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Soldier profiles

Name : HUMPHREYS, WALLACE GEORGE
Service Number : VX91116 (V47956)
Date of Birth : 30/07/1910
Place of Birth : FLEMINGTON, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : RAILWAY CLERK (FLEMINGTON AREA)
Date of Enlistment : 08/01/1943
Locality on Enlistment : ASCOT VALE, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : HUMPHREYS, IRIS
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) : 10/10/1945 TRANSFERRED TO 2/10 INFANTRY BATTALION (BALIKPAPAN)
Theatres of War : BORNEO
Actions : TARAKAN (BORNEO), BALIKPAPAN (BORNEO)
Wounded (date / details) : 04/11/1943 BACK INJURY
Discharged : 04/02/1946
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) : NO
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. Camps (details) : N/A
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : N/A
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : NO
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6054573 [NOT EXAMINED]),   WW2 Nominal Roll,   Australian War Memorial,   AWM_REL38815.jpg,   AWM_REL38819.jpg,   AWM_REL38814.jpg,   AWM_REL38813.jpg

Background : Married on 28/06/1941. 03/06/1941 Enlisted 58th Battalion in Moonee Ponds with service number V47956. 05/08/1941 Reported for training at Mt Martha, Victoria. Humphreys undertook training as a rifleman and after completing basic training at the end of October, was posted to Seymour for further training. 16/12/1941 Transferred to Area 58A in Seymour where he remained for the next year. 07/01/1943 Transferred to A.I.F. Humphreys spent the next six months training as an anti-aircraft artilleryman before transferring to the infantry. 31/07/1943 to 03/11/1943 in training. 04/11/1943 Hospitalised after suffering back injury during training. Spent next six months recovering from injury. May 1944 Released from hospital. 30/05/1944 Taken on strength 2/2 Pioneer Battalion. Late July 1944 relapse of back injury. Hospitalised for month recovering. Late August 1944 Returned to unit and continued training. 16/03/1945 Embarked with unit from Cairns. 28/03/1944 Disembarked Morotai. 01/05/1945 Landed on Tarakan and assisted 26 Brigade in repelling Japanese attacks on the beachhead. The Pioneers also assisted in holding a position known as the Finch. 18/05/1945 Embarked for Morotai to prepare for the landings on Balikpapan. He took part in the initial landings on Balikpapan and assisted in securing and organising the beachhead. As the Infantry progressed inland, the Pioneers provided parties to guard Japanese prisoners, burial details and other activities. Humphreys was still on Balikpapan when Japan surrendered on 15/08/1945. As soldiers were returned to Australia, the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion was disbanded. 10/10/1945 Transferred to 2/10 Infantry Battalion and remained on Balikpapan until end of 1945. 01/01/1946 Embarked Balikpapan for Australia on S.S. Stamford Victory. 10/01/1946 Disembarked Brisbane, Queensland. 04/02/1946 Discharged from Australian Imperial Forces in Victoria.