The Soldier's Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believed to be WX9112 Corporal Benjamin Charles Jones (front left) who died whilst a prisoner of war on 5 November 1943; WX8445 Reginald Charles Carter (front centre) who died whilst a prisoner of war on 18 February 1945; WX8448 George Taylor, who escaped Singapore prior to 1 Feb, escaped to Sumatra – returned to Australia 1942. The person standing, dressed in civilian clothes cannot be identified, suggested might as Private J H Johnson.

Image may have been taken in Perth WA (rather than Singapore), but certainly printed there because of the emboss on the front right corner.

 

George had been a Clerk at the Bunbury Courthouse when he enlisted AIF 18 Oct 1940.  He joined 2/4 MGB and joined 12 Platoon under CO Mick Wedge.

George Taylor was MIA believe KIA at Sungei Jurong 10 Feb 42.  He escaped to Sumatra and was picked up by HMAS Hobart at Padang on the west coast of Sumatra, taken to Colombo 9 March 42 to 2/12th AGH.  Departed Colombo ‘Stirling Castle’  arrived Melbourne 26 March 42.  Sailed to Fremantle on Egra disembarking 13 April 42.

1 July 42 marched out with 2/3rd MGB.  He served Bougainville with 58th Australian Corps Field Park Company.

His brother Stan Taylor discharged Torokina 23 July 1945 ex Duntroon.

The following is an extract from ‘My War Diary, HMAS Hobart, 27^th of February 1942 – 20 March 1942′ written by Thomas P Fisher and explains the lucky extraction of George from Sumatra

“The reason that we were not with Perth and Houston was and I quote from my diary;

On 25 February 1942 we secured alongside the oil tanker War Sirdar to fuel HMAS Yarra was just casting off from the other side of the tanker.

At 10:25 we were attacked by 11 Jap bombers. Bombs dropped all around us making the Hobart jump around and bounce.

We were attacked twice and 44 bombs landed all around us. One bomb went through the stern of the tanker and exploded underneath it.

The Hobart was heeled over by the force of the bombs bursting down our starboard side. At 1100 we cast off in a hurry and put it to sea at high-speed. We could not complete fuelling due to the air raids and damage to the tanker.

As we did not have enough fuel, the Perth left without us and went down to the battle of the Java Sea. Our time in this war zone was running out and I was not aware of it then.  At midnight on 27 February we put to sea from Tanjong Priok, Java. A huge fleet of Japanese ships were reported due to land of Java in the morning. In company with the HMS Dragon and HMS Danae, we put to sea to try and meet the enemy and destroy as many as possible. We made a sweep towards the north but did not make contact.

Orders were received from Commodore Collins that if we did not meet the enemy we were to leave the area by way of Sunda Straits which we did at dawn on 28 March and proceeded to Padang on the west coast of Sumatra.

Once again we were lucky because the Perth and USS Huston, an American cruiser, attempted to go through Sunda Straits 18 hours later and were both sunk. Their crews that survived were taken prisoners by the Japanese. They had run into the enemy fleet that we had been sent to try and intercept. The Exeter was sunk the day before. Of our cruiser force of seven ships only the Trump and ourselves survived. The Dragon and Danae were not attached. The Java and the De Ruyter were sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea.

At 7:30 pm on 1 March we arrived at Padang, and our ship evacuated 550 men, women and children. The men were mostly soldiers who had escaped from Singapore. At 9 pm, we put to sea with one destroyer doing 28 knots. On 3 March we took 106 evacuees from the Dragon. The transfer was carried out at sea. Among them were Indian troops. Also on board was a soldier from the 2^nd 4^th Machine Gun Battalion, George Taylor from Fremantle.

Next day we fuelled the destroyers at sea and the following day, the 5th, arrived at Colombo where we disembarked the troops and evacuees…Columbo harbour was packed with destroyers and other shipping.”

‘Off to sea again on 6th March at 4.30pm escorting a convoy of four troopships, two tankers, 2 merchant ships with two destroyers.  We steamed due west and at midnight turned due south.  This manoeuvre was to try and deceive any spies that may have been reporting our movements from Ceylon.

Fremantle was our next port of call.  We took 14 days for the trip as we steamed due south on a  Fremantle bearing latitude an easterly turn was made.  Two days out of Fremantle we were met by USS Phoenix, an American cruiser and two American destroyers.  The Phoenix was years later the Argentine cruiser that was sunk by two British submarines during Falklands War.

We secured alongside in Fremantle at 11am on 20th March 42.  Tired, weary and my weight was down to 8 stone 4 pounds or 52 kilos.  Never was I so glad to be home.’

 

WX17293 Arthur Rowland a reinforcement  enlisted 16 Oct 1941 joined ‘E’ Coy SRB also escaped Singapore to Sumatra.   He received a GSW right thigh on 11 February.  We dont have  any details how he arrived Ceylon but was admitted 9 March 1942 (same day as Taylor) to 2/12th AGH at Ceylon, Colombo.  Rowland embarked on Stirling Castle on 13 March and sailed to Melbourne as did George Taylor.

George Taylor migrated to Fremantle with his parents Robert Taylor and Isobel Taylor onboard  ‘Bendigo’ arriving 20 Dec 1926.  George had one sister Mary also on board and later brother Stan was born.

The Taylors had married 1919 at Fife, Scotland.

George’s father Robert died 1974 in Perth.  His mother Isobel died Fremantle 1952.

George married 1947 to Ada Jane Sands who had was  previously married 1942 to George K. Bayley.