The Soldier's Details

Soldier was a stowaway on the HMT ‘Aquitania’ at Fremantle on 16.1.1942.  Oswald was transferred to  2/4th Machine Gun Battalion on 16.1.1942, (Routine Order 5/1791 of 28.1.1942) from  2/16th Battalion reinforcements. Soldier was shell shocked and was admitted to the 2/9th Field Ambulance on 15.2.1942. Admitted to 2/13th Australian General Hospital on 16.2.1942. Discharged to unit on 21.2.1942.

Hugh Oswald was selected with ‘D’ Force Thailand V Battalion .  As luck would have it ‘V’ Battalion had the highest death rate of ‘D’ Force, 50% of the men did not return from working on the Burma Thai Railway, Thailand.

Their work and camp conditions were appalling.  The men endured extremely long working days with minimal food, spiteful and brutal guards who terrorised the POWs.

V Battalion departed Singapore on 17th March 1943 for the 4-5 day hellish train journey to Bampong, Thailand.  He was to first work on the Burma Thai Railway at Kinsaiyok Camp, before going to Brankassi, Hindaine  and it is probable he was evacuated with a number of sick on 11th August from Kuii Camp and died of dysentery at Kanchanaburi Base Hospital on 7 November 1943 aged 21 years. He had enlisted 22 July 1941.

 

Oswald recorded his NOK as his married sister Elizabeth Luff, 94 Onslow Road, Shenton Park.  In 1953 his medals were posted to Elizabeth Luff at 244 Gill Street, Mosman Park.  We believe Elizabeth may have died 1 October 1964 aged 47 years at North Innaloo.  We have been unable to identify Elizabeth’s husbands name.

Oswald recorded his pre-enlistment occupation as timber worker.

Below:  Oswald’s Military Records including brief details of his stowing away on ‘Aquitania’.

 

 

Photograph taken January 2018

Other than his married sister Elizabeth Luff, our searches for family of Henry or Hugh Christopher Oswald have found nothing.    Should any person reading this who knows any information, we ask that you please contact us!  Thank you.

2nd4thmgb@gmail.com

 

 

‘Oswald was originally assigned as a reinforcement for 2/16th Battalion but whilst on pre-embarkation leave he became ill and missed his draft.

WX16931 Henry Christopher aka  Hugh Christopher and ‘Horse’ Oswald was the stowaway found on ‘Aquitania’.

He had enlisted 22 July 1941 at Claremont.

Fearful he would miss some action, the determined 19 year old Oswald got himself onboard the ‘Aquitania’ which sailed from Gauge Roads off Fremantle on the afternoon of 16th January 1942.

This would not have been too challenging to undertake – Aquitania was anchored for one night only.  The 2/4th on board via Darwin, had been ordered they ‘were not to take leave’ i.e. No Leave Granted,  which distressed and angered the boys as they had been away from home and WA for about 6 months training in SA and NT.  They wanted to see their families and loved ones before they went to war – not informed of their destination until they were underway from Fremantle to Singapore  of course they were aware of the odds – they may not survive.  This was their last chance for goodbye for some see newborn babies .

100 and 100s of 2/4th boys got themselves off ‘Aquitania’ while supplies and reinforcements from Northam were being loaded onto the ship from pontoons, etc.  There was madness with pontoons rocking pecariously.   (Most 2/4th managed to reboard before the ship sailed at midday the next day – but about 100 well-trained gunners were unable to do so, many of them locked up by local Military Police who would not release them).

The other nearly 2,000 soldiers on ‘Aquitania’ were reinforcements  to top up the depleted 8th Division Battalions who had suffered heavy losses fighting  in Malaysia.  The men were mostly new enlistments.

He was officially transferred to 2/4th on the same day from 2/16th Battalion reinforcements.  He joined ‘E’ Company and was fortunate to survive the Japanese surprise attack at south west Bukit Timah on 12 Feb 1942.

After the fighting in Singapore Oswald was shell shocked and was admitted to the 2/9th Field Ambulance on 15.2.1942. Admitted to 2/13th Australian General Hospital on 16.2.1942. Discharged to unit on 21.2.1942.

From Singapore, ‘Horse’ or ‘Harry’ as he was known, was selected  to work on Burma-Thai railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand V Battalion.  As luck would have it ‘V’ Battalion had the highest death rate of ‘D’ Force, 50% of the men did not return from working in Thailand on the railway.

Henry Christopher Oswald was evacuated sick from Kuii Camp, Burma -Thai Railway and died of dysentery at Kanchanaburi Base Hospital on 7 November 1943 aged 21 years.

Oswald recorded his NOK as his married sister Elizabeth Luff, 94 Onslow Road, Shenton Park.  In 1953 his medals were posted to Elizabeth Luff at 24 Gill Street, Mosman Park.  We believe Elizabeth may have died 1 October 1964 aged 47 years at North Innaloo.  We have been unable to identify Elizabeth’s husband’s name, nor the names of his parents.’