The Soldier's Details

 

 

 

 

BANGKOK, THAILAND. 1945-09-15. COOKS PREPARING THE EVENING MEAL AT THE PRISONER OF WAR (POW) BRANCH HEADQUARTERS, RECOVERED ALLIED POW AND INTERNEES UNIT TRANSIT CAMP FOR 8TH AUSTRALIAN DIVISION, EX-POWS OF THE JAPANESE AWAITING TRANSPORT BACK HOME TO AUSTRALIA. SHOWN:

PRIVATE (PTE) R. HANSEN, 2/4TH MACHINE GUN BATTALION (1); PTE S. T. MARTIN, 2/4TH MACHINE GUN BATTALION (2); PTE V. X. REID, 2/4TH MACHINE GUN BATTALION (3); PTE D. E. HANNA, AUSTRALIAN ARMY SERVICE CORPS, 8TH DIVISION (4).

Hansen R, Carlyon W, Till J & Kemp L covered with red dirt when we arrived. Photographer marked Lt Till with a cross for good luck (Till was sadly KIA at Singapore).

 

Following his enlistment with AIF, Hansen joined 2/4th and was Taken on Strength to Woodside, SA 5 October 1941.

When Hansen returned via Fremantle on 15 January 1942 with 2/4th on ‘Aquitania’ he was one of a large number of men who ‘jumped ship’ to see families before heading to war.  Hansen was one of about 95 men who did not return before ‘Aquitania’ sailed the next day 16 January 1942.

These men sailed for Singapore a week or two later, however as Singapore was about to fall, they landed at Java.  Hansen joined ‘Blackforce’ part of Allied Forces and Dutch Indonesian Army to fight the Japanese.  The Dutch almost immediately surrendered, the men were soon taken POWs of Japan.

Read further about Java

Selected in Java with ‘A’ Force Burma, Java Party No. 4, Williams Force to work on Burma-Thai Railway.

They departed 8 Oct 1942 from port Tanjong Priok, Java on crowded ships to Singapore where they waited until Java Party 3 joined them.  The group then boarded ‘Maebashi’ Maru to sail to Rangoon departing Singapore on 23 October.  A total of 43 men from 2/4th were in this group.

Camps where Java Party No. 4 Williams Force worked included Tanyin, Anakwin, Taungzan and at this point Williams and Anderson Forces merged into No. 1 Mobile Group.  They were to move up and down the railway as there were many trained and experienced engineers who had been with 2/2nd Pioneers taken POW Java.  It was a gruelling work schedule beginning with Mezali, Apalon, Kyondaw,Payathonzu, into Thailand to Kami Sonkurai 116 km, 122km  Camp, Neikhe Wood Camp 131km, Neikhe 133km, Changaraya 113km and back to Aunggannaung 105.  The men were constantly moving, finishing up late one day and marching through the night to start work that morning at the next destination.

There are no official records -so we cannot be certain Bob was at all of the above camps but it is an outline for Williams Force’s movements.

Some known details are:

First Interned Cycle Camp, Java

Arrived Singapore 12 Oct 1942

Departed Singapore 14 Oct 1942

No. 4 Group departed Changi 14 Oct 1942

Williams Force

105 km Camp 21 Sep 1943

Hansen suffered bruised left side of his chest during building a bridge (location unknown)

Arrived Kanchanaburi No. 3 Camp 9 April 1944

Sent to No. Camp Kanchanaburi 6 Sep 1944.

Hansen was recovered from Kanchanaburi in Thailand, sent to Bangkok, flown to Singapore.  He sailed home on HMT ‘Highland Brigade’.

Read further about Williams Force

Robert is one of 8 Indigenous in 2/4th.

 

Above:  Robert with his mother Lucy Hansen.

Robert’s father Magnus Christian Henrich Hansen married 1908 Bridgetown to Lucina (Lucy) Parfitt (nee Ryan).  They had a family of 6 children including twins.   Lucy died 1929 at Northam.

Magnus C. G. Hansen was born Copenhagen, Denmark about 1878.   In 1916 Magnus Hansen was a labourer residing West Guildford.

Our knowledge of Bob’s childhood is minimal.  In March 2019 Bob’s nephew Morton Hansen relayed information about Bob.  When he returned from war, he went rabbit trapping east of Quairading. A younger Bob attended school and was regarded as being an excellent student.  Magnus Hansen had talked of sending him to Guildford Grammar and/or Denmark.  But these verbal plans never eventuated.

Magnus Hansen died 6 Mar 1934 in York.

Robert Hansen married 1934 at York to Tryphena ‘Topsy’  Hilda Cross, born Oak River, WA.  (Probably known  as Oakover River, Pilbara).  He enlisted August 1941 aged 28.  He and Topsy with 3 children were residing 26 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth.  Their only daughter Joan lives in Albany (2019) and the others are now deceased. Son Malcolm Leslie died in 2007 at Narrogin.

In his later years Bob lived at Bentley, next door to his brother Bill. He died at Canning 19 of Aug 1972 aged 60 years.   He and Topsy were cremated Karrakatta Cemetery.

 

Above:  Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below:  Magnus Hanen’s Naturalization

 

Below:  Magnus Hansen applied to enlist WW1.  We believe he was not successful and did not serve.