The Soldier's Details

Gordon was selected to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force S Battalion.  This Battalion included a very large number of men from the 2/4th.  They departed by train from Singapore on 14 March 1943 for Bampong, Thailand where they were accommodated nearby at Komna Transit Camp before being transported by trucks to Kanchanaburi.

Following short stopover S Battalion was marched out to Tarsau Camp which was the HQ for their Battalion.  They remained working here several weeks prepared the way for the railway link and were moved to Kanyu II on 25 April 1943.

This was the beginning of their hellish time on the railway – having to work through Hellfire Pass rock face.  It was monsoon time, ‘Speedo’ and the men worked slave like conditions and hours enduring tropical illnesses they had never heard of and for which they had no medicines to treat.  They enduring beatings, starvation, dysentery, malaria, beri beri etc, which was followed by the dreaded cholera.

We cannot be entirely certain about his movements from Kanyu II, he may have moved to other S Battalion Camps such as Kinsaiyok, Hintok, etc.  He was next recorded being at Nakom Chassi Camp where he was included in a group of 100 men who arrived here as a working party in July 1945.  (go to Nakom Chassi Camp to read further).

When the war ended Gordon was evacuated to Chumphon, Thailand then to Phetburi and finally Bangkok.

George Foot married Lydia Ann Kent in March 1896 in Geelong, Victoria.  The Foot family finally settled at Sawyers Valley where they were orchardists.   George died in April 1929 and Lydia died in 1957 in Sawyers Valley.

We believe Gordon was the youngest of their seven children.

Unfortunately we know little else of Gordon’s life after the war.

Should any of his family or Foot descendants read this and you can provide information, please contact us on info@2nd4thmgb.com.au

Gordon Foot passed away aged 82yrs, November 5 2002, at Homebush, Sydney, NSW.