Soldier profiles

Name : CUNNINGHAM, WILLIAM FREDERICK CHARLES
Service Number : VX56816
Date of Birth : 04/06/1921
Place of Birth : HOWLONG, NSW
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : LABOURER, BLACKSMITHS ASSISTANT
Date of Enlistment : 26/06/1941
Locality on Enlistment : BALLDALE, NSW
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : CUNNINGHAM, W
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 : 11/12/1945
Date Died : 13/01/1986
Age at Death : 64
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : GOOMBARGANA CEMETERY, NEW SOUTH WALES, 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) : THAILAND
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0020 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6123370 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 948kB), Past article (size 598kB), Past article (size 888kB), Headstone [photo courtesy of C. Judkins]

Background : Son of W.C. Cunningham. Enlisted with date of birth 04/06/1920. Repatriated to Australia on M.V. Highland Chieftain.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 10 inches, hazel eyes, fair complexion, brown hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : scar left shin, scar back right thigh. Full time war service : A.I.F. 29/06/1941 to 11/12/1945 which included 1629 days active service (61 days within Australia & 1440 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 02/11/1941, disembarked in Australia 11/10/1945). War badge no. A171979. Discharge certificate no. 276719.

Service record
27/06/1941 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
28/06/1941 Granted leave without pay 28/06/1941 to 05/07/1941.
06/07/1941 Rejoined unit from leave without pay.
11/07/1941 Transferred to Engineering Training Depot Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
12/07/1941 Transferred from Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
21/08/1941 Detached to Headquarters 6 Training Battalion Darley Camp, Victoria.
21/08/1941 Attached from Engineering Training Depot Bonegilla, Victoria to 6 Training Battalion.
25/10/1941 Rejoined unit from 6 Training Battalion Darley Camp, Victoria.
27/10/1941 Posted to Reinforcements 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
02/11/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. L.L.) Convoy no. 13.
24/11/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
05/01/1942 Evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital.
10/01/1942 Discharged 7 Australian General Hospital with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (U.R.T.I.) and marched into camp.
21/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion.
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.
28/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war, Java.
11/12/1945 Discharged New South Wales at own request on compassionate grounds.