The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Tomkins
- First Name:
- Thomas Horace
- Nick Name:
- Tommny
- Rank:
- Lieutenant
- Regimental #:
- WX7996
- Company:
- ‘D’ Company
- Enlisted:
- 13.08.1940
- Discharged:
- 25.11.1946
- DOB:
- 28.08.1912
- Place of Birth:
- Midland Junction, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- Thomas Claud Tomkins
- Mothers's Name:
- Lucy Mary Tomkins
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Railway Employee
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp Changi
- Force:
- ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force, No. 3 Battalion.
- Camps Thailand:
- Tamarkan, Kanchanaburi, Bangkok
- POW#:
- 2640
- Return Details 1945:
- Thailand‐Singapore by aircraft, Singapore‐Fremantle, HMT Tamaroa.
General Description
Height 5′ 10″
Appointment Terminated 25/11/1946.
Older brother to Percy Reeve Tompkins WX8139 and born to parents Thomas Claude and Lucy Mary Tompkins then living at Swan View. The family then moved to live in Bunbury before returning to Swan View.
Both Percy and Tommy enlisted 13 Aug 1940. Percy joined ‘C’ Company and Tommy joined ‘D’ Company. Following capitulation at Singapore, Tommy left with 3,000 POWs who made up ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion who sailed in 3 small ships departing May 1942 to SW Burma to three locations to repair and enlarge air fields at Victoria Point, Tavoy and Ye before moving to work on the railway link in Burma. Green Force arrived and began working on the rail 1st Oct 1942 at Kendau Camp – Green Force would remain working on the Burma-Thai Railway until end of 1943.
Tommy was recovered at the end of war from Thailand – he was fortunate – many from Green Force were selected to work in Japan with ‘Rakuyo’ Maru Party – which was sunk in South China Sea 12 Sept 1944 with horrific loss of lives.
Camp Locations:
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Kanchanaburi, 50k - Thailand
- Tamarkan, Tha Makham 56k - Thailand
