The Soldier's Details

Please read of the men in A Coy No. 4 Platoon

Brazier was evacuated by truck from Thetkaw l4km Camp to the Base Hospital at Thanbyuzayat, Burma on 3.3.l943. Soldier died at 0122 hours on 18.3.1943. Funeral service was conducted by Chaplain F. H. Bashford from 2/4th Casualty Clearing Station.

Read further about ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion

Plaque 107, Hale School Memorial

Arthur Amos Murray Brazier
Arthur was from a farming family and was a boarder from Kirup in the South-West. He entered Hale School in 1919 as a 13 year old.
On the outbreak of war, he joined the 2/4th Machine-Gun Battalion and was eventually posted to Singapore. He was a made a prisoner-of-war when Singapore fell on 15 February 1942, spent some months in Changi prison and then was sent north to Burma to work on the Burma-Thai railway line.
He died in March 1943 as a result of malnutrition, disease and mistreatment by his captors. He was 36 years of age.
The Hale School museum has procured a small length of the Burma-Thai railway line and on it, together with two other Haleians who met a similar fate, Arthur’s name is inscribed.
Placed by Mr Jim Elliot, representing the 2/4th Machine-Gun Battalion Association

 

Above:  Arthur’s parents Noel Brazier married Edith Maud Hardwick in 1893.

Arthur was the older of 2 surviving sons and 5 daughters born to the Brazier family at Kirup.

Below: James  Brazier dies age 7 Years of diphtheria.

 

 

 

Arthur Brazier is an experienced and accomplished farmer by all accounts.  He was the older of the two brothers.

 

During 1936 Arthur’s only brother Richard (Dick) Brazier married. It is believed the two brothers farmed the family farm ‘Capeldene’ under a partnership.  Richard sold the property in 1952.

 

It has been suggested Arthur may have enlisted because of a ‘broken heart’ – or did he feel any social pressure because of his father’s military background?  He probably would have been exempt from enlisting as he was a farmer.  We will never know,

Instead he enlisted June 1941 joined 2/4th’s ‘A’ Company  sent to South Australia for training on 5 October 1941.

Following the Allied Surrender Singapore 15 Feb 1942, Brazier became POW of Japanese.   He was selected to work on the Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion.
This 3,000 man first work party to leave Singapore sailed to south west coast of Burma where Green Force left the party to work at Victoria Point for several months repairing and enlarging the aerodrome which had only months earlier been under occupation of the British.

By the 1st Oct 1942, Green Force had arrived at the northern most point of the rail link, Burma to start work at Kendau 4.8km Camp.    ‘A’ Force would continue working in Burma on the rail link until end of 1943.  Green Force next moved to Thetkaw 14 km, commencing work on 1 Dec 1942 through to 28 March 1843.   Tragically Brazier was evacuated sick from Thetkaw 14km Camp  by truck to Base Hospital Camp Thambyuzayat on 3 March 1943.  He died 18 March of bacillary dysentery just two weeks later.  He was 38 years old.

Please read further about ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battaion 

The Brazier family were fortunate to learn of Arthur’s death September 1944 – some families did not learn of the deaths of their loved ones until early 1946 and most during the first few months after the war ended.

 

 

 

Kirup War Memorial includes names of Brazier and Negri.

Includes Peter Negri and Brazier.

 

Above:  Death of Arthur’s father in 1947.

 

Above:  Nephews of Arthur – John B. Fitzhardinge and Richard John Brazier.  John and Richard attended 2018 Annual Luncheon for 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion Ex-Members at Kings Park.

Earlier during the day at the 73rd Commemorative Service for  VJ Day, Richard read the poem – ‘Mates’.

 

Lt Col Noel Murray Brazier was born in Scotland 1866, grew up in Victoria, Australia where he became a licensed surveyor. In the early 1890s Brazier moved to WA to work for the Lands and Surveys Department.  He married and  later settled on a farm Upper Capel, west of Kirup which he named ‘Capeldene’.

With his surveying career he had travelled vast distances visiting farms and stations.  In 1894 he led a surveying party from Coolgardie through the eastern goldfields into sheep and cattle station country in the mid-western Murchison traversing over 330 miles plus 600 miles horseback work. In total the party traveled over 1,000 miles with horses from Perth and back.

He seemed to know well-connected families in WA and many of the10th Light Horse future troopers.  Of about 500 men who enlisted with 109th L/H, about 62% were from the country.  As Brazier was a religious man, so were many of the recruits.  Amongst those recruited were Hugo and Rick Throssell from Northam – the Throssell family also strong followers of religion sent their two boys to school in SA.

Brazier was commanding officer of 25th Light Horse Militia and remained its senior officer until taking command of 10th Light Horse Regiment in October 1914.  He had the task of raising the squadron – seeking men and horses throughout wheatbelt, south west and WA.   Of course they had no idea of what lay ahead of them and the wheat growing season of 1914 was dismal with poor crops and little feed.  There appeared little to keep them focused and enthusiastic on farming and why not enlist?

Brazier embarked for Gallipoli on 27 July 1915.  He was part of the failed charge at The Nek.  He received a shrapnel wound to his left eye and sent to hospital in England.  Brazier’s eye was judged likely to be permanently damaged and he was invalided to Australia in February 1916.   His appointment was terminated in May 1916.  His role in the AIF now over.

Colonel Brazier wrote letters of protest to the Australian government about the failed and disastrous invasion by the Anzacs.

When Colonel Noel Brazier returned from war he built a sundial at ‘Capeldene’.  The Brazier family has had the sundial rebuilt with new memorial plaques to the Colonel and to Arthur who died PoW Burma November 1943.  This memorial was unveiled in 2012 with members of the present day 10th Light Horse taking part, and was attended by the then 2/4th MGB Ex-Members Assoc President, the late Rod MacLennan.