The Soldier's Details

Dave Thomas enlisted AIF 19 July 1940 later joining 2/4th MGB’s ‘D’ Company No. 14 Platoon under Commanding Officer Lt. Tompkins.  Please read further about ‘D’ Company.

He recorded his address as Brisbane St, Perth.

5′ 10″

 

THOMAS, Private, DAVID WILLIAM, WX6623, A.I.F. 2/4 M.G. Bn., Australian Infantry. 12 September 1944. Age 23. Son of Joseph John and Emily Coombes Thomas, of Perth, Western Australia. Panel 19.

Labuan Memorial, Malaysia.

 

Dave was selected in Singapore to work in Burma on the Burma-Thai Railway with the first work party to leave Singapore – ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion.  This Battalion included a large number of men from 2/4th.

You can read further about ‘A Force Burma Green Force No. 3 Battalion

They sailed from Singapore to south-west Burma coast mid March 1942 to Victoria Point where they worked to repair and enlarge aerodrome before making their way to northern end of Rail link in Burma.  Green Fore began work on the rail 1st October 1942 and would continue through to end of 1943 when the link was completed and the Japanese brought all POWs working in Burma south to Thailand.

It was here Dave was selected as fit by Japanese to work in Japan – ‘Rakuyo’ Maru Party.  They first travelled by train to French Indo China where it was intended to sail to Japan.  After some time the Japanese realised this plan would no longer be possible – the American sub marines had affectively cut off the port near Saigon and the waters were littered with bombed out shipping.

The ‘Rakuyo’ Maru group returned by train to Singapore where they were accommodated at River Valley Road Transit Camp to await a ship.  As was the case in Saigon, the men worked mostly around the docks.

They were finally loaded onto their ship 4th Sept 1944  at Singapore. Though not without great difficulty.  There was insufficient room for the initial group and several groups were taken off the shipping list.  Even then there was no way the 1300 British and Australian POWs could all fit into the ship’s holds.  Eventually the Japanese agreed one third of total number of POWS would be allowed to travel on deck (the men rotated).

The first 36 hours were spent in the Roads off Singapore wharves until ‘Rakuyo’ Maru joined a small convoy.  Conditions for POWs, particulary in the hull were very crowded, hot, with food and water scarce.

Please read further about ‘Rakuyo’ Maru.

‘Rakuyo’ Maru was hit by two torpedoes fired by American Submarine in early hours of 12th September 1944.   Tom was one of a large number of Australian and British POWs who would lose their lives during the next few days.

 

Biography presented during plaque dedication:

‘Private David William Thomas was born in Perth in September 1919. He was one of six sons and two daughters of Joseph Thomas and Emily Coomb Towns (who was formerly married to Corporal Owen Burton).

The family farmed at Jardee near Manjimup on ‘Karri Hills’ farm. As a consequence of the great depression in the early 1930s, the family left the farm and moved to Brisbane Street, Perth.

David worked as a butcher in Perth until he enlisted in the army in July 1940. He was not married.

After initial training, he was transferred to the eastern states and eventually into 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion which was later moved to Singapore, disembarking there in January 1942.

With the Japanese army advancing on Singapore, the 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion was engaged in heavy fighting. They suffered with many casualties, killed, wounded and taken prisoner.

Private Thomas was posted missing in Malaya in February 1942. Later, he was recorded as a prisoner of war and later again presumed deceased.

He was actually aboard the prisoner of war ship Rakuyo Maru which was torpedoed by an American submarine.’

Private David William Thomas, service number WX6623 of 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion, died as a prisoner of war on 12 September 1944 in the South China Sea.

He was 24 years of age and his name is recorded on the Labuan Memorial, Borneo.

His plaque is placed alongside that of his mother’s first husband, Corporal Owen Burton of 28 Battalion who died in World War 1.’

In about 1912 Dave’s mother Emily Coombe Towns married Owen Charles Henry Burton.  The couple had two children.

