Soldier profiles

Name : HOUGH, ERNEST ALFRED BARKER
Service Number : VX23432
Date of Birth : 29/05/1910
Place of Birth : PENGUIN, TAS
Known as : BLUEY
Occupation on Enlistment : BREAD CARTER
Date of Enlistment : 06/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : FRANKSTON, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : HOUGH, JESSIE
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : LANCE 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, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 08/01/1946
Date Died : 21/01/1989
Age at Death : 78
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : HIGHTON CEMETERY, GEELONG, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.
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-0042 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6226498 [DIGITISED], Barcode 31833774 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 373kB), Past article (size 223kB), 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Association Newsletter March 2004 p3, 2016 Pilgrimage address (see Events archive)

Background : Married to Jessie Alice Hough.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : married. 2.5 years Australian Military Forces previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 10.5 inches, hazel eyes, fair complexion, fair hair. Marital status : married. Dependent children : 2 under 16 years old, 1 16 years & older. Marks / scars : appendix scar, port wine stain right shoulder. Medical : recurrent lumbar fibrositis, astigmatism. Full time war service : A.I.F. 06/06/1940 to 08/01/1946 which included 2043 days active service (79 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. 224465. Discharge certificate no. 481936.

Service record
06/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
08/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
08/06/1940 Appointed Group III Specialty Mechanical Transport Driver 6/- day.
27/09/1940 Appointed Group III terminated pay 5/- day.
01/12/1940 Appointed Group III Specialty Rangetaker.
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.
18/08/1941 Relinquished Group III Rangetaker.
19/08/1941 Promoted to acting Corporal.
02/09/1941 Rank of Corporal confirmed.
22/01/1942 Appointed Lance Sergeant.
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.
01/12/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
22/12/1943 Reported prisoner of war.
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.
26/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with defective vision.
12/12/1945 Discharged to prisoner of war wing Watsonia, Victoria.
04/01/1946 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
08/01/1946 Discharged Royal Park, Victoria.