The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Keitel
- First Name:
- Clement Charles
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX7541
- Classification:
- Cook
- Company:
- Headquarters Company
- Enlisted:
- 6.08.1940
- Discharged:
- 18.02.1946
- DOB:
- 10.08.1899
- Place of Birth:
- Adelaide, South Australia
- Father's Name:
- Clement Keitel
- Mothers's Name:
- Margaret Keitel (nee Jones)
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Cartage Contractor
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp & Barracks Changi, A.G.H. Roberts Barracks Changi (A.G.H. Staff from 18.1.1944 to 5.5.1944) X3 Party, Changi Gaol Camp.
- POW#:
- 4/6282 and 15475
- Return Details 1945:
- Singapore-Darwin-Sydney, HMT Arawa, Sydney-Melbourne by troop train, Melbourne-Fremantle, HMT Strathmore.
General Description
Keitel enlisted AIF 6 Aug 1940 and later joined 2/4th MGB/s Headquarters Company, No. 3 Platoon as a cook. He changed his birthdate by a year to ensure he was in the correct age bracket.
This soldier remained a POW in Singapore throughout the war as he had a history of bronchitis.
In Singapore he was admitted to AGH 7 Feb 1942 with appendicitis and discharged on 19 Feb 1942.
He was with AGH Staff from 18 Jan 1944 to 5 May 1944.
He worked with X3 Party 1 April 1945. Please read.
Was recovered from Changi 4 Sep 1945.
Keitel married in 1928 to Constance Mabel McCorrey.
In 1925 Clement (Jnr) was living with his parents in Kalgoorlie, he was a rabbit trapper and his father a miner.
In 1934 the two families were residing Nungarin, father and son were rabbit trappers.
In 1937 Constance and Clement Keitel and Clement (Snr) and Margaret Keitel were living at Mt Palmer, Yilgarn. Gold had been discovered and was mined between 1934 – 1944 both father and son were miners.
In 1968 Clem and Constance Keitel were living in South Perth. His occupation was recorded as retired farmer.
Clement Charles Keitel died in 1975 in Western Australia.
His name is recorded on the Nungarin World War 2 Memorial – recognised as one of the four veterans from the district who was with the 2/4th Machine Gun Btn.
Above: Keitel enlisted at Cannington along with other 2/4th men – A.J. ‘Billy’ Bell who was killed attempting to escape Singapore having been trapped behind Japanese forward lines, Percy Westlake and Jim Basell.
Clem died 4 Aug 1975.
Camp Locations:
- Changi Gaol Camp - Singapore
- Roberts Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
