The Soldier's Details

Michael Geary was with the 10th Light Horse for 4 years prior to joining the 2/4th on 12 Aug 1940.  He later joined ‘D’ Coy Headquarters under CO Major Alf Cough and 2 I/C Capt Gwynne.

Prior to the Japanese invasion of Singapore a further Platoon was established within  D Coy – No. 16.  This required shuffling around men.  Geary remained with D HQ but most men were allocated to other Platoons.  Please read about ‘D’ Company

As a POW in Singapore he was accommodated with Australian Soldiers at Selarang Camp, later moving with work parties to Johore Bahru and Adam Park with many boys from 2/4th. He returned to Selarang Barracks.

About 17 May 1943, he departed Singapore railway
Station for Thailand with ‘D’ Force, V Battalion (the largest numbers of 2/4th left with Green Force for Burma end of Railway or D Force S Btn.)   D Force was to work on the Hellfire Pass Cutting area.  Tragically V Battalion was to endure the highest death rate in D Force (up to 50%) and probably one of the highest along the railway.  Please read further.

He died at Hindaine Camp on 9/8/1943 aged 31 years from acute enteritis and was buried a Linson Grave No. 19, 203K.  Read further about Hindaine Camp.

Below:  Mick Geary earned the nickname ‘Snowshoe’.

 

Mick had two surviving sisters and one brother. He married in 1937 at Northam  to Florence Ellen Howard.  A daughter Maureen Frances Geary was born prior to 1943.

Florence Geary remarried and died Victoria 1997.

Mick’s parents Edward James ‘Edwin’ Geary married Evelyn Crouch at Toodyay in 1911.  Several babies and very young children did not survive, leaving 4 children, Mick and Tom and girls Emma ‘Teen’ and Mary Monica ‘Mon’.

‘Edwin’ Geary died in 1957, was buried at Toodyay and in 1962 Mick’s mother Evelyn died.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plaque at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Plot 1, Row H, Grave 2

 

 

 

 

 

Please read about the Toodyay WW2 Memorial