The Soldier's Details

Morris who was working as a butcher, enlisted AIF 13 July 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘B’ Company 8 Platoon under CO Lt MacKinnon.

Romeo left Singapore to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force S Battalion.

Please read further about D Force S Battalion

Heppingstone was 12 months at hospital Tarsau with ‘Romeo’ Morris and Dave Whiteman.

He was recovered from Nakom Nayok Camp, Thailand at the end of the war. He was sent to Bangkok and flew to Singapore.  He sailed to Fremantle on HMT Tamaroa

 

Ray Wilson & Romeo

 

Trevor James, Jim Burns, Alf Worth, John Lane, Des Colevas, Bob Whitield, Joe Pearce (rear), Tom Pilmoor (front), Owen Morris, Jim Elliott, Ron Badock, Gordon Lynam

Back Row L-R: Jim Burns, John Lane, Jim Elliott, Cowboy Matthews, Frank Evans, Alf Worth, Trevor James, Wally Lynn, Les Cody, Owen Morris
Front Row L-R: Greg Burdon, Ron Badock, Des Coleves, Jim Gilmour, Joe Pearce.Back Row L-R: Jim Burns, John Lane, Jim Elliott, Cowboy Matthews, Frank Evans, Alf Worth, Trevor James, Wally Lynn, Les Cody, Owen Morris

 

 

Romeo passed away on his 87th birthday, March 31 2006, at Doubleview, WA.

 

 

Above:  Romeo with Johnny Gilmour seated in the rear of an Army Transport Truck Anzac Day about 2004.

Listen to an oral history interview of Owen, Jim Copeland and Jim Gilmour recorded in Singapore February 2001.

 

It seems Owen enlisted from Manjimup.

 

Owen’s parents Thomas Morris and Annie Hubery married 1892 England.  Owen was the second youngest of a very large family of about 14 children.  Many were born in England.

Thomas Morris died at Majimup in 1935 aged 64 years and Annie Morris died 1973 also at Manjimup. They are buried at Manjimup as are Hilda and Owen Morris – no other sons are buried at Manjimup.

Five sons enlisted at Manjimup WW2:  Owen, Frederick (b. England 1912), Norman Ernest,  John and Leslie – the others were born Bridgetown. That would have been a lot of worrying  and sleepless nights for the boys’ parents.

Owen married Beryl Rowe and they had four children.  He then married Hilda Janet in England in 1980.  Hilda died in 1993 – they had been married 13 years.

 

 

 

 

 

Below:  Owen’s father became ill with Typhoid in 1928

Below:  1935 Thomas Morris died.

 

Below:  Owen was a chess champion 1934!

Below:  Owen has enlisted.