The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Nash
First Name:
Claude Ocea
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX17363
Company:
‘D' Company
Enlisted:
22.10.1941
DOB:
10.05.1919
Place of Birth:
Subiaco, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Richard Harry Nash M.P.
Mothers's Name:
Ruby Nash (nee Piper)
Religion:
Church of England
Pre-war Occupation:
Shop Assistant
Memorial:
Epitaph, Labuan Memorial, Panel 18, Age 26.
Singapore:
Selarang Camp Changi, Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp), River Valley Road Camp, Selarang Barracks Changi.
Force:
‘E’ Force Borneo
POW#:
3/8964 & 1831
Cause of Death:
Acute Intestinalitis
Place of Death:
Ranau No1 Camp
Date of Death:
23.03.1945

General Description

Nash enlisted 22 Oct 1941.  He was a reinforcement taken on Strength 27 December 1941, who joined ‘D’ Company, No. 15 Platoon.

 

Informal outdoor portrait of WX17363 Private (Pte) Claude Ocea Nash of Subiaco, WA. Enlisting in the Second AIF in October 1941, Pte Nash served with the 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion in the Pacific campaign and was captured by Japanese forces at Singapore in February 1942. Spending most of his time as a prisoner of war (POW) at Changi camp, he died of illness in Borneo on 23 March 1945, aged 26. Pte Nash's paybook photograph is held at P02468.773.
Informal outdoor portrait of WX17363 Private (Pte) Claude Ocea Nash of Subiaco, WA. Enlisting in the Second AIF in October 1941, Pte Nash served with the 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion in the Pacific campaign and was captured by Japanese forces at Singapore in February 1942. Spending most of his time as a prisoner of war (POW) at Changi camp, he died of illness in Borneo on 23 March 1945, aged 26. Pte Nash’s paybook photograph is held at P02468.773.

 

Soldier was wounded in action on 9.2.1942 and admitted to 2/13th Australian Hospital with small fragments of shrapnel in the arm. Discharged to unit on 16.2.1942.
Claude was selected as a POW in Singapore to sail to Sandakan, North Borneo with ‘E’ Force Borneo.  Please read further.
Claude was included on the First Sandakan to Ranau March which departed Sandakan in parties of 50 POWs laden with ammunition and food for the Japanese – these parties were deliberated timed so they did not meet up with previous or following parties.  Claude reached Ranau but it was here he died on 23 March 1945 aged 26 years.  His body was recovered from main Cemetery Ranau.  He had been housed at  No 1 Camp at Ranau, near the airstrip.

Please read about relics found in Sandakan.

See map and photographs of all West Australians who perished.

Claude’s brother Arthur Frederick Richard Nash died 1942.

Nash 10 Oct 1945

 

Nash
Nash

 

Kings Park Honour Avenue.

 

 

 

Below:  information for Lila Randle – her birth.

Below:  Lila’s engagement to second husband is announced 1946.

Lila’s parents divorced in 1950.

Claude was youngest and third son of Richard (Dick) Nash and Ruby Piper who married Boulder, WA in 1913.    The Nash family included six children.  Claude’s older brother Arthur Frederick Richard Nash was KIA 1944 Belgium.

Below:  Grandmother of Claude died May 1942.

Claude married 1937 to Lila Jean Randle in Perth.
Lila and Claude were living 51 Keightley Road, Subiaco.  She was working as a machinist.  Lila Nash remarried to John Rae in 1946.

Read further about Claude’s father Richard Harry NASH, MP

 

 

 

Richard (Dick) Nash died at home 18 Bedford Avenue, Subiaco December 1951 aged 61 years. Claude’s mother Ruby died Oct 1979 at Subiaco aged 88 years.  Both are buried at Karrakatta.

Camp Locations:

  • River Valley Road Camp - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp) - Singapore
  • Ranau - Borneo
  • Lintang Officers Camp, Kuching - Sarawak
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