The Soldier's Details

Harry was wounded in action at Ulu Pandan on 12 February 1942. Admitted to 2/13th Australian General Hospital with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder and discharged to unit on 22 February 1942.  He suffered from paralysis to his right hand caused by a poisoned bamboo in March 1944 and a tropical ulcer to his left hand in February 1944.

 

From Singapore Harry was selected to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma Green Force No. 3 Battalion which sailed from Singapore on 21 May 1942 headed to Burma.  Green Force disembarked at Victoria Point.

Read further about ‘A’ Force Burma Green Force No. 3 Battalion

He was in Meiloe hospital, Burma twice for malaria (short stays) 18/3/1943 to 22/3/1943 and second visit for malaria/diarrhoea 9/4/21943 to 12/4/1943.

Harry was at Anankwin 45 km Camp, Burma with a hand injury on 28/4/1943.  This may have been his right hand which was disabled by poison bamboo. NB. Anakwin 45km Camp was not a Green Force Camp – ‘A’ Force Java Party No. 4 Williams Force was  at this Camp at this time. This Java Force No. 4 had arrived from Java. (The Japanese were sticklers for men assigned to varying Forces, they had to remain with the group and the group’s Camps.)

In about March 1944, Harry was evacuated from the Burma end of the railway to Tamarkan, Thailand (believed to be because of his hand injury).

Harry arrived at Nacompaton Hospital Camp, Thailand about 19 February 1945 for treatment for a tropical ulcer to his left hand.

It was from Nacompaton Harry was recovered at the end of the war.  He travelled by truck to Bangkok, flight to Singapore and sailed on ‘Moreton Bay’ to Fremantle arriving 24 October 1945.

After the war Harry received a number of skin grafts to his hand which recovered.

 

 

Harry married in 1947 to Eva Thomas.

Harry was a Collie boy, please read further.

He enlisted with his Collie mates Tom Davidson, ‘Bluey’ Smith, Jack Isaac, Tom Finlay, ‘Toona’ Simmonds and ‘Bluey’ Quinn.

Read the Harry Fuhrmann story as printed in the ‘Collie Mail’ January 1985.

 

 

Harry was awarded D.C.M.  Please read further.

He received this award two years after leaving Thailand and being back home in Collie.  Harry received this award at Government House, Perth.

Earlier in the war, Harry’s younger brother Bert who was a
Sgt-Pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his skill and courage in bringing a crippled bomber back to base following an encounter in the Baltic Islands.  Not long after Bert Fuhrmann tragically died during an air-raid over Hamburg.

In 1928 Harry’s mother, Margaret Fuhrmann died in 1928.

Tragedy hits the Fuhrmann family again in 1934, the eldest daughter of Fred and Margaret died.

 

The family receive news of the death of son and brother, Bert Fuhrmann.

 

Below: notice from the family of other men killed with Bert Fuhrmann

 

Harry Fuhrmann died in 1985.