, Greece. 157 members of the 2/5 AGH were taken prisoner in Greece after they remained behind to treat 112 seriously wounded Australian soldiers, too ill to be evacuated from Greece after the allied collapse in April 1941.

Identified from left: unidentified Australian (mostly obscured); unidentified Australian (arms crossed); NX20584, Corporal Sydney James (Syd) Bishop (holding the accordion); NX59474, Private (Pte) Peter Atherton Morris; unidentified Austrian mountain soldier; unidentified Australian (mostly obscured by tree); unidentified Austrian mountain soldier; NX16947, Pte Roy William Eustace Smith; unidentified Austrian mountain soldier; unidentified Austrian mountain soldier; Regimental Sergeant Major, Don Mould (wearing peaked cap and tie); either Alick Hemrick or Alf Lewis; unidentified Austrian mountain soldier; unidentified Austrian mountain soldier.

The accordion was probably the same one later used by NX15492 Sergeant Frederick Henry James Butterfield to hide and smuggle thousands of negatives after he was released from Stalag XXa in Thorn, Poland in 1943 and repatriated home to Australia.

 

More info on the repatriation of soldiers from 2/5 AGH in 1943 is contained in the description of a flag made by the prisoners in the camp.

I would suggest that the Grandfather of the bloke who recently visited the old prison was NX28782 Cpl Jack Morgan 'Johnny' Walker


http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL28404/


The exact history of this flag is unknown. Most of the signatures on it are those of Australian prisoners of war (POW) of the Germans who were captured Greece in 1941. The majority can be identified as members of 2/5 Australian General Hospital (2/5 AGH), who were taken prisoner by the Germans in Athens. About half of 2/5 AGH's staff were evacuated from Greece before it fell to the Germans but the remainder were captured on 27 April 1941. The hospital was allowed to continue to operate from various locations in Athens until December 1941 when its staff and patients were dispersed to various POW camps, mostly to Stalag XXA at Thorn in Poland. It was here that a number of the men, including Sergeant Fred Butterfield, proposed making an Australian flag to boost morale.

The man thought to be responsible for the actual making of the flag, NX21186 Private Jim Kettle, who died in 1946, did not sign the flag. All except six of the 2/5 AGH POWs were repatriated to Australia in October 1943, because they had been non-combatants, and most returned to service in their re-formed hospital or to other medical units. It is not known who brought the flag back to Australia.

In 1946 members of 2/5 AGH POWs held a reunion where the flag was displayed. Most of the signatures are thought to date from this time. The English Sergeant Lawton, who had emigrated to Australia at the end of the war, was also invited to the reunion. Unless otherwise stated the signatures on the flag are from members of 2/5 AGH and are as follows: NX28790 Private (Pte) Charles Erskine Allison; NX15642 Warrant Officer (WO) Class 2 Stanley Colin 'Barney' Benjamin; NX18793 Pte James Douglas Bibby; NX20584 Corporal (Cpl) Sydney James Bishop; NX15492 Sergeant (Sgt) Frederick Henry James Butterfield; NX23726 Pte William Carter; NX13744 WO 2 William James Cawood; NX23720 Pte David John Clemow; NX23724 Pte William Robert Noel Cragg; NX23306 Sgt Stanley Cronin; NX16948 Cpl Graham Chrichton; NX34727 Captain (Capt) William Ralph Davison; NX28797 Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) Claude Dempsey; NX19511 L/Cpl William Pert Fenwick; NX24307 Pte Alexander Kenneth Fleming; NX21179 Staff Sgt Thomas William James Gamble; NX23717 Pte Vincent Michael Egan; NX15585 Pte Edward 'Ted' or 'Oigle' Hancock; NX13993 S/Sgt Jack Charles Harrison; NX3555 Sapper Frederick Thomas Harrison, 2/1 Field Company; NX28780 L/Cpl Wilfred Heslop; NX21189 Sgt Clifford Houghton; NX21184 Pte Reginald Eric 'Peapicker' Jones; NX30680 Pte Alfred 'Grumpy' Lewis; Sgt Jimmy Lawton (official German interpreter Stalag XXA, Thorn, Poland); NX30657 Pte Richard David Ling; NX20580 Sgt Stephen Henry McCoy; NX6126 Pte William Thomas Little, 2/4 Battalion; NX23719 Lance Sgt Thomas Kirk 'Baldy' Loch; NX18786 Pte Samuel Gregan McGifford; NX13748 Lieutenant Gordon Charles Mould; SX5144 Pte Harold Edgar 'Skip' Netherwood; NX130817 Padre Terry O'Brien; NX23727 Pte Herbert Sydney 'Bert' Peet; NX28774 Pte Albert Edward Pettit; NX28781 Pte Cedric Bede Poole; NX12095 Cpl Eric Douglas Regan; NX7534 Pte Frederick Lawrence Rixon, 2/1 Battalion; NX34756 Capt Norman Henry Rose; NX19456 Cpl James Bertram Ryan; NX30662 Pte William Dixon Scott; NX19456 Pte Stanley Keith Shadlow; NX51193 Pte James 'Jimmy' Sharp; NX22774 Lt Lionel James Shipway; NX16974 Pte Roy William Eustace Smith; NX3862 Signalman Walter Edward 'Wally' Smith, 6 Division Signals; NX18784 Sgt Cyril George Staples; NX20585 Pte John Rogers Staples; NX7229 Pte Walter John Thompson, 2/1 Field Ambulance; NX7800 Pte Sidney George Turner, 2/1 Battalion; NX21847 Pte David William Uhr; NX28782 Cpl Jack Morgan 'Johnny' Walker; NX16952 L/Cpl William Lloyd Walkington; NX16953 Pte Norman Walkington and NX20591 Pte Robert Rowlands Webb.

