Australia’s Far East POWs gallantry remembered

Joint-capabilities

28 August 2018

By: Stephen Kuper

Australian soldiers resting in the Finisterre Ranges of New Guinea while en-route to the front line (Source Australian War Memorial)

Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester has announced 28 Australian servicemen will be posthumously awarded the Commendation for Gallantry.

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The servicemen identified were killed while escaping Japanese prisoner of war camps or following recapture during World War II. They were imprisoned in camps throughout the Pacific, including in Java, Dutch Timor and Burma, as well as along the Burma-Thailand Railway, Ambon, Sandakan, Singapore, Sumatra, Japan, Northern Celebes and New Britain.

"Today we recognise the bravery and courage of these servicemen and their heroic attempts to escape the often horrific conditions of captivity in the Far East during World War II. I am calling on the next of kin of these 28 servicemen to come forward and register their details with the Department of Defence, so they can be invited to accept the Commendation for Gallantry on behalf of the servicemen," Minister Chester said.

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The recommendation for the posthumous awarding of the Commendation for Gallantry for these servicemen was accepted by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC following an inquiry by the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal from 2015 to 2017.

The recognised servicemen are:

Table 1: Australian Army

Name	Service Number	Date of Death VIEW ALL	Place of Death
Lieutenant John Leslie Appleby	NX76266	6 September 1943	Java
Corporal James Hubert Armstrong	TX3283	16 June 1943	Timor
Private Phillip Mowbray Frank Bessell	WX7639	April 1942	Java
Private Arthur Francis Davey	QX20799	18 June 1942	Burma
Private John Edward Durkin	VX19728	14 August 1945	Thailand
Private James Frederick Elmore	VX66131	23 May 1945	Ambon
Corporal Edward Victor Emmett	NX51899	18 July 1945	Sandakan
Lieutenant Wilkins Fitzallen	TX3482	23 October 1942	Timor
Private Arthur Edward Ford	QX8367	17 March 1942	Singapore
Private Charles Thomas Foster	NX55454	17 March 1942	Singapore
Private Raymond Leslie Geraghty	NX42478	17 March 1942	Singapore
Private Edwin Money Goodrick	NX27912	22 March 1942	Sumatra
Private Robert Goulden	NX10420	12 July 1942	Burma
Corporal Michael David Grace	NX32767	17 March 1942	Singapore
Private George Alfred Irwin	VX50024	21 August 1943	Japan
Private Jack Victor Jones	WX7928	April 1942	Java
Sergeant Howard Thomas Manning	WX4609	April 1942	Java
Private Norman Heather McArtney	VX33158	12 July 1943	Thailand
Private Edward Moffatt	NX4334	17 March 1942	Singapore
Private James O’Dea (aka Whitcombe)	NX77958	17 March 1942	Singapore
Private Frederick Norman Schaefer	VX19415	30 April 1945	Ambon
Corporal Kenneth Stewart	WX6574	April 1942	Java
Corporal Henry Francis Thompson	WX4113	April 1942	Java
Private Sidney Arthur Webber	NX53777	18 July 1945	Sandakan
Sergeant Bertram John West	TX3397	23 October 1942	Timor
Sergeant Henry Whitton	WX4758	April 1942	Java

Table 2: Royal Australian Air Force

Name	Service Number	Date of Death	Place of Death
Flight Sergeant John Victor Orgill	441469	28 July 1945	Celebes
Squadron Leader Daryl Maxwell Sproule DFC	250641	16 August 1943	New Britain

Minister Chester said this follows a similar inquiry conducted in 2009 where 20 servicemen were identified to be awarded the Commendation for Gallantry. A public call for the next of kin for these servicemen at the time resulted in 18 commendations being posthumously awarded. The next-of-kin of two servicemen identified in the 2009 inquiry are still being sought.

Table 3: Commendations for Gallantry waiting to be claimed from the 2009 Far East Prisoner of War Inquiry

Name	Service Number	Date of Death	Place of Death
Sergeant Joseph Kenneth Bell	VX34637	16 September 1942	Kuala Lumpur
Major Alan Mull	NX12243	10 March 1943	Burma

More information on the servicemen can be found at www.defence.gov.au/medals.

The next-of-kin of all of these servicemen can register by calling 1800 333 362 or by writing to:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; or
Directorate of Honours and Awards
Department of Defence
PO Box 7952 CANBERRA BC ACT 2610

Stephen Kuper

Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.

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