Soldier profiles

Name : RESCHKE, BERTRAM
Service Number : VX59203
Date of Birth : 25/07/1915
Place of Birth : ADELAIDE, SA
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : SLEEPER CUTTER
Date of Enlistment : 09/07/1941
Locality on Enlistment : RED CLIFFS, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : FOX, MINNIE
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 : 28/11/1945
Date Died : 27/08/1982
Age at Death : 67
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : MERBEIN CEMETERY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. LAWN SECTION. 125.
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) : JAVA
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0073 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6113467 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 368kB), Past article (size 888kB), Headstone, Headstone

Background : Son of Minnie and Albert Fox. Brother of Bill and Beryl. Repatriated to Australia on S.S. Tamaroa.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 6 inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, fair hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : Appendix scar, scar left groin, scar posterior right thigh, scar posterior left knee, scar over occiput. Full time war service : A.I.F. 09/07/1941 to 28/11/1945 which included 1604 days active service (42 days within Australia & 1446 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 02/11/1941, disembarked in Australia 17/10/1945). War badge no. 259091. Discharge certificate no. 309865.

Service record
09/07/1941 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
23/07/1941 Transferred to Engineering Training Depot Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
24/07/1941 Transferred from Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
18/08/1941 Admitted 106 Australian General Hospital with knee reaction.
18/08/1941 Evacuated to 106 Australian General Hospital Bonegilla, Victoria.
29/08/1941 Discharged to unit.
29/08/1941 Rejoined unit from 106 Australian General Hospital Bonegilla, Victoria.
27/10/1941 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Reinforcements.
02/11/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. L.L.) Convoy no. 13.
24/11/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
21/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion Middle East.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
15/02/1942 Evacuated to shore hospital Batavia, Java and transferred to X list.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
19/08/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
28/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war, Java.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
17/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria from S.S. Tamaroa.
17/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria ex S.S. Tamaroa.
27/11/1945 Marched out to Australian Army Military Forces Discharge Depot.
27/11/1945 Marched in for discharge ex Leave and Transit Depot.
28/11/1945 Discharged Royal Park, Victoria.