 

Just hijacking my own thread as I can't see a better place to add some photos I took recently whilst driving around in the Mount Mee area in SE Queensland (not far from where I live), this seemed to be a relatively new memorial park. I have posted some general shots on the "Can you photograph your local war memorial?" thread, but for the pictures of individual memorial plaques I went with this thread.



http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/18293-can-you-photograph-your-local-war-memorial/page-45#entry683779




These are the guys with their own memorial plaques plus mentions on the Roll of Honour as being killed during the war.

BRITTEN, SIDNEY DAVID QX21114 - 2/9th Battalion AIF - KIA in Papua 18 December 1942

BROCKHURST, ARTHUR WILLIAM QX17362 - 8 Division (2/26th Battalion) AIF - died while POW in Malaya 9 August 1943 (AWM ROH shows that he died in Thailand)

DAWES, CLIFFORD QX5108 - 2/15th Battalion AIF - KIA in Tobruk 1 September 1941

DREW, GEORGE EDWARD VX20172 - 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion AIF - died while POW in Burma 13 November 1943 (from Victoria - I can't see any link with Queensland at all)

FERGUSON, DAVID WALLACE S/4289 RAN - loss of HMAS Sydney 20 November 1941

FERGUSON, KENNETH CHARLES 24313 RAN - loss of HMAS Sydney 20 November 1941

PARSONS, GEORGE FREDERICK NORMAN QX9127 - 2/9th Battalion AIF - KIA in Egypt 29 April 1941

RICKERBY, KEITH WILLIAM QX24124 (Previously served in the RAAF with service number 23098) - 2/29th Battalion AIF - died while POW in Borneo 19 June 1945

 

Just hijacking my own thread (again) to add some photos I took recently whilst driving around in the Samford area in SE Queensland (not far from where I live), this seemed to be a relatively new memorial park.

I have posted some general shots on the "Can you photograph your local war memorial?" thread, but for the pictures of individual memorial plaques I went with this thread.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/18293-can-you-photograph-your-local-war-memorial/page-46




These are the guys listed on the Roll of Honour as being killed during the war.


As shown on the RoH Most likely match Service number Notes

Salisbury, H SALISBURY, HAROLD CECIL QX4387 From Samson Vale - on Samson Vale RoH

McDonald, H MCDONALD, HAROLD GRAHAM QX4389 From Samford

Cartwright, S CARTWRIGHT, SYDNEY ALLAN QX9454 Only possible match, no Samford link found - on Closeburn RoH

Devaney, D DEVANEY, DAVID WALTER QX23705 Only possible match, no Samford link found - on Kedron RoH

Houghton, S HOUGHTON, STEWART MATTHEW QX20651 From Samson Vale - on Brisbane RoH

 

The Avenue of Honour also has provision for Samford locals to commemorate their loved ones who served in the armed forces.

There are plaques for personnel who served in Australian and British units from the time of the Boer war to post-Vietnam.

Some of the plaques are for casualties from the Second World War - photos have been added below.

PARKINSON, DESMOND STANLEY QX13579 Sergeant - 2 Australian Service Corps - died as POW

HAYES, WILLIAM ALFRED QX11483 Sergeant - 2/26 Australian Infantry Battalion

JEWELL, CHARLES HENRY NX5996 Corporal - 2/4 Australian Infantry Battalion

EVERINGHAM, ROBERT HEDLEY NX66339 Trooper - 2/7 Cavalry Regiment

WHITE, ERIC KEITH QX34589 (Q5640) Lieutenant - 2/9 Australian Infantry Battalion

WATSON, CHARLES YOUNG QX17783 Warrant Officer Class 2 - 1 Company AASC - died as a POW

WILSON, STUART CHARLES VX35229 Private - 2/29 Australian Infantry Battalion

 

Samford Avenue of Honour - RAAF, RAN & Royal Artillery commemorations.


