The Soldier's Details

Erskine enlisted AIF 12 Nov 1941, became a reinforcement for 2/4th and joined  Battalion on board ‘Aquitania’ 15 Jan 1941 anchored at Gage Roads, Fremantle for one night on her journey to Singapore.

Please read story of Aquitania.

Also read about ‘E’ Company

It seems Guys was one of the very lucky E Coy men who managed to survive the ambush at Bukit Timah on 11 Feb.  We do not know where Gus was following this as the Coy scattered in all directions.

Gus was wounded in action 13/2/1942.  Admitted to 2/10th Australian General Hospital with four machine gun bullets to left chest.  Discharged to unit on 24/2/1942.

 

 

 

 

 

Evelyn Erskine and Amy Hough married in Bunbury in 1898.  They had a large family of 9 children.  Gus was the first son and third child.    Evelyn was a civil servant and during the time living in Bunbury he was employed as a Customs Officer.

Below:  Sister Bessie died 1936 in an accident.

 

Evelyn Pierpoint Erskine died in 1953 and Gus’ mother Amy died in 1959.

 

 

 

Gus was acknowledged as a rower probably during school years and perhaps immediately after.  He was later acknowledged as an accomplished footballer playing for a team in the Albany-Mt Barker region for several years.

 

 

 

 

Gus resided and played football in this area for several years.

 

 

 

Gus was almost 40 years old when he enlisted mid November 1941.  He had been living and working as a prospector at Mt Margaret , WA’s goldfields for several years.

There was little time for training as two months later he was on-board the ‘Aquitania’ as a reinforcement soldier for 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion when it sailed from Fremantle to Singapore on 15th January 1942.

Read about the small population of WA at that time

Gus was selected in Singapore to work on the Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, No. 3 Battalion.

To read further about this Battalion

Gus moved with the Battalion to the known ‘A’ Force Camps and was sent south to Tamakan in Thailand in January 1944.  He may well have been sick and evacuated from Ankanan 110 km Camp.

When considered fit, Gus was sent to Bangkok in April 1944 where he remained working on the go-downs until the end of the war.  He was recovered and flown to Rangoon then Singapore before sailing  home to Fremantle on ‘Highland Brigade’ between 15 October to 24th October 1945.

Above from Daily-Telegraph-and-North-Murchison-and-Pilbarra-Gazette, Saturday-16-October-1943

 

Above is from Northern-Times-Carnarvon, Thursday-21-September-1950

 

We have not found any record in WA of a marriage and believe Gus remained a bachelor.  Gus died 19 September 1963 aged 62 years.