The Soldier's Details

At Khonkan Hospital Camp, Burma Tom Davison underwent three amputations under Albert Coates.  Weak from malnutrition and diarrhoea he was unable to recover and died on 25 October 1943 aged 34 years.

Tom had enlisted AIF Aug 1940 later joining 2/4th MGB’s HQ Company, No. 3 Battalion becoming a driver.

As a POW in Singapore Tom joined 3,000 Australian POWs who sailed from Singapore with “A” Force Burma Green force No. 3 Battalion to the south west coast of Burma to first work on airfields – repairing and enlarging for several months before  heading to the Burma Thai Railway’s northern most point in Burma to begin working on the rail link at Thetkaw, Burma on 1 Oct 1942.

Tom was evacuated from the railway to Khonkan Hospital Camp and was 34 years old when he died on 25 October 1943.

 

 

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Tom was born 1908 Streatham, London to Augustus Harry Davison and Bessie Mabel (nee Medland) who had married 1907 in Cornwall.  Bessie Mabel Medland was born in Cornwall 1880.  She died at Stratton, Cornwall in 1969 aged 89 years.  We can find no further information about Tom’s father.

In 1911 Census the family were residing Wandsworth London where Tom’s father was a jeweller/dealer – there were then two young sons – Thomas (3) and Ken (12 months). Sister Kathleen was born 1912.

Bessie Davison returned to Cornwall with her three children (possibly without her husband) obviously to be with her Medland family who were several generations Cornish. Tom spent his formative years residing in Cornwall.

Tom arrived in Fremantle from London on ‘Orama’ 6 April 1926 as a 17 year old and without his family. His London address was c/- Mrs Simmonds, 32 Becmead Avenue, Smeaton S.W. 16  with his occupation recorded as warehouseman.  Had Tom had returned to London to work, or was he was staying in London whilst waiting to sail to Australia?

 

 

Below:  Tom’s will to leave to his mother.

In 1936 and 1937 the Electoral Rolls and until he enlisted at Claremont in 1940, have recorded him living at Boondarie, south of Port Hedland.  When he enlisted in August 1940 his address was Marble Bar.

 

Unfortunately we know little else of Thomas Davison.  Should any of his family read this we ask you to please contact us.

 

 

Above:  After the end of the war all bodies in cemeteries along the Railway Line were moved to one of the two large Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Thailand and Burma.  Davison lies in the CWG at Thanbyuzyat, Myanmar (previously Burma).

 

Tom was working at the Comet Gold Mine, Marble Bar when he enlisted with AIF.  Noel Butcher was Manager of Comet about that time. Butcher later ran for politics and represented Gascoyne.

Located 7 kilometres south of Marble Bar. Gold was discovered at Comet Vale in 1936 by Tommy Starr, and was mined till 1955. The old processing plant makes an impressive sight, its 75 metres smokestack the highest in the southern hemisphere. The old mine managers house has been converted into a small mineral museum, generously financed by a local mining company.

‘Marble Bar is the hottest town in Australia, which is recorded by the Guinness Book of Records. In summer 1923/1924 the temperature in the town never dropped below 100°F (37.8°C) for 161 consecutive days. The town was named after a local deposit of mineral first thought to be marble. The marble is jasper, a highly coloured cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, which is found 5km west of the town at the Coongan River.’

 

Also please read about Khonkan 55km Camp Hospital.

 

Tom Davison’s name is included on the War Memorial Bude, Cornwall.  Please read

 

Below:  Bude War Memorial, Cornwall.  Tom’s mother Bessie Davison (nee Hedland) was from a long line of Cornish from the Bude area.