The Soldier's Details

Joe enlisted AIF July 1940 trained as a Driver and later joined ‘C’ Coy HQ under CO Capt. Cameron.

On 29 May 1942 there was trouble at Adam Park when POWs who were working on the Japanese “Fallen Warriors”
Shrine at Bukit Batok  – 60 POWs were found outside the compound by a Japanese guard.   With Joe Merredith and Lawrence Nybo, Joe had been out searching for 2/4th bodies at Hill 200.  They had successfuly located the unburied bodies of Len Heliwell,  Allan Brown, Keith ‘Bully’ Hayes, Frankk Curnow, Doug Royce and Ossi  McEwin.  They had all participated in the bayonet charge at Hill 200 on 12 Feb 1942.Please read further.\

All previous requests to the Japanese by 2/4th to locate their fallen fell on deaf ears. The Australians were devestated – the Japanese had gone to so much trouble to locate and bury their dead, working between the bodies of Australians.  They made no effort to bury any dead other than the Japanese.

Joe was sent to work on Burma-Thai Railway in Thailand with ‘D’ Force V Battalion under CO Alf Cough.  V Battalion endured tough conditions and had a very high and tragic death toll.

Joe was recorded at Hindaine, Chungkai Hospital Camp and Non Pladuk.  Please read further about this work force.

While at Non Pladuk Joe with many other men who had worked with V Battalion were told they were to be working in Japan.This work Party became known as ‘Aramis’ Party.  They returned to Singapore to board their ship.  They were sent to  Fuokuoka sub-Camp No. 17, Omuta then to Fukuja sub-Camp No. 1, and finally Moji Camp No. 4 from where he was recovered.

On 5 Nov 44 Joe and Bill Dwyer were sent to Fukuoka sub-Camp No. 1.  Joe remained here until 5 May when he was moved to Moji Camp No. 4 where he worked on the wharves until the end of the war.  Tragically Bill Dwyer succumbed to acute colitis on 5th May,  The Japanese cremated his body. Apparently other Australian POWs took his ashes with them and they ended up a Labuan War Cemetery.

All Australian POWs in Japan were shipped to Manila at the end of war where they were welcomed into the Australian recovery camp.  From Manila he sailed on HMS Formidable.

Read about Joe’s experience with ‘Aramis’ Party to Japan.

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Joe was born 1912  Perth to parents Maurice Swartz and Fanny Rosenfeld who married Perth 1910 .   Maruice Swartz was born 1885 Odessa, Ukraine to his parents Wolf Swartz b. 1849 Romania d. Perth 1922 and Ann Zimmerman.

Maurice d. Perth 1954 and  Fanny Swartz (nee Rosenfeld) d. 1965.  Fanny was born 1893 Palestine to parents Joel and Sarah Rosenfeld.  She was one of 9 children.

Joel Rosenfeld was b 1866 Russia and died 1941.

Above:  Joe’s mother Fanny Swartz (nee Rosenfeld)

In 1936 the Swartz family were living Guildford, where Maurice ran a grocery store.

Joe m. Rose Saker in 1940.