Soldier profiles

Name : HOLDSWORTH, KEITH WILLIAM
Service Number : VX38269
Date of Birth : 12/09/1918
Place of Birth : CAULFIELD, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : BUTCHER
Date of Enlistment : 25/07/1940
Locality on Enlistment : EAST BRIGHTON, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : HOLDSWORTH, JOHN
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) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 06/12/1945
Date Died : 16/03/1948
Age at Death : 29
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : NEW CHELTENHAM CEMETERY, 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) : OMUTA (JAPAN), FUKUOKA (JAPAN)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0041 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6135716 [DIGITISED], Barcode 478918 [OPEN], Barcode 31698074 [DIGITISED], Barcode 31834060 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 948kB), Past article (size 432kB), Past article (size 70kB), Death notice (The Argus 17/03/1948), Funeral notice (The Argus 17/03/1948)

Background : Son of Madeline and John Edward Holdsworth. Arrived in Japan 16/01/1945 aboard hellship Awa Maru. Repatriated to Australia on the H.M.S. Formidable. Made affidavits and sworn statements for war crimes and trials.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 7.5 inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, brown hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : mole on abdomen, scar right knee, scar right index finger. Full time war service : A.I.F. 25/07/1940 to 06/12/1945 which included 1961 days active service (54 days within Australia & 1651 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 13/10/1945). War badge no. 102708. Discharge certificate no. 314031.

Service record
25/07/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
30/07/1940 Evacuated to Broadmeadows Convalescent Depot, Victoria with sore throat and cough.
30/07/1940 Discharged fit to Australian General Base Depot.
10/08/1940 Attached to No.3 Company Australian General Base Depot from Broadmeadows Convalescent Depot, Victoria for duty.
16/08/1940 Rejoined unit from Broadmeadows Convalescent Depot, Victoria to No.3 Company Australian General Base Depot.
23/09/1940 Transferred to 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion Hamilton, Victoria.
30/12/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion.
31/12/1940 Posted from 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
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.
17/06/1941 Reported missing in action and transferred to X list.
18/07/1941 Rejoined unit and struck off X list.
04/08/1941 Evacuated to 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station.
06/08/1941 Evacuated from 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station to 2 British Casualty Clearing Station.
07/08/1941 Evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital with dysentery and transferred to X list.
06/12/1941 Discharged 7 Australian General Hospital with enteritis and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
06/12/1941 Marched in ex 7 Australian General Hospital.
14/12/1941 Marched out to 6 Australian Infantry Speciality Group.
14/12/1941 Marched in from Pioneer Training Battalion.
09/01/1942 Marched out to Pioneer Training Battalion.
09/01/1942 Marched in ex 6 Australian Infantry Speciality Group.
21/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength from 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
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.
01/10/1942 Previously reported missing in action now believed prisoner of war.
08/06/1944 Reported prisoner of war.
15/01/1945 Transferred to Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
05/10/1945 Embarked Manila, Philippines on H.M.S. Formidable.
13/10/1945 Disembarked Sydney, New South Wales ex hospital ship.
14/10/1945 Marched out to General Details Depot Victoria Lines of Communication area.
15/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria from General Details Depot New South Wales Lines of Communication area.
21/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with warts on hand.
01/12/1945 Discharged to General Details Depot.
05/12/1945 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
06/12/1945 Discharged.