The Soldier's Details

 

 

Len was selected to work on the Burma end of Burma-Thai Railway with the first work force to leave Singapore -‘A’ Force Burma.  3,000 POWs boarded small ships in Singapore to sail to south west Burma – Len was with Green Force No. 3 Battalion, about 1,000 POWs which stepped ashore at Victoria Point where a small number were left to work at the wharves and the bulk of the men moved off to work repairing, enlarging and creating new roads at the local aerodrome.  They would remain here several months before heading to the northern end of the Railway.

Please read about ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion

Victoria Point 25/2/1942 to 15/8/1942 Road Repairs

Ye 20/8/1942 to Oct 1942

Thanbyuzat 27/10/1942- Ex 30k Reptu

18 k July 1943 to 14/8/1943

Reptu 30 k 15/8/1943  to 28/10/1943

105 k 29/10/1943 to 31/12/1943

Tamarkan 3-1-1944 to 25/3/1944 Camp Work

Saigon 8/4/1944 to 26/6/1944 Wharf/Air raid shelter construction.

Singapore 6/7/44 to 26/12/1944 Wharf/Ammo dump.

‘Awa Maru’ to Japan selected 23/12/1944

Fukuoka No. 17 Omuta 17/1/1945 to 15/8/1945.

Les Holtzman was recovered from Omuta, Japan 13/9/1945.

Please read further about Omuta Camp, Japan.

And Affidavit by 2/4th’s Krasnostein

 

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Les married in 1946 to Betty Faye Millen.

 

 

His parents Norman Guy Holtzman and Olive Musgrove (aka Hilda Olivette Borlas) married 1915 Wellington district, West Australia.  Holtzman and Musgrove were born in Victoria.
The Holtzman family moved to Bunbury before 1900. They had a family of six children and like Norman’s parents continued to reside Bunbury.  The Holtzman family were involved and active members of the Bunbury Community.

Norman Holtzman enlisted WW1 Blackboy Hill, WA July 1915 joining 10th reinforcements, 11th Battalion Service No. 3007 . Then aged 24 years and married, leaving his new wife Hilda living in Bunbury.   Norman Holtzman was a plumber by trade.  Holtzman sailed to Egypt for further training before sailing to Marseille, France.  Appointed Corporal in April 1916 he served in France and was wounded not long after.  He later received a second GSW and was gassed.   Wounded in action 31 July 1918 he was invalided to UK.  He was  returned to Australia January 1919 and discharged May 1919.

Les’ grandmother died October 1945.

 

 

Les Holtzman died in 1979 and Hilda Olive died in 1970.

 

 

Les passed away aged 77, March 7 1997.  He was cremated at Bunbury where he had resided.

Les had been a patient at Gallipoli House, Lemnos, according to Borehole October 1994, 1985.  This was classified as a ‘C’ Class hospital at that time (today, 2018 the site is Shenton College and bursting with youth!)