The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Waghorn
First Name:
Henry William
Nick Name:
Bluey
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX5021
Company:
‘A’ Company, No. 4 Platoon
Enlisted:
23.07.1940
Discharged:
7.02.1946
DOB:
1.05.1920
Place of Birth:
Claremont, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Alfred Edward Waghorn
Mothers's Name:
Agnes Elizabeth Waghorn (nee Brown)
Religion:
Presbyterian
Pre-war Occupation:
Gardener
Singapore:
Selarang Camp and Barracks Changi
Force:
‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
Camps Thailand:
Kanu II, Tarsau, Tardan, Chungkai, Nacompaton, Bangkok
POW#:
1/9584 & 8852
Return Details 1945:
Thailand-Singapore by aircraft, Singapore-Sydney by aircraft, Sydney-Fremantle, HMT Dominion Monarch.

General Description

Height 5′ 10″
Waghorn enlisted AIF Jul 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘A’ Company No. 4 Platoon
Following the Allied Surrender at Singapore Waghorn remained POW at Selarang Camp and Barracks until he was selected to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force S Battalion which departed Singapore Railway Station March 1943 for Thailand on a 4-5 day journey crowded into small cattle trucks.
S Battalion included a very large number of 2/4th Machine Gunners who were first sent to Tarsau where they worked for several weeks clearing land in preparation for the rail link.  These few weeks gave no indication of what lay ahead of them.  They arrived Kanyu II in the Hellfire Pass 25 April 1943 where they soon found life was hellish.
We cannot be sure as there are no records – but it appears Waghorn was next at Tarsau which indicates he may have been evacuated there as by this time Tarsau was also the Hospital Camp for ‘D’ Force as well as Japanese HQ.
From Tasau he was at Tardun, before moving to Chungkai – possibly ill as Chungkai was a hospital Camp, before moving to Nacompaton Hospital Camp.
Please read further about ‘D’ Force Thailand S Battalion
He was recovered from Thailand at the end of war, flown to Singapore and sailed home on HMT Dominion Monarch.
__________
Following the marriage in 1898 Brunswick, Victoria  of Alfred and Agnes Waghorn they remained residing in Victoria during which time their eldest daughters were born.
By 1904 the family had moved to Claremont where their third daughter was born.
Henry’s father John Thomas Waghorn was residing in WA.  He died in 1915 at Palmyra.  His wife, Henry’s Grandmother Caroline died at Claremont in 1935.

Below:  Waghorn’s baby girl died in 1907.

 

 

Henry was born 1920 at Claremont to parents Alfred Edward and Agnes Elizabeth (nee Brown)   The Waghorn family was quite large – four surviving girls  and five sons – John (Jack) Alfred, Henry, Charlie and Edgar -all of whom enlisted in the services for WW2.
During May 1945, the Waghorn family learn the terrible news their son Charlie was KIA at Tarakan.

 

 

Henry married Lorna Nankervis about 1941.  She is the daughter of Stirling William Nankervis.  Lorna’s mother Sarah Jennings died at Kalgoorlie and Nankervis  remarried in 1922 to Violet Looby.

 

There is tragedy for Lorna and Henry when their first baby daughter Beverly Joy died Oct 1947.

Sadly it seems the Waghorn marriage was not to be.  Read below:

 

Unfortunately we find no further record of Lorna Waghorn (nee Nankervis) other than her death 22 Nov 1999 and she did remarry to Kenneth Gordon Otley.
During the years 1954, 1958 and 1963 (Electoral Rolls) Henry (known to his family as ‘Ginger’) is residing and working as a bricklayer in Cunderdin.
Henry William Waghorn died 14 Oct 1966 at Cunderdin aged 46 years.  A very young man.  He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. (Lorna Waghorn d. 22 Nov 1999 at Midland aged 78 years).
His mother Agnes Waghorn died 1955 at Claremont and her husband Alfred Edward died in 1963.

Camp Locations:

  • Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Chungkai, 60k - Thailand
  • Nacompaton, Nakom Pathom Hospital - Thailand
  • Tarsau, Tha Sao 125k - Thailand
  • Tardan - Thailand
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