Corporal Burton (known as Skipper) was tragically KIA France July 1916.’

 

 

 

 

Corporal Owen Charles Henry Burton

Rank:  Corporal

Service number:  216

Unit: 28 Battalion

Cause of death:  Killed in Action

Place of death:  Pozieres, France

Date of death:  28 July 1916

Age:  25

Plaque number:  M302

Co-located plaques:  M302A – PTE David Thomas

Dedicated by:  Family on 14 May 2016

Biography presented during plaque dedication:

Corporal Owen Burton was born in June 1891 at Mount Lawley, one of three sons and three daughters of Owen and Louisa Burton.

Owen’s nickname was ‘Skipper’ and he spent much of his childhood growing up on Rottnest Island where his father worked as a guard.

After schooling, Owen was employed as a labourer. He married Emily Coomb Towns in January 1912 at Perth and they had two children, a girl and a boy.

He enlisted in March 1915, when his son Jack, born in December 1914, was just 2 months old.

After initial training at Blackboy Hill Military Camp, Owen was allocated to 28 Battalion, which was raised in April 1915. The unit then embarked at Fremantle in June 1915 aboard HMAT Ascanius bound for Egypt.

After further training, they embarked for Gallipoli, landing there in September 1915. After Gallipoli, the unit was transferred to France and took part in its first major battle at Pozieres, France, between July and August 1916.

Corporal Owen Burton, service number 216 of 28 Battalion, was killed in action at Pozieres, France on 28 July 1916.

He was 25 years of age and his name is recorded on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Picardie, France.

Both of his brothers, Robert and George, served overseas in World War 1 and returned home.

His best friend, David William Towns (who was also his wife’s brother) was killed a year later, in 1917, at Ypres.

Owen’s plaque is placed alongside that of his wife’s son, Private David Thomas, who was born during Emily’s second marriage to Joseph Thomas.

Emily Burton remarried about 1917 to Joseph John Thomas.

 

Susan Conway and Mark Conway attended the 2/4th MGB Service on Sunday 11 August 2024 held at POW Memorial, Kings Park for 80th Anniversary of the sinking of Rakuyo Maru 12 September 1944 when Dave Thomas perished as one of 38 men from 2/4th.

 

We thank and acknowledge Susan Conway for providing the following photographs and information:

 

Above:  Thomas family c1934 taken on the family farm ‘Karri Hills’ in Jardee, Western Australia.

L-R Joseph Jnr, Joseph Snr (seated) nursing Dulcie on his knee, David, Evelyn, Jack, Emily (mother/seated), Sydney in front of her.

Dave’s father Joseph John Thomas was born in Wales in 1883 and his mother Emily Coombs Towns was born in Mildura, Victoria in 1890. They moved to Jardee in 1922,  part of the Group Settlement Scheme. They were part of Group 25 and farmed at Karri Hills Farm just out of Manjimup.

They returned to Perth in 1936 when they walked off the farm during the Great Depression as did so many disillusioned Group Settlers.

 

Above:  Dave with some of his siblings.

L-R: Joseph John (b1918) (WX13366), David William (b1919) (WX6623), Sydney (b1921) (WX15000), Dulcie May (b1923) (WF96669 AWAS),  Laurence Mitchell (b1926) (WX23091).  Foreground is youngest brother Norman Alexander (b1932).

Not in the photo – Jack Aymer Burton (b1914) WX2152, Evelyn Maude Burton (b1912) and Douglas Raymond Thomas (b1929) Service No. 30670 .

Most served in WW2 or in the years following with the exception of Evelyn (married with children) & Normie (who died from Tetanus aged 7).

Jack and Evelyn were the children of Emily Coombs Thomas’ first husband Owen Charles Henry Burton who was killed in WW1.

Laurence being part of the peace keeping force following Hiroshima and Doug served in the Navy after the war ended.

 

Dave was particular about his appearance and was known by the family for maintaining his hair!