The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Livingstone
- First Name:
- John Scott
- Nick Name:
- Jack
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX17759
- Company:
- ‘E’ Company, Special Reserve Battalion, No. 1 Platoon
- Enlisted:
- 24.11.1941
- DOB:
- 18.07.1922
- Place of Birth:
- Queenstown, Cork, Ireland
- Father's Name:
- Robert Livingstone
- Mothers's Name:
- Ellen May Livingstone
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Plasterer
- Memorial:
- Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Plot 1, Row J, Grave 68, Age 21.
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp Changi, Thompson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp), River Valley Road Camp, Selarang Barracks Changi & Garden Control Party
- Force:
- ‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Tarsau, Konyu 2, Hintok,Tarsau
- POW#:
- 8801
- Cause of Death:
- Malaria and Tropical Ulcers
- Place of Death:
- Tarsau
- Date of Death:
- 4.09.1943
- Buried:
- Cemetery No. 2, Grave No. 180, Tarsau.
General Description
John known to some in the Battalion as Jack, was the eldest of three children born to Robert and Ellen May Livingstone. We are unsure when the Livingstone family arrived in WA. Robert Livingstone was born in Scotland and Ellen was from Ireland.
The family were living in Waroona in the 1930’s where the youngest child born in 1926, Bobbie died.
John’s sister Mary Livingstone married about 1940. Mary and Joe had 7 children Jeanette (dec), John (Dec), Margaret, Robert, twins 1941.
We are not able to find much more information about the family until the Livingstone’s divorced and Ellen remarried about 1944 to John Bucci.
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John enlisted 24 November 1941. During Dec he was one of 146 reinforcements for 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion who was entrained from Northam to Fremantle 15 Jan 1942 to board ‘Aquitania’ and sail to Singapore. He was assigned to ‘E’ Company No. 1 Platoon under CO Lt Harry Green.
He had previously joined the 10th Light Horse Regiment at Mt. Helena.
He was one of the lucky to survive the Japanese ambush at South West Bukit Timah on 11 February 1942.
Please read further about ‘E’ Company.
He was selected at a POW at Singapore to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion. This Battalion included a very large number of 2/4th men which departed Singapore railway station on 14 March 1942. It was a four day train journey to Thailand in very cramped conditions.
Their first work camp was Tarsau where they were required to clear land for rail line. This work was not so demanding. Their next camp was Konyu 2 where the men immediately knew life would be a living hell. They used hammer and tap to clear the rock for the rail with little or no clothing and most without shoes. Their sleeping accommodation was terrible, food minimal and men subjected to beatings for no reason. Men fell ill with tropical diseases previously unknown. Without medical supplies, the deaths increased. Typhoid arrived.
From Konyu II the POWs were moved to several camps – Kinsaiyok, Hintok or elsewhere in the ‘D’ Force section of railway.
Please read about ‘D’ Force S Battalion
John would have been evacuated sick to Tarsau Hospital Camp from Hintok. He died of malaria and tropical ulcers on 4 September 1943 aged 21 years.
Plaque at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Plot 1, Row J, Grave 68
Camp Locations:
- River Valley Road Camp - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp) - Singapore
- Hintok River Camp, 158k - Thailand
- Tarsau, Tha Sao 125k - Thailand
- Kanu 111, Kannyu, 152.50km - Thailand
