The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Jones
First Name:
Alfred James
Nick Name:
Alf
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX7510
Company:
'D' Company, No. 14 Platoon
Enlisted:
6.08.1940
Discharged:
23.01.1946
DOB:
21.02.1922
Place of Birth:
East Perth, Western Australia
Father's Name:
James Johnstone Jones
Mothers's Name:
Evelyn Lillian Jones
Religion:
Church of England
Pre-war Occupation:
Vineyard Worker
Singapore:
Selarang Camp Changi, Johore Bahru, Adam Park, Havelock Road Camp, Selarang Barracks Changi
Force:
'J' Force Japan, Wales Maru Party
Camps Japan:
Kobe (Showa-Denki), Nagoya,Toyama.
POW#:
3/ 6323, 662
Japan:
Wales Maru Party
Return Details 1945:
Nagoya-Yokohama, Yokohama-Okinawa-Manila by aircraft, Manila-Sydney, HMS Formidable, Sydney-Fremantle, HMT Dominion Monarch

General Description

Alf Jones enlisted AIF 6
Aug 1940, later joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy 14  Platoon under CO Lt Tomkins.
His photograph appeared in ‘Sons of Empire’ May 1941.
Alf was a member of ‘J’ Force transported from Singapore to Japan to a POW Camp at Kobe mid 1943. Some of the details of Kobe House are found at the story Kobe House, Japan.

Read about Show-Denki Factory, Kobe.

Also read about Nagoya No. 7 Camp.

Please read about ‘J’ Force and ‘Wales’ Maru

 

John Gilmour wrote in his book ‘All in My Stride’ –
‘Alf became ill after 3 months at Kobe.  He had to be admitted to the Camp Hospital suffering from pneumonia.  John and Alf’s mates would go to the hospital to check on him every day as soon as they returned from work.  Initially Alf’s health declined, he didn’t recognise them and became unconscious for 15 days.  Lying on a mat on the floor with black sores around his mouth and sunken eyes Alf’s weight dropped to 31.5 kgs (4.5 stone). Dr. Boyce said it was a miracle he survived.  Dr Boyce saved Alf’s life.  He saved a portion of his own meals to spoon feed to him.’
‘Alf had amazing fortitude, true Aussie grit which allowed him to hold on and recover. He returned to Western Australia with me.’

 

Alf’s parents James Johnstone Jones (born SA) and Evelyn Lilian Day (born England) are believed to have married in London 1919.
Alf was born East Perth in 1922.  He had one sister Thelma.

 

 

James (Jimmie) Johnstone Jones – we are unfortunately, unable to locate his Australian WW1 Records.

 

He died in Feb 1944 aged 47 years at Midland Junction, when Alf was POW in Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please read about the men of Midland Junction

Alf’s mother Evelyn Lily Day died 1979 in Perth.
Alf and his wife lived Gelorup, near Bunbury in later years.
Alf died 30 May 1999 and was buried at Bunbury aged 77 years.

 

 

Nag #9 Main Home Camp List

Source: NARA, RG 331, Box 942; prepared and certified by Roger Mansell, Director, Center For Research, Allied POWS Under The Japanese. All of these men came from the Osaka area. All arrived on 21 May 1945. Most likely prior camp was Narumi.

Name, Ser, Rank, ASN, Unit, POW #, Prior POW #

Anderson, Mervyn William,AIF,Pte,NX47308,2 of 30th,2766,8850
Brown, Arthur Douglas,AIF,CPL,QX15300,2 of 26th Tng Coy,2762,8921

Brown, George Andrew,AIF,Pte,VX56222,2 of 29th,2767,8924
Draper, Arthur Montague,AIF,CPL,WX7777,2 of 4th Machine Gun,2763,9035
Dunn, William Thomas,AIF,Pte,VX2192,2 of 29th,2768,9038
Edwards, Stanley Joseph,AIF,Pte,QX21386,2 of 26th Bn,2769,9046
Giles, Frank William,AIF,Pte,VX63776,2 of 29th,2770,9093
Giles, Thomas James,AIF,Pte,VX62211,2 of 29th,2771,9094
Grey, John Ernest,AIF,Pte,NX48199,8th Sig Corps,2772,9103
Harris, Norman Joseph,AIF,SGT,WX4985,2 of 4th Machine Gun,2761,9122
Jones, Alfred James,AIF,Pte,WX7510,2 of 4th Machine Gun,2773,9179

Lucas, Robert George,AIF,Pte,QX17202,1 Coy AASC,2774,9226
Lutz, Edward Herman,AIF,LCPL,NX26919,2 of 30th,2765,9227
Lymn, Ronald Ruben,AIF,Pte,WX17515,unk,2775,9228
McClymont, William James,AIF,CPL,NX49231,Aust Pay Corps,2764,9237

McColl, Allan,AIF,Pte,VX21767,2 of 2nd Aust Mtr Ambulance,2776,9238
McFarlane, Cyril Keith,AIF,Pte,NX46443,2 of 30th,2777,9247
Winepress, Frederick Joseph,AIF,Pte,QX21088,2 of 26th,2778,9513
Yeats, Charles Thomas,AIF,Pte,QX11453,2 Coy AASC,2779,9518

__________

Camp Locations:

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  • Havelock Road Camp - Singapore
  • Johore Bahru, - Malaysia
  • Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Kobe, Osaka #2-B - Japan ***
  • Nagoya - Japan
  • Toyama, Nagoya #7-B - Japan
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