The Soldier's Details

Whitfield was wounded in action at Hill 200, Ulu Pandan on 12/2/1942. Admitted to 2/13th Australian General Hospital with shrapnel wound to right forearm. Discharged to unit on 27/2/1942.

Bob enlisted Jan 1941 – joined “D” Coy, became Sergeant of No. 12 Platoon.  During the defence of Singapore with  Commanding Officer Mick Wedge -12 platoon was equipped with 6 Machine Guns in three sections and had task of supplying support fire for 7/8th Punjab Regiment with 44th Indian Brigade which covered to south western section of Island.

You can read further about ‘C’ Coy No. 12 Platoon.

Whilst at Selerang Bob came across an old school friend, Fred Skeels who was a survivor from the sinking of ‘Perth’ and arrived in Singapore from Java where he was initially incarcerated.  In Fred’s book ‘Java Rabble’ Page 72 he wrote:

 

“I met up with an old school friend, Bob Whitfield, a sergeant in the 2/4th.  He and several others were playing two-up at the time and he (Bob) gave me five Singapore dollars with which to have a bet.  Regrettably I lost it.” 

Skeels wrote of Selerang that unless you were out on a work party, it was pretty boring.  Men sat around playing cards.  There weren’t work parties every day, and then you may not be selected.  Food of course was minimal.

Bob was selected with D Force S Battalion to work on the Burma Thai Railway.

Once the Railway was completed Bob was deemed fit by the Japanese to work in Japan.  He was returned to Singapore by train to await a ship – That ship was ‘Rashin’ Maru, known to the men as ‘Byoki’ Maru (the sick ship) which took 70 days to reach Moji.

Please read about the Byoki

Bob was recovered from Japan at the end of the war.

 

 

 

Below:  Mrs Whitfield with her other son Mervyn who was with RAAN bound for Perth, however the good news is the family received word that Bobbie is a POW.

Kalgoorlie Miner Fri 3 Sep 1943

 

Bob and his family ran the Norseman hardware and building products store as well as having a gyprock board plant.

 

 

Below:  This photo shows both machine gunners Bob and Ron Gibbons (WX7607) post war in the Norseman Volunteer Fire Brigade Team.  They also played football in the same Norseman team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below:  The West Australian Sat 17 Feb 1951

 

 

Above: the Norseman Esperance News Thu 26 Jan 1956

 

Above:  The Norseman-Esperance News Thu 2 May 1957

 

 

 

 

Below: Ron Gibbons & Bob fared badly after the weekend’s footy games. 1946

 

 

Bob & Mrs Whitfield with Bill Castles

 

50th Anniversary Dinner – Bob Whitfield

 

Bob Whitfield WX10561 December 2003

An extensive interview of Bob can be seen at the Australia At War Film Archive

 

Trevor James, Jim Burns, Alf Worth, John Lane, Des Colevas, Bob Whitield, Joe Pearce (rear), Tom Pilmoor (front), Owen Morris, Jim Elliott, Ron Badock, Gordon Lynam

Bob passed away aged 89yrs, October 2005, at Mandurah, WA.