Soldier profiles

Name : ANDERSON, WILLIAM
Service Number : VX21609
Date of Birth : 22/07/1906
Place of Birth : SYDNEY, NSW
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : FARM LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 04/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : NERRENA, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : PICKERING, LOUIS
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) :
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 28/02/1946
Date Died : N/A
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : N/A
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) : NO
P.O.W. Camps (details) : THAILAND
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0003 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6216242 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 368kB)

Background :

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 9 inches, grey eyes, fair complexion, fair hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : scar lateral right patella. Full time war service : A.I.F. 04/06/1940 to 28/02/1946 which included 2096 days active service (134 days within Australia & 1655 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 17/10/1945). War badge no. 241717. Discharge certificate no. 495371.

Service record
04/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
06/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
19/10/1940 Admitted Puckapunyal 4 Australian General Hospital, Seymour, Victoria with urethra discharge.
05/11/1940 Discharged from hospital.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
23/06/1941 Evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital with dysentery and transferred to X list.
03/07/1941 Discharged 7 Australian General Hospital (S.F.F.) and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
03/07/1941 Marched in.
13/07/1941 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
13/07/1941 Taken on strength from 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.
01/10/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
18/09/1943 Reported prisoner of war.
10/12/1943 Reported interned Thailand camp and transferred to Thailand camp.
22/12/1943 Reported interned Thailand camp.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
29/09/1945 Embarked Singapore on S.S. Tamaroa.
17/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
17/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot ex S.S. Tamaroa.
30/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
30/01/1946 Discharged prisoner of war wing Watsonia.
30/01/1946 Marched into General Details Depot ex 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
15/02/1946 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot, Victoria.
28/02/1946 Discharged.