Soldier profiles

Name : AIKEN, FRANCIS CHARLES
Service Number : VX21733
Date of Birth : 09/11/1910
Place of Birth : CARLTON, VIC
Known as : FRANK
Occupation on Enlistment : BARMAN
Date of Enlistment : 05/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : FITZROY, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : AIKEN, M
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 : FORT MERDJAYOUN (SYRIA)
Wounded (date / details) : 17/06/1941 GUNSHOT WOUND LEFT SHOULDER
Discharged : 10/12/1945
Date Died : 25/09/1979
Age at Death : 68
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) : SYRIA, JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : NO
P.O.W. Camps (details) : MOULMEIN (BURMA)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0002 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6208920 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll

Background :

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 6 inches, brown eyes, medium complexion, black hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : healed gunshot wound left shoulder, Acne scars chest and back, scar above left eye. Full time war service : A.I.F. 05/06/1940 to 10/12/1945 which included 2015 days active service (61 days within Australia & 1648 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 10/10/1945). War badge no. 145655. Discharge certificate no. 314955.

Service record
05/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
07/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
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.
17/06/1941 Reported wounded and missing in action and transferred to X list.
17/06/1941 Previously reported wounded and missing in action now reported wounded in action hospital Syria. Released prisoner of war.
24/07/1941 Evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital with gunshot wound left shoulder and transferred to X list.
26/08/1941 Discharged 7 Australian General Hospital and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion.
26/08/1941 Marched in.
02/10/1941 Marched out to Services Training Regiment Australian Imperial Forces.
02/10/1941 Marched into Services Training Regiment.
31/10/1941 Marched out to Pioneer Training Battalion.
31/10/1941 Marched in ex Services Training Regiment.
31/10/1941 Qualified Australian Imperial Forces (Middle East) Provost Training Wing School Course No.4 from 02/10/1941 to 31/10/1941.
18/12/1941 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
20/12/1941 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
10/01/1942 Evacuated to 2/1 Australian Field Ambulance and transferred to X list.
29/01/1942 Discharged 7 Australian General Hospital. Marched out to Pioneer Training Battalion.
29/01/1942 Marched in ex 7 Australian General Hospital.
30/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
30/01/1942 Taken on strength from Australian Pioneer Training Battalion.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
20/08/1945 Reported alive in Siam. Recovered from Japanese.
06/10/1945 Emplaned Singapore.
07/12/1945 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot from General Details Depot.
07/12/1945 Marched in Leave and Transit Depot, Victoria ex General Details Depot.
07/12/1945 Marched in Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot ex Leave and Transit Depot, Victoria.
10/12/1945 Discharged Royal Park, Victoria.