NUMBER:

VX43396

BATTALION / UNIT / SHIP:

2/29th Infantry Battalion

PLACE & DATE OF BIRTH:

Bruthen 21 July 1910

NEXT OF KIN:

Madge Mitchell of Leongatha, his sister.

PLACE & DATE OF ENLISTMENT:

9 July 1940 at Caulfield

LOCATION ON ENLISTMENT:

His address was given as 'Riverslea', Leongatha.    

OCCUPATION:

Farmer

PLACE & DATE OF DEATH:

22 August 1943 aged 33 on the Thai- Burma Railway Burmese section

LOCATION OF GRAVE/MEMORIAL:

He is buried in Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery Myanmar.

RELATIONSHIP TO WOORAYL SHIRE:

He and his family lived on the family farm in Leongatha. He was a well known local. He attended Leongatha High in the 1920s

MILITARY/OTHER HISTORY:

At the time of his enlistment he was recorded as a farmer. He embarked for Malaya from Melbourne on 14 August 1941 arriving in Singapore on 23 August. His battalion saw action against the Japanese in Malaya and were forced back to Singapore where they were eventually captured. Jim was interned in the infamous Changi Prison. Together with a number of other locals from Leongatha, Mt Eccles, Meeniyan and Korumburra, Jim left Changi in May 1942 and was transported by sea to Moulmien Burma and then to the Burmese end of the Thai-Burma Railway. There were 3000 soldiers on the ship. A thousand of them, including Bob Sproull of Mt Eccles, went to the Victoria Point camp. Another thousand, including Jim and Alec Campbell went to Mergui and the other thousand to Tavoy.  William Henry Richardson from Meeniyan and Wal and Doug McQueen and Bob Evans from Korumburra were also in this section of the railway.  According to his file, Jim died as a result of the vitamin deficiency disease beriberi.  Jim was buried near the 55 Km camp but later his remains were transferred to the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Myanmar (Burma).

 His name is also remembered on the Leongatha memorial and the memorial at Leongatha Secondary College (formerly Leongatha High School)