The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Moir
- First Name:
- George
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX9339
- Classification:
- Driver
- Company:
- ‘C’ Company, No. 11 Platoon
- Enlisted:
- 30.10.1940
- Discharged:
- 18.01.1946
- DOB:
- 15.01.1917
- Place of Birth:
- Albany, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- George Clement Moir
- Mothers's Name:
- Evangelene Moir
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Farmhand
- Singapore:
- Selarang Barracks, Changi; Thomson Road (Caldecott Hill Estate); River Valley Road Camp; Selarang Barracks Changi (Garden Control Party)
- Force:
- ‘ D ’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Tarsau, Kanu II , Hintok Road Camp, Tarsau
- Camps Japan:
- Yamane, Niihama
- POW#:
- 8823 and 1687
- Japan:
- Rashin Maru Party
- Return Details 1945:
- Wakayama‐Okinawa, USS Sanctuary; Okinawa-Manila, USS Bingham; Manila-Morotai-Darwin, PBY Catalina aircraft A24-355; Darwin-Perth, B24 Liberator aircraft A72-379.
General Description
George enlisted from Borden.
L-R: cousin Andrew Moir, uncle Collier Moir and brother Lloyd Moir. (Andrew Moir was KIA Singapore Feb 1942)
On 30 October 1940 George Moir, older brother LLoyd Owen Moir WX9338 and cousin Andrew Donald Moir WX 9347 enlisted. George and Lloyd returned home to Australia; tragically Andrew was KIA 8th February 1942.
Collier Moir, Andrew’s father John Moir (Jack) and Lloyd’s mother Evangelene (Eva) Moir are siblings ie. brothers and sister.
MOIR BROTHERS- George and Lloyd Owen
George was 6th child and 4th son and Lloyd the 5th child and 3rd son to Clem & Eva Moir. Lloyd and George grew up on their parents’ farms ‘Teana’ and later ‘Glenelg’. They attended school at Salt River. The boys worked on the family farm as well as other properties around Borden area.
They enlisted same day joining the 2/4th both as Drivers with ‘C’ Company. Lloyd and George managed to remain together much of the first few years as POWs, both selected for ‘D’ Force Thailand and S Battalion, however were separated from time to time. George was selected for Japan boarding Rashin Maru which departed Singapore 4 July 1944. He was working Yamane copper mine, Niihama when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. Lloyd was returned to Singapore from Pratchai Camp, Thailand at the end of war.
After the war Lloyd and George returned to farming together for two years at ‘Millenup’ Porongerups.
George then took up a new farm block ‘Mutyal’ at Borden for a time, then sold out moving to Perth to live and employed with local Shire Council.
Lloyd pursued a farm machinery business at Amelup during which time he built a steel boat. This he used to for fishing up and down south west coast. He ran a school bus to Salt River. He retired to Albany.
George passed away December 1994.
Please read about the men from Gnowangerup area.
George was selected to work on Burma-Thai railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand S Battalion which departed Singapore Railway Station Mar 1943 for Non Pladuk, Thailand – at that time the end of the rail link from Bangkok.
Please read further about ‘D’ Force S Battalion
The following are the Camps George was located/worked:
Changi – Selarang 15 Feb to 5e May 1942
Thompson Road (Caldecote Estate) 5 May to Sept 1942
River Valley Road . Sep 1942 to 24 Dec 1942
Changi – Garden Party 24 Dec 1949 to 14 Mar 1943
Selected with ‘D’ Force S Btn
Following arrival at Non Pladuk POWs were trucked to Kanchanaburi then to Tarsau where they worked clearing for Rail about l6 weeks before heading to Hellfire Pass –
Kanu II 25 Apr to 22 Jun 1943
Hintok – detached to ‘O’ and ‘P’ Battalions
Tarsao HQ for ‘D’ Forces & Hospital
In total George was in Thailand from 14 Mar 1943 to 22 June 1944
Selected for Japan ‘Rashin’ Maru Party
Yamane (worked in Mine) 22 June 1944 to 18 May 1945
Niihama (Building factory, No. 4 Party Wharf) 18 May to 12 Sept 1945 – where he was liberated from.
George was back in Perth at 110 PMH (Hollywood Hospital) 11 Oct 1945.
__________
GRANDFATHER to George & Loyd died 1935.
Moir family history
Camp Locations:
- River Valley Road Camp - Singapore
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp) - Singapore
- Hintok, 154k - Thailand
- Kanu II, 152.30k - Thailand
- Tarsau, Tha Sao 125k - Thailand
- Nihama, Hiroshima #2-B- Japan
- Yamane, Hiroshima #3-D - Japan