The Soldier's Details

Captain Corry, a Roman Catholic priest, returned to Our Lady of the Rosary Church at Prospect, South Australia.   Father or Padre Corry’s date of death is recorded as 2 September 1965 aged 65 years at Prospect.

He enlisted 5 Aug 1941 aged 34.5 years and assigned to 2/4th MGB. He recorded his NOK as his mother Ellen Mary Corry, Hawthorn, Victoria. Upon his mother’s death, his ;sister Margaret Mary was appointed his NOK.

His parents John Thomas Corry and Ellen Mary Hoare married in 1890 Hawthorn, Victoria.  Corry was the youngest of seven children.  There were four older sisters and two older brothers.  William born in 1901 died aged 3 years in 1903.

John Thomas Corry died in l910 when his youngest son Francis was 12 months old.   Sadly Francis would never have known his father.  His mother died in 1941, the year Father Francis enlisted.

Corry left Singapore with the first work party ‘A’ Force Burma heading to the south west coast where the POWs repaired three airfields before arriving at the the northern end of the Burma-Thai Railway at the end of 1942.

 

At Singapore…

Padre Corry presided over the funeral service for 2/4th’s WX8986 David Holm who had been wounded in action at Pasir Panjang on 14 February 1942 including gunshot wounds to his skull.  He died of a cerebral abscess on 2 March 1942.

WX9197 John Edgar Peers was admitted to 2/10th AGH and died of his wounds on 6 March 1942.  Father Corry conducted his service.

WX7904 Raymond Matthew ‘Blue’ Smith suffered a infected cyst in his eye.  Following an operation on 1 February he was discharged on 13 February 1942.  He was later admitted to AGH on 9 April 1942 but tragically died 10 days later on the 19 April 1942.

Rohan D. Rivett, War Correspondent and POW on Burma-Thailand Railway with ‘A’; Force Burma and author of “Behind Bamboo” published in 1946 Page 212 wrote  “Padre Corry who despite much sickness himself, served unwearyingly”.

 

 

 

Corry was selected to go to the Burma end of the Railway with ‘A’ Force Green Force No. 3 Battalion.  Please read further

He was at Victoria Point, Burma and next at Reptu 30km until 28 October 1943 then moved to Thanbyuzayat when it was being operated as a hospital (without medical facilities and medicines) where he assisted with sick.  He then went to Augganaung 105km Camp.  Here in December 1943 when the railway was completed he joined some of Williams Mobile Force No. 1 travelling into Thailand with Lieutenants Kevin Boyle, Graham Wilson, Ken Lee and Pte John Malthouse, and from Java Party No. 5A Robertson Force, Ted Cosson and Merve Wilkinson .  It is believed they travelled to Neikhe 133km Camp before being moved south to Kanchanaburi and Tamarkan arriving 11 or 12 January 1944.

Padre Corry presided over the funeral for NX10420 Robert Goulden’s funeral on 12 July 1942 at Victoria Point, Burma following his execution by the Japanese who insisted Goulden was trying to escape.

Bert Wall tells us Corry would hold a service for the catholic POWs followed by another service for the non-Catholics.

It seems Padre Corry was at Tamarkan hospital Camp.  He presided over the funeral service for 2/4th David John Davies WX8855 who had died of cerebral malaria on 10 July 1944.  Corry was assisted by Lt-Col Green and Lt-Col Blakeway.

Padre Corry would preside over the deaths of many POWs throughout his incarceration.   We also know Padre Corry himself suffered tropical illnesses and was at times very ill himself.

Unfortunately little more is known of Padre Corry’s movements or how he returned to Australia.  He was recovered at the end of the war from Thailand 20 August 1945.

 

 

 

 

Below:  Father Corry talks of gaining a distorted view of the world during his incarceration and away from society/world.  Only to find when he arrived home, life and everything was the same.