Thailand-Singapore by aircraft, Singapore-Labuan-Morotai‐Sydney by aircraft, Sydney-Melborne‐Perth by troop train.
General Description
Tony Saw, 10th LH – note MG Badge on cuff
Frank Kirwin, Jim Elliott, Harold (Tony) Saw, Les Raynor
Standing: Left-right C. Vidler, B.Fitzgerald, H.E. Saw, N.H.E. Thompson, L.M.C. Murray, L. Armstrong.
Front Row: Left-right D.F. Sterrett, John Gilmour.
At Window: C.J. McDonald. 1941 Woodside SA.
Photograph taken by John Lane, donated AWM.
Saw joined 2/4th ‘A’ Company October 1940, he had previously been with 10th Light Horse.
Tony was selected with ‘D’ Force S Battalion to work on the Burma-Thai Railway. They departed by rail from Singapore about 5 May 1943 for what would be a horrific 4-5 day trip squeezed into small trucks too hot during the day and freezing cold at night and travelled to Bampong, Thailand.
Their first work camp was Tarsau which became Japanese HQ for ‘D’ Force, as well as their base hospital. The men were then moved to Hellfire pass region.
He was at Konyu 1, Hintok Road Camp, then to Tamuang where many of this Force were selected to work in Japan. Tony was fortunate (or not!) – he was sent to Nickhe for bridge repairs before arriving at Nakom Nayok where he remained until the end of the war. He was transported to Bangkok and flown to Singapore.
He arrived Perth 6 Oct 1945 and sent to110th Australian Base Hospital Perth (Hollywood Repatriation Hospital in later years). Given some leave, he entered the hospital again on 8 Nov 1945, and a week later he was released to 109th Australian Convalescent Depot at Point Walter. On 5 Dec 1945 he was discharged.
Harold Edward Saw is descended from pioneering families Saw, Green, Watts and White who in earlier times resided around the Armadale region.
Tony’s parents Harold James Saw born 1885 Armadale married 1911 at Canning to Annie Green born 1890 who died in Perth 1962. The couple had several young children who did not survive their infant years – and at least 3 sons who lived until old age. Tony had brothers Arthur John and George William.
Tony saw married Alma Maude Cox (nee Johnson) about 1941. After the end of war, they divorced in November 1946.
Tony then married in 1947 to Jean Mary McCormack. Jean was born Capel about 1915 and died in 2008.
For many years Tony Saw was employed as a labourer, he with Jean lived at Fifth Road, Armadale at least from 1954 through to 1970s.
Tony’s father, Harold Thomas accidentally drowns somewhere off Rockingham near Garden Island in 1952.
Above Tony’s Grandfather’s obituary 1938. (Out of interest – James Butcher is my Great Grandfather. Cheryl Mellor, Historian)
Above: Tony Saw and Ron Cornish were close mates and together in 5 Platoon.
Tony passed away aged 83yrs, December 3 2002, at Shoalwater Bay, WA.
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