Soldier profiles

Name : FORREST, GILBERT
Service Number : VX18670
Date of Birth : 27/09/1907
Place of Birth : FRANKSTON, VIC
Known as : SNOWY
Occupation on Enlistment : BUTCHER
Date of Enlistment : 29/05/1940
Locality on Enlistment : CARRUM DOWNS, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : FORREST, A
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 : 20/12/1945
Date Died : 03/03/1962
Age at Death : 54
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) : JAVA
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0029 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6209150 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 888kB), M_MONAGHAN_6.jpg, J_BAKER_6.jpg, AWM_REL/11885.jpg, AWM_117832.jpg, AWM_117833.jpg, N.S.W. 2/1 and 2/2 Pioneer News 01/07/1962 p7

Background : Son of Mrs. A. Forrest. Married to Robina Violet June Forrest after discharge.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 4 inches, blue eyes, medium complexion, brown hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : scar right knee, 2 scars left lower spine. Full time war service : A.I.F. 29/05/1940 to 20/12/1945 which included 2032 days active service (60 days within Australia & 1659 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 21/10/1945). War badge no. 275752. Discharge certificate no. 481009.

Service record
29/05/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
30/05/1940 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.
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.
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.
20/08/1945 Reported alive in Siam. Recovered from Japanese.
06/10/1945 Embarked Singapore on M.V. Highland Brigade.
21/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
21/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot, Melbourne, Victoria ex M.V. Highland Brigade.
29/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with hookworm.
30/11/1945 Evacuated to 50 Convalescent Hospital.
17/12/1945 Marched into General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria ex 50 Convalescent Hospital.
20/12/1945 Discharged.