The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Wallin
First Name:
Edward William
Nick Name:
Ted
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX17962
Company:
‘E’ Company, Special Reserve Battalion, 3 Platoon
Enlisted:
10.12.1941
Discharged:
10.01.1946
DOB:
28.07.1920
Place of Birth:
Fremantle, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Edward William Wallin
Mothers's Name:
Maude Orontes Wallin
Religion:
Church of England
Pre-war Occupation:
Printer
Singapore:
Selarang Camp Changi, Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp), Selarang Barracks Changi. Selarang Barracks Changi, Changi Gaol Camp. Following return from Thailand - Selerang Barracks Changi, Changi Gaol Camp.
Force:
‘F’ Force Thailand
Camps Thailand:
Shimo Sonkurai, Shimo Nikhe
Return Details 1945:
Singapore‐Darwin‐Melbourne, 1st Netherlands Military Hospital Ship Oranje, Melbourne‐Perth bv troop train.

General Description

Ted was an active member of 2/4th Machine Gun Ex-Members Assoc. and for many years was Borehole Editor.  We wish to acknowledge Ted and his daughter and her husband for their contribution over the years.  Folding and posting the Borehole out.  Our sincere thanks.

Please read our Honour Board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ted Wallin enlisted with AIF 10 December 1941.  He was assigned to 2/4th reinforcements ‘E’ Coy boarding ‘Aquitania’ 15th January 1942, sailing to Singapore.  He would have had just a few weeks training.  He was with 3 Platoon under CO Lt. Mazza.
Below:  Ted celebrates his 21st birthday July 1941 prior to enlisting.

 

From ‘Ghosts in Khaki’ by Les Cody of 2/4th (P129)

At 0300hrs 9 February 1942 – 2/4th battalion was put on stand-by-preparing equipment etc. ready to move  (the Japanese Army began their attack in the early dawn of 8 February!)
Ted Wallin 2/4th said
“It was a bloody shambles in the dark, still trying to sort out our sections, section officers or N.C.Os., covered in grease from unpacking and cleaning an allocation of Bren gun which had just been issued, filling magazines, trying to scrounge a hot drink, and wishing to Christ I had joined the navy after all.  To think that only three weeks before we had been going about business n Northam Camp not greatly worried about the ‘You’ll be sorry’ sign above the gate.  How wrong we were”.
From 9-12 Feb ‘E’ Coy of the Special Reserve Battalion had been decimated. Of the total Coy strength of 90 men – 43 had been killed or were missing in action since the formation of the SRB.
‘E’ Coy joined 2/4th at Fremantle boarding ‘Aquitania’ 15th January 1942.  Less than a month later they had lost over one third of original draft of 120 men.  Including the wounded, the total battle casualties rose to over 50%.
Half of these men had less than four month’s training.  8 had been in the army less than a 3 months, 6 men less than two months (including Ted).

 

As a POW of Japan, Ted remained in Singapore until he was selected to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘F’ Force Thailand which departed Singapore by rail on 16 April 1943 for Thailand.

Please read the story of ‘F’ Force

Ted was at Shimo Sonkurai and Shimo Nikhe.

‘F’ Force returned to Singapore Dec 1943.

Below:  48 men from 3/5th MGB worked F Force.  Compiled by Harold Cowie.

 

Below:  Wallin’s family receive wonderful news from Darwin he is safe and returning home

The above was taken from the story of Dutch Hospital Ship Oranje arriving Darwin Sep 1945 with 800 POWs.
In later years Ted Wallin worked tirelessly as Borehole Editor.  At the 50th Anniversary Dinner Celebrations, the Committee of 2/4th made a special presentation, as Ted himself wrote ‘for services rendered over the years’.  Ted said it came as a complete surprise to him and wished to thank everybody very much.  The story was included in January 1991 issue of Borehole Bulletin.  
Ted died 2 May 2000 at Nollamara and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery. His wife died 13 Aug 2003.

 

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Ted was the eldest and one of three boys and two girls born to parents Edward William Wallin (known as Bill) and Maude Orontes Killick who married 1919 Fremantle.  The Wallin family had resided Fremantle for several generations.
Ted’s youngest brother Brian Malcolm Wallin Born 1937 died 10 Sept 1943 aged 6 years and 11 months.

His father Bill was born Fremantle 1898, died 1947 and his mother Maude died Fremantle 1971.
Ted’s grandfather was also Edward William Wallen b. 1857 (Yorkshire, England)  – d. 1913 married about 1884 Queensland to Annastasia ‘Annie’ Ryan.
Ted’s father Bill enlisted WW1 at 18 years – reinforcement with 16th Battalion Service No. 6135.  He was returned to Australia 31 Oct 1917 from France with Trench Feet.
Ted married 16 September 1950 to Dorothy Martha Stasinowsky who was b. Loxton, South Australia.  Her family several generations back came from Germany.

 

Below:  Ted’s Grandmother Annastasia Wallin died 1908.

Below:  Ted’s Grandfather died 1913.

 

Below:  Marriage of Ted’s parents Edward William Wallin and Maude Orontes Killick August 1919 Fremantle.

 

Below:  Both Ted and his father ‘Bill’ Wallin are members of ANA.

Please read about ANA and its focus.

 

Below:  Ted’s Gmother, Ada Killick mother of Maude died Sep 1944.

 

 

Below:  Ted’s father ‘Bill’ Wallin died June 1947 aged 48 years.

 

 

Below:  A little information about ANA.

 

Membership in the ANA was restricted to men born in Australia, at a time when Australian-born people of European descent (not including Indigenous Australians) were rising to power in place of an older generation born in Britain. In the 1890s, for the first time, the native born became the majority of the population.
The ANA was one of many friendly societies operating in Australia in the 19th century, most of which were offshoots of British societies. However, the ANA was an exclusively Australian organisation established in Victoria on 24 April 1871 by a group of young, white Australian-born men.

 

The ANA and Manchester Unity agreed to merge to form Australian Unity in 1990. After the merger, social and educative functions continue in the ANA Fraternal organisation.

Camp Locations:

  • Changi Gaol Camp - Singapore
  • Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp) - Singapore
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