Wickepin Shire World War Memorial 1939 – 1995
The Wickepin Honour Board includes the names of all the men from the district who served with the armed forces from 1939-1995, those who returned from serving overseas as well as those who did not return.
There are three men who served with 2/4th MGB and all returned to Australia.
WX9334 DARE, John Francis born Boulder 1913 enlisted 30 October 1940 joining ‘B’ Company. His parents farmed at Harissmith where he spent his youth. In 1943 he was selected to work on the Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion and sailed from Singapore to Victoria Point, working on repairing and extending the airfield before moving to their first camp which was Kendau 4.8km.
John Dare was recovered 
from Thailand at the end of the war and returned to Australia. He died at Seacliff,d South Australia, where he had lived with his wife and children on 29 March 1970 aged 57 years.
WX9563 RANDALL, John was born in King William Town, South Africa in 1905. John sailed to Java and was taken POW by Japanese a short time after Singapore Fell. He was later selected to work on the Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, Java Party, Williams Force.
John Randall sailed to Singapore with with Java Party 4 to work on the Burma-Thailand Railway. Randall became ill in Singapore and did not proceed with his original party. He then became part of ‘Both’ Party and became a POW in Saigon,French Indo-China from where he was recovered at the end of the war.
WX7715 SPACKMAN Clifford Joseph was born Pingelly 1917 and lived much of his formative years at Wickepin.
Whilst a POW in Singapore Cliff Spackman was selected to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion. This Battalion departed by train from Singapore 17 March 1943 for Thailand. V Battalion was to suffer one of the highest death rates of all Australian work parties on the railway.
Cliff was one of three local men instrumental in re-discovering the Jewel Caves at Busselton. They first gained notice in the early 1900’s but had never been explored.
