Soldier profiles

Name : BARNES, BENJAMIN
Service Number : VX22220
Date of Birth : 22/11/1901
Place of Birth : DAYLESFORD, VIC
Known as : BEN
Occupation on Enlistment : MOTOR DRIVER
Date of Enlistment : 05/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : DAYLESFORD, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : BARNES, MARGARET
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : SERGEANT
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
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 19/10/1945
Date Died : 03/10/1984
Age at Death : 82
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 6207011 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll

Background : Husband of Margaret Mary Barnes.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : married. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 7.5 inches, brown eyes, fair complexion, brown hair. Marks / scars : nil. Marital status : married. Children : 1 under 16 years old, 1 16 years & older. Full time war service : A.I.F. 05/06/1940 to 16/03/1942 which included 1963 days active service (1285 days within Australia & 343 days overseas). Operational service : Syria, Middle East (embarked from Australia 08/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 16/03/1942). War badge no. A167443. Discharge certificate no. 288488.

Service record
05/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
06/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
06/06/1940 Appointed Group III Special M.T. pay 6/- day.
08/07/1940 Transferred to X list Absent Without Leave (AWOL).
08/07/1940 Posted Absent Without Leave in error. Sick report received.
27/09/1940 Appointment Group III terminated pay 5/- day.
07/12/1940 Appointed acting Lance Corporal 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
22/03/1941 Appointed Group III Special M.T. 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Balcombe, Mt. Martha, Victoria.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
08/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
28/07/1941 Evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital Middle East with orchitis and transferred to X list.
11/08/1941 Discharged from 7 Australian General Hospital and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion.
11/08/1941 Marched into Pioneer Training Battalion Middle East.
09/09/1941 Taken on strength Headquarters Section Pioneer Training Battalion Middle East.
18/02/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Andes.
16/03/1942 Disembarked 4 Military District (South Australia).
04/05/1942 Granted leave of absence 04/05/1942 to 15/05/1942 Pioneer Training Battalion.
19/05/1942 Detached for duty from Pioneer Training Battalion to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
19/05/1942 Attached to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
17/07/1942 Rejoined Pioneer Training Battalion from 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
23/07/1942 Promoted to acting Corporal.
16/08/1942 Taken on strength 1 Australian Pioneer Training Battalion Bathurst, New South Wales ex Australian Pioneer Training Battalion.
25/08/1942 Appointed Lance Sergeant Bathurst, New South Wales.
21/10/1942 Transferred to 31 Australian Infantry Training Battalion.
21/10/1942 Taken on strength 31 Australian Infantry Training Battalion New South Wales Lines of Communication area ex 1 Australian Pioneer Training Battalion.
29/11/1942 Rank of Corporal confirmed.
15/04/1943 Marched out to Queensland Lines of Communication area from New South Wales Lines of Communication area.
25/07/1943 Promoted to acting Sergeant.
30/03/1944 Marched out to 1 Australian Reinforcement Training Centre (Jungle warfare).
31/03/1944 Transferred from Headquarters 31 Australian Infantry Training Battalion to Headquarters 1 Australian Reinforcement Training Battalion Australian Training Centre (Jungle Warfare) Canungra, Queensland.
06/02/1945 Medical class assessed as B2 Const (P).
03/04/1945 Rank of Sergeant confirmed Australian Training Centre (Jungle Warfare) Canungra, Queensland.
09/04/1945 Transferred from Headquarters 1 Australian Reinforcement Training Battalion Australian Training Centre (Jungle Warfare) Canungra, Queensland to Victoria Lines of Communication area General Details Depot for discharge.
19/10/1945 Discharged.