The Soldier's Details

Jim enlisted AIF 18 Oct 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘A’ Coy 5 Platoon under CO Lt Walton as a scout.  Jim had previously been a member of Cameron Highlanders.

He jumped ship at Fremantle when the ‘Aquitania’ anchored in Gage Roads for one night to collect stores and reinforcements. There was no leave given to anybody, but 100s of 2/4th men defied orders.  They wanted to see their families before they went to the front line.  You can read about the men who were left behind in Fremantle.

Jim left Singapore by train to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Coy Thailand, S Battalion – they would be working on the Hellfire Pass Cutting and their first camp on the line was Konyu 2.  His brother John left with ‘J’ Force for Japan.  The brothers would not learn of each other’s survival until the end of the war.

He was a very lucky man as he fell ill with cholera.  In the earlier days, there were few survivors.  Jim Survived to go on working and was at Kachu Mountain Camp when the war ended.

Jim Gilmour on Left.  Trip from Adelaide to Darwin 1940.

 

 

 

 

 

The above was included in Daily News 12 Sep 1945 – the story included news and messages from many former POWs for families who had never received news of their loved ones.

 

 

Seated:  Beryl Beattie and Jim Gilmour

 

Rear L – R Syd Harper (Perth), Tom Hampton, Reg Miller, Les Kemp, Norm Ablett, Wally Lynn, Jack Kyrios, Ted Elliott.
Front L – R, Jim Gilmour, John Gilmour, Ken Tucker,  Ron Badock, Jim Elliot.

Listen to an oral history interview of Jim recorded in Singapore April 2000.

Listen to an oral history interview of Jim, Owen Morris and Jim Copeland recorded in Singapore February 2001.

 

 

Jim’s brother John writes to  ‘J’ Force’s newsletter ‘Benjo Kobe House’ June 2003 – advising of his brother Jim’s death.  As young men the two brothers were extremely close.  John risked all to take food to Jim in Singapore when he was sick.

 

 

Jim passed away aged 81yrs, February 25 2003, at Myaree, WA.