Soldier profiles

Name : MERRITT, ROBERT
Service Number : TX5341
Date of Birth : 11/11/1919
Place of Birth : DERBY, TAS
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : COPPER MINER
Date of Enlistment : 29/04/1941
Locality on Enlistment : DERBY, TAS
Place of Enlistment : LAUNCESTON, TAS
Next of Kin : MERRITT, WILLIAM
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) : C COMPANY
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : N/A
Date Died : 14/03/1945
Age at Death : 25
Community Roll of Honour : DERBY (TAS)
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY, THAILAND. 1. K. 35. / AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL COMMEMORATIVE AREA PANEL 73
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : 14/03/1945 / EXECUTED BY JAPANESE / UBON (THAILAND)
P.O.W. Camps (details) : JAVA, UBON (THAILAND)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : NO
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0061 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6382929 [DIGITISED], Barcode 32628579 [OPEN], Barcode 31616165 [NOT EXAMINED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian War Memorial, G_WELDON_1.jpg, Headstone [photo courtesy of K. Fraser (son of VX18403 S. Fraser)], In memoriam (Examiner 14/03/1947), Advocate : 20/10/1945, AWM_REL/11885.jpg

Background : Son of William Henry and Clara Ann Merritt, of Derby, Tasmania, Australia. Presumably executed for attempted escape. How he got to Ubon is unknown.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience.

Service record
29/04/1941 Enlisted for war service Brighton, Tasmania.
30/04/1941 Allotted to Australian Imperial Forces Reinforcements.
30/04/1941 Taken on strength from Recruit Reception Depot.
30/04/1941 Granted pre embarkation leave 30/04/1941 to 06/05/1941.
15/05/1941 Marched out Brighton 6 Military District (Tasmania) to 3 Military District (Victoria) via Burnie, Tasmania.
16/05/1941 Marched in 2 Training Battalion from 6 Military District (Tasmania).
24/05/1941 Transferred 2 Training Battalion to 2/40 Battalion Reinforcements Alice Springs.
01/06/1941 Marched into 7 Military District (Northern Territory) from 3 Military District (Victoria).
07/07/1941 Admitted 119 Australian General Hospital 7 Military District (Northern Territory) with foreign body in eye. Posted to X list.
15/07/1941 Discharged 119 Australian General Hospital and struck off X list.
16/08/1941 Transferred from Camp Hospital and discharged to 119 Australian General Hospital.
20/08/1941 Admitted to 111 Convalescent Depot and posted to X list.
25/08/1941 Discharged from 111 Convalescent Depot and struck off X list.
02/10/1941 Marched out from 7 Military District (Northern Territory) to 3 Military District (Victoria).
10/10/1941 Marched into 2 Training Battalion 3 Military District (Victoria) from 2/40 Battalion 7 Military District (Northern Territory).
28/10/1941 Posted to 12 Reinforcements 2/6 Battalion.
30/10/1941 Deleted from boat roll.
30/10/1941 Transferred to Engineering Training Depot from 2 Training Battalion.
31/10/1941 Posted to Reinforcements 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from Engineering Training Depot.
02/11/1941 Embarked at Sydney, New South Wales for service overseas.
02/11/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.T. L.L. Convoy 13.
24/11/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
27/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
27/01/1942 Taken on strength 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion from Australian Pioneer Training Battalion.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
25/05/1942 Presumed missing in action 07/03/1942.
05/10/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war (Tokyo Radio).
16/10/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
30/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war, Java.
05/08/1943 Previously reported missing in action believed prisoner of war now reported prisoner of war interned Java camp.
14/03/1945 Died whilst prisoner of war (shot by Imperial Japanese Army) location not stated.