EDWARDS, COLIN HOWARD 24574 RAAF - Flight Sergeant - 460 Squadron

PRIMMER, JOHN FOSTER ROY 23183 RAN - Able Seaman - loss of HMAS Sydney 20 November 1941

WARD, RICHARD 1821028 Gunner - 89 Bty., 35 Lt. A.A. Regt Royal Artillery

O'BRIEN, JAMES 1412689 Warrant Officer Class I (RSM) - 16 Defence Regt Royal Artillery

 

Aussie civilians not commemorated by CWGC


I came across this file reference at the NAA while looking for something else - Australians in Siam Thailand . Reports by F G Van Leuven on the internment of civilians and death of Bob Farr.

I couldn't find anything else on this bloke in the NAA or by browsing newspapers on Trove. In desperation I turned to Google and found this book that mentions his death:

https://tengkudhaniiqbal.files.word...alia-and-the-malay-archipelago-since-1788.pdf (search for FARR)


Besides Robert Farr, the same paragraph goes on to mention the death / disappearance of a few other Aussies:


J.T. DONNELLY (NAA File header - Personal claim arising out of the death of brother in Siam - J W Donnelly)



D. REAGAN

H. WRIGHT


R. GORDON (NAA File header - Claim for property lost in Siam during the War - H R Gordon)




A.K. CRAIGIE (also spelt CRAGIE but this is probably a typo)

Defence Stranded Australian - Enq. by Mrs R.H. Craigie re her husband

Compensation - Claims against Siam - CRAIGIE, Mrs R A

Central Red Cross Bureau - request from Mrs R A Craigie - permission to despatch a cable to Southern Thailand

CRAIGIE, R.A.




(Update from Chris Harley - Regarding the Australians in Siam – Robert Farr does not qualify as this was not an act of war by a foreign power as Siam do not declare war on the allies until Jan 1942.

As for the others I had had a look in the past, but could not find anything definite on their deaths)

 

Liverpool District Coroner, Mr. P. S. Poolman, on Saturday, into the death of Francis Tabrett, 53, a taxi cab driver, of Liverpool.

Tabrett was shot dead in his cab at a military camp on the night of November 1 - 1941



Update from Chris Harley:

This looks a good one as the sentry fired the fatal shots.

Documentary evidence will be needed.

Cheers


Chris

 

Major EDWIN PETER TIVEY VX15648 - 2/23 Battalion Australian Infantry - additional information: Son of Maj. Gen. E. Tivey, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., and Annie Bird Tivey, of Toorak, Victoria, Australia. (CWGC show his service number as VX/5648)

Died of illness while held as a POW - buried in Bari cemetery Italy

The unit's war diary shows the events leading to his capture.

His service file has been digitised by the NAA

The AWM has a digitised copy of his MiD paperwork which contains no details on why it was awarded. His RoH circular contains some interesting info on his father's service.

 

Private JOHN HERBERT SPENCER BINT SX7905 - 2/48th Infantry Battalion Australian Infantry - additional information: Son of Sydney and Florence Hilda Bint, of Perth, Western Australia.

Died of illness while held as a POW - buried in Bari cemetery Italy

His service file has not been digitised by the NAA

 

These five casualties are all identified as having been Executed while held as POW and are buried in Milan cemetery Italy (AWM RoH / DVA WW2 Nominal Roll / CWGC)

Driver CLIVE ERIC LIDDELL VX1664 - AIF 9 Division Sup Column Australian Army Service Corps - additional information: nil

Private HAROLD RYRIE BLAIN VX46586 - AIF 2/24th Battalion Australian Infantry - additional information: Son of Alexander Ryrie Blain and Florence Amelia Blain, of Geelong West, Victoria, Australia.

Private ERNEST STANLEY WOLFE WX14978 - AIF 2/32nd Battalion Australian Infantry - additional information: Son of John and Mildred Constance Wolfe, of Bornholm, Western Australia.

Private WILLIAM GEORGE HARVEY WX10591 - AIF 2/32nd Battalion Australian Infantry - additional information: Son of William John and Ellen Charlotte Harvey, of Shenton Park, Western Australia.

Corporal JOHN RICHARD NICHOLLS WX7090 - AIF 2/28th Battalion Australian Infantry - additional information: Son of Frederick and Catherine Nicholls of Perth, Western Australia.

The service files for 4 of them have been digitised by the NAA - the file for Liddell has not been digitised.


I have added what is known about their deaths here: Towards the Swiss Borders. Looking for Allied POWs