The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Newell
- First Name:
- Archie Gerald
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX8749
- Company:
- ‘B ’ Company, 9th Platoon.
- Enlisted:
- 23.10.1940
- Discharged:
- 18.12.1945
- DOB:
- 15.10.1945
- Place of Birth:
- Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, England
- Father's Name:
- Jackson Newell
- Mothers's Name:
- Lillian Newell
- Religion:
- Methodist
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Miner
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp Changi; Johore Bahru; Adam Park; Selerang Barracks Changi
- Force:
- ‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Kanu II , Chungkai
- Camps Japan:
- Yamane; Niihama
- POW#:
- 4 /6446 and 8826 and 1695
- Japan:
- Rashin Maru Party
- Return Details 1945:
- Wakayama‐Okinawa, USS Sanctuary; Okinawa-Manila USS Bingham; Manila-Sydney, HMS Speaker; Sydney-Fremantle, HMT Dominion Monarch
General Description
Archie enlisted AIF 23 Oct 1940 and later joined 2/4th MGB’s ‘B’ Company 9 Platoon under Commanding Officer Lt D. Lee. In the same Platoon were John Smith and Buscombe. The three men good mates. Smith died Prachaub Kirkham 17 July 1945, not long before the war ended. Buscombe returned to Australia.
Newell, with Buscombe and Smith left with ‘D’ Force Thailand S Battalion by train from Singapore to work on the railway. Read further about D Force S Battalion
Having survived this dreadful time working through ‘speedo’ Archie was selected fit to work in Japan with the ‘Rashin’ Maru Party. Please read further about the ‘Rashin’ Maru Party
He was working at Niihama Copper Mine, and recovered from here at the end of the war.
Copy of his Japanese records.
He was born 1905 Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. There is some discrepancy as to his parents names. But it is believed his parents were Jackson and Lillian Newell (and not John and Dorothy).
His father died in England in 1951 and his mother in 1942.
Archie had one brother Reginald who died in England in 1981 and one sister Edna who died in England about 1936.
Archie Newall (21 years) of 21 Kimbolton Road, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire sailed from London on ‘Ballarat’ 27 May 1927 to Fremantle. He recorded his occupation as ‘Decorator’.
He was recorded in 1937 Electoral Roll residing Norseman and working as a miner, reisiding with Dorothy. When he enlisted he was living in Norseman, and it appears he returned there after the war.
Although records say Archie married in 1945 to Dorothy Louisa Pinkerton, we believe it was prior to enlisting and possibly in 1941.
Again with his death, there are several variations but according to the Norseman Cemetery Archie died 15 October 1991. Dorothy predeceased him and died 10 August 1987 aged 74 years at Norseman. Both Dorothy and Archie are buried at Norseman.
Archie’s arrival Fremantle June 1927.
The former POWs firstly visit home then back to Perth.
Below: Archie is elected President of local RSL 1949
Below: Archie was Captain and was not out
Camp Locations:
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- Johore Bahru, - Malaysia
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Chungkai, 60k - Thailand
- Kanu II, 152.30k - Thailand
- Nihama, Hiroshima #2-B- Japan
- Yamane, Hiroshima #3-D - Japan