The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Gibbons
First Name:
Ronald Jack
Rank:
Sergeant (Promoted on 24.1.1942)
Regimental #:
WX7607
Company:
‘C’ Company, No. 12 Platoon
Enlisted:
10.08.1940
Discharged:
25.02.1946
DOB:
16.07.1918
Place of Birth:
Perth, Western Australia
Father's Name:
George Harold Gibbons
Mothers's Name:
Sheila Aileen Gibbons
Religion:
Church of England
Pre-war Occupation:
Farmhand
Singapore:
Selarang Camp Changi; Johore Bahru, Adam Park; River Valley Road Camp; Selarang Barracks Changi
Force:
‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
Camps Thailand:
Tonchan, Hintok Road Camp (cholera), Tarsau (evacuated sick), Kinsaiyok, Nacompaton, Non Pladuk
POW#:
4/4495 and 8719
Return Details 1945:
Saigon-Bangkok-Singapore by aircraft; Singpore-Labuan-Morotai-Brisbane-Sydney by aircraft; Sydney-Melbourne-Perth by troop train.

General Description

Gibbons enlisted AIF 10 Aug 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘C’ Company 10 Platoon.  He was a Sgt to CO Mick Wedge.
As a POW at Singapore he left to work on Burma-Thai Railway May 1943 with ‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion. He worked at Tonchan, Hintok Road Camp where he contracted Cholera, Tarsau Hospital where he was evacuated to, Kinsayok, Nacompaton and Non Paduk.
Ron Gibbons was selected with ‘Both’ Party at Non Paduk, Thailand, returned to Singapore and sailed from Singapore on 2 February 1945 to Saigon.  ‘Both’ Party was the last party to be sent overseas.  Ron remained here until recovered at the end of the war.
Read further about Both Party Saigon
Also read about the men of  ‘C’ Company No. 12 Btn, Gibbons was Sergeant

 

 

 

 

 

Ron was in the Norseman Volunteer Fire Brigade after he returned from the war.
He worked in the Survey Department of Central Norseman Gold Corporation N.L. the region’s largest gold mining operation of the day.
He was groomsman for his 2/4th machine gunner mate Bob Whitfield, Platoon Sergeant of 12 Platoon and who was also in the above team.

 

 

 

 

The West Australian Sat 17 Feb 1951 – TROVE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above:  L-R Far left Billy Castles, Ted Feltham and Ron Gibbons with wives.

 

Ron passed away aged 86yrs, May 2005, at Norseman, WA.

Camp Locations:

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  • Johore Bahru, - Malaysia
  • River Valley Road Camp - Singapore
  • Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Hintok, 154k - Thailand
  • Kinsaiyok Main, 170.2k - Thailand
  • Nacompaton, Nakom Pathom Hospital - Thailand
  • Non Pladuk, 0k - Thailand
  • Tarsau, Tha Sao 125k - Thailand
  • Tonchan, 139k - Thailand
  • Saigon - French Indo China
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