The Soldier's Details

John Dare (known as Jack) was second son of three sons and one daughter born to Francis Robert Dare and Lillian Mary Cain who married 1906 Coolgardie.  The children were Harold, John, Hilda and Arthur.

Francis and Lillian resided around Coolgardie for several years.  In 1910 their 5 month old daughter Florence Edna died.

Below:  Lilian’s father, John Harold Cain died 1925 in the Dutch East Indies where he was then working.

Below:  Obuituary for John Harold Cain 1925.

It is not known when the Dare family moved to farm at Harrismith, one of Francis’s brother was also farming in the area.

In 1929 Lillian died suddenly at Wickepin hospital aged 43 years.  John (Jack) Dare would have been about 16 years old.   This would have been a difficult time for Jack and his family.  Jack was an age where he felt he was an adult, but was really a young and impressionable lad.    His father remarried in 1934 to Honor Waugh when ‘Jack’ would have been 21 years old.

The 1937 and 1943 Electoral Roll has Jack was living at Harrismith/Wickepin and working as a labourer. His father Francis Robert was farming.   Jack’s father Francis Robert died in an accident 23 June 1943, he was 80 years old – Jack was a POW  working on the railway in Burma.

Jack’s parents are buried Harrismith cemetery.

Jack enlisted 30 October 1940 and joined 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion ‘B’ Company 7 Platoon.   Jack recorded his brother Harold as his NOK.   Following the surrender to Japan by Allies, Jack was a POW at Selarang during which time he would have joined work parties to various parts of Singapore as did all the men.

Jack was selected with ‘A’ Force Burma Green Force No. 3 Battalion to work on the Burma end of  Burma-Thai Railway.  He joined a large contingency to sail from Singapore to Burma.

Please read further about ‘A’ Force Burma Green Force No. 3

In September 1943 Jack was evacuated sick to Thanbyuzayat Hospital, Burma from Aungganaung 105km Camp.

When the railway was completed the Japanese began moving the POWs from Burma south into Thailand into one of four large camps with hospital facilities (keeping in mind the so-called hospital camps on the railway had no medicines nor medical facilities or equipment) where he remained until being evacuated south to Thailand to Tamarkan Hospital arriving 16 March 1944.  On 26  April 1944 he went to Bangkok with a work party and was then evacuated to Nacompaton Hospital, Thailand  with an ulcerated stomach.    It is believed he was here when the war ended and he was flown to Singapore.

John married Elva Yvonne Booth  in SA June 1946. The couple had a family of two daughters and two sons.

John Francis Dare died at Seacliffe, South Australia 29 March 1970 aged  57 years and was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, Mitcham, SA.  John Dare’s name is inscribed on Wickepin War Memorial – which unlike most memorials, included names of all those who served in the Forces from the district ie. those who died as well as those who returned to Australia.

Please read the Wickepin story.