The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Ross
First Name:
Donald
Nick Name:
Don
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX9253
Classification:
Driver
Company:
‘A’ Company, 6 Platoon
Enlisted:
30.10.1940
DOB:
8.03.1913
Place of Birth:
Albany, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Alexander Ross
Mothers's Name:
Lillian May Ross
Religion:
Presbyterian
Pre-war Occupation:
Quarry Worker and Driver
Memorial:
Epitaph, Labuan Memorial, Panel 19, Age 