The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Elliott
First Name:
Edwin Finlay
Nick Name:
Ed/Ted
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX5064
Classification:
Driver to Captain Jack Thompson
Company:
‘C’ Company Headquarters
Enlisted:
23.07.1940
Discharged:
4.12.1945
DOB:
4.03.1917
Place of Birth:
Footscray, Victoria
Father's Name:
Edwin Finlay Elliott
Mothers's Name:
Alice Victoria Elliott
Religion:
Methodist
Pre-war Occupation:
Truck and Tractor Driver
Singapore:
Selarang Camp Changi; Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp); Great World and River Valley Road Camps; Selarang Barracks Changi; Sime Road Camp; Levelling Party Changi Aerodrome; X3 Party; Changi Gaol Camp
Force:
‘H’ Force Thailand, 'H' Force Group No. 3
Camps Thailand:
Kanu II Malayan Hamlet, Kanchanaburi (6 weeks in hospital)
POW#:
3 /7684 & 14122
Return Details 1945:
Singapore-Darwin-Sydney, HMT Arawa; Sydney-Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth by troop train

General Description

Elliott enlisted AIF July 1940.  Following training which included Driver training, he joined ‘C’ Coy HQ under CO Capt Colin Cameron and 2I/C Capt Thompson.
He was taken POW of Japan on 15 Feb 1942 and initially accommodated at Selarang Camp Changi then with a work party at Thomson Road (Caldecott Hill Estate) camp.  At some time he was also at Great World and River Valley Road Camps.
Ted was driver to Captain Jack Thompson WX3448 who was executed by the Imperial Japanese Army on 19 February 1942.

 

Ted Elliot, Clarrie Henderson, Stewy Smith (kneeling) & Chris McLennan
Ted Elliott, Clarrie Henderson, Stewy Smith (kneeling) & Chris McLennan

 

Rear L - R ---, Tony Hampton, ---, Les Kemp, Norm Ablett, ..., Jack Kyrios, Ted Elliot. Front L - R, Jim Gilmour, John Gilmour, ---, Ron Badock, Jim Elliot.
Rear L – R Syd Harper (Perth), Tom Hampton, Reg Miller, Les Kemp, Norm Ablett, …, Jack Kyrios, Ted Elliott.
Front L – R, Jim Gilmour, John Gilmour, Ken Tucker,  Ron Badock, Jim Elliot.

 

Ted Elliot, Taxi, Orange, NSW, Dec 1945.
Ted Elliott, Taxi, Orange, NSW, Dec 1945.

 

Singapore 1942 Battle ground as of 1992

Singapore 1942 Battlefield as per 1992.

Ted Elliot, Bullfinch
Ted Elliott, Bullfinch

 

He was selected at Singapore for ‘H’ Force Group No. 3 to work on the Thai-Burma Railway, departing by train on 8 May 1943 and travelled to Bampong, Thailand.
‘H’ Force worked at Kanu II Malayan Hamlet for about 7-8 months.  ‘H’ Force Group 3  having completed their schedule on Burma-Thai Railway were first sent to Kanchanaburi and Ted spent 6 weeks in hospital before being placed on light duties working between Tarso and Kanchanburi camps.
When the railway was completed Ted was first sent to Sime Road, Singapore 1 January 1944 working at Changi aerodrome before joining X3 Party which worked in the Tanglin-Woodlands area digging tunnels.

Read further about Changi aerodrome & X3 Party

He was recovered from Changi on 4 September 1945 returning to Darwin from  Singapore on the Arawa which then sailed to Brisbane then onto Sydney.  From Sydney it was train to Melbourne, another to Adelaide where he met up with his wife, before heading back to Melbourne where he was eventually discharged.
The following letter was sent by Ted to be printed in the Borehole Bulletin, December 2000.

 

Many years later when my daughters were teenagers and my son still young, I undertook a course of hypnosis to try to bring my bronchitis and asthma under control.  This treatment was effective and following on from this I have  only been back to Hollywood three times.   Once was to have cataracts removed when I was 65 years old and in 1997 with a bout of diverticulosis.
Ted Elliott

 

 

 

Ted passed away aged 86yrs, July 27 2004, at Bassendean, WA.

 

 

Below:  Carol Farmer with her family.  She is daughter to Ted Elliott.

Camp Locations:

  • Changi Aerodrome - Singapore
  • Changi Gaol Camp - Singapore
  • Great World - Singapore
  • Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Sime Road Camp - Singapore
  • Thomson Road (Caldecot Hill Estate Camp) - Singapore
  • Kanu II, 152.30k - Thailand
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