'E' Company, Special Reserve Battalion, No. 3 Platoon.
Enlisted:
10.09.1941
Discharged:
30.05.1946
DOB:
22.08.1904
Place of Birth:
Lancaster, England
Father's Name:
Ernest Chamberlain
Mothers's Name:
Ivy Florence Chamberlain
Religion:
Church of England
Pre-war Occupation:
Pipe Fitter
Singapore:
Selarang Camp & Barracks Changi
Force:
'D' Force Thailand, V Battalion
Camps Thailand:
Tamarkan, Nacompaton
POW#:
4/5983
Return Details 1945:
Thailand-Singapore by aircraft, Singapore-Sydney, HMT Highland Chieftan, Sydney-Melbourne-Perth by troop train
General Description
Cyril Chamberlain enlisted AIF 10 Sep 1941. In late December at Northam Army Camp about 146 soldiers were selected as Reinforcements to 2/4th MGB. They were given Leave and told be back after Christmas.
On 15 January they marched through Northam before being entrained to Fremantle where they boarded troop transport ship ‘Aquitania’. They arrived in Singapore about 24 January. The Japanese invaded the north west coast on night of 8 January 1942 and there was bitter fighting until night of 15 February, when Australia, Britain and India surrendered.
Cyril joined No. 3 Platoon and was batman/runner for CO Lt Harry Mazza.
He became POW in Singapore and during 1943 departed by train with ‘D’ Force Thailand V Battalion to work on the Burma-Thai Railway.
V Battalion endured an a very high loss of life. Please read about V Battalion.
I am sure Cyril Chamberlain was able to say he was lucky! Lucky to survive the Bukit Timah ambush and lucky to survive V Battalion’s ordeal on the Railway.
Cyril Nicholas Chamberlain with his brother Vernon.
Cyril died of a heart attack on the 15/04/1982, the next day his wife Ivy had a heart attack and died. They were both buried on Saturday 17/04/1982 in the same grave.
