The Soldier's Details

Caldwell was listed as missing in action in Java.  He had been sent to Bandoeng by Captain Albrecht to collect supplies but collapsed with dengue fever and admitted to hospital by the Dutch, becoming separated from 2/2nd Pioneers with whom he was fighting with.  He was captured by Japanese on 15/4/1942 placed Soekammiskin Camp, Java.

Read about ‘Blackforce’ and Java.

Maurice spent from 15 April 1942 to 5 February 1944 interned at Soekamiskin Prison.  This location was for Dutch, British, American, Ambonese and Mendaonese POWs and Indonesian convicts.  He was recovered from Java when the war ended.

Read further about Java

 

Below:  Mary Caldwell died October 1942.

 

 

Morrie’s parents Maurice William Caldwell and Mary Ann Gordon Palmer married Subiaco in 1905.

In 1909, Mary and  Maurice Caldwell’s infant son John Fielding (Jacky) died 7 October. Morrie would have been about three years old.  The baby was named after  Mary’s father John Fielding Palmer who died 1915.

Below:  death of Morrie’s grandfather John Fielding Palmer 1915.

 

 

Morrie was the eldest of a large family and named after his father, also Maurice William Caldwell.  In 1928 the Caldwell family was residing in East Fremantle when their son  Lyle, aged 15 was killed whilst cycling in High Street, Fremantle coliding with a truck.  Maurice William (Snr) and Mary Caldwell and their children Morrie, George, Alick, Arnold, Maisie and Olive were plunged into grief.  The Caldwell family relocated to live in Victoria Park.

Tragedy was again to strike the Caldwell family when in 1937, Maisie aged 18 years died of illness in hospital. She had been 9 years old when her brother Lyle died in the cycle accident.

Above:  Morrie had premises at Aherns.

 

 

Morrie married 1932. He and his wife Mary lived in Northam where Morrie worked as a hairdresser.

Maurice returned home after the war to learn their son Kevin Alexander Caldwell who was born in 1937 had died 1943, while Morrie was POW in Java.  Kevin was killed when he was hit by a goods train in Northam.  He was 6 years old.

Morrie’s  mother died in 1942.

 

 

 

A typical ‘tantalising’ and awful headline from the Mirror Newspaper – worse still the name of his wife is incorrect and should read Mary.

He and his wife divorced in 1946. What happened to their four children is unknown.  Mary had another child from her relationship while Morrie was POW.

Morrie remarried Olive Myrtle Marshall.  They resided in Belmont through the years of 1949 to after 1958 before moving to live in North Beach.

Below:  Caldwell’s father collapses and dies in 1946.

 

(It is believed Maurice Caldwell went back into the Army during the mid 50’s.)

Morrie Caldwell died 7 July 1978 Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.  He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.  He was 72 years old.

 

 

Below:  in January 1928, Morrie’s brother Lyle Stanley Caldwell (15 years) was killed when his cycle collided with a truck.

 

 

Below:  In 1937 Morrie’s younger sister Mary Ann Jessie known as Masie died aged 18 years.

 

 

 

Below:  The inquest into the death of Morrie’s son Kevin Alexander Caldwell at Northam 25 March 1943. Kevin was their third child of five.