Soldier profiles

Name : MITCHELL, ARTHUR ALAN
Service Number : VX22079
Date of Birth : 04/07/1916
Place of Birth : MIDDLE PARK, VIC
Known as : ALAN
Occupation on Enlistment : CLERK
Date of Enlistment : 10/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : GLENHUNTLY, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : MITCHELL, JAMES
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : LIEUTENANT
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) : LIEUTENANT (JAVA), SERGEANT (JAVA), SERGEANT (SYRIA)
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) : APPOINTED LIEUTENANT FROM SERGEANT (JAVA)
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 17/01/1946
Date Died : 23/04/1990
Age at Death : 73
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) : 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-0062 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6206918 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, AWM_117837.jpg, AWM_P01521.005.jpg, AWM_P01576.001.jpg, AWM_P01613.001.jpg, Past article (size 695kB)

Background : Colin James Mitchell (Arthur's son) named after VX30683 Colin Eva (2/2 Pioneer).

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. Militia previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 8 inches, brown eyes, dark complexion, dark hair. Marital status : married. Dependent children : 1 16 years & older. Marks / scars : scars on legs. Full time war service : A.I.F. 10/06/1940 to 17/01/1946 which included 2048 days active service (88 days within Australia & 1648 days overseas). Service in ranks 10/06/1940 to 28/02/1942. Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 21/10/1945). War badge no. 187317. Discharge certificate no. 33755.

Service record
10/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
12/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
05/08/1940 Promoted to acting Lance Corporal.
05/08/1940 Promoted to Lance Corporal.
02/11/1940 Promoted to acting Lance Sergeant.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
07/04/1941 Appointment of Lance Sergeant confirmed.
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
17/06/1941 Promoted to acting Sergeant.
21/09/1941 Rank of Sergeant confirmed.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
01/03/1942 To be Lieutenant 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion.
01/03/1942 Appointed Lieutenant 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion.
07/03/1942 Transferred from 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion to the PSL (Australian Infantry). Prisoner of war.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
29/04/1942 Reported missing in action.
30/04/1942 Battalion casualty. Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
21/01/1944 Reported prisoner of war.
06/08/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war. Java casualty list.
14/01/1944 Now reported prisoner of war.
20/08/1945 Recovered from Japanese at Siam.
26/08/1945 Alive in Siam.
06/10/1945 Embarked Singapore on M.V. Highland Brigade.
21/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
23/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with nutritional deficiency.
23/11/1945 Evacuated from General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria to 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
18/12/1945 Discharged from 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria to General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria with No Appreciable Disease (N.A.D.).
18/12/1945 Marched into General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria ex 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria. Pending termination of appointment.
14/01/1946 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
15/01/1946 Marched into Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot ex General Details Depot, Victoria.
17/01/1946 Appointment terminated.
18/01/1946 Transferred to R of O [Register of Officers?] (Infantry), Vic.
13/09/1950 Awarded E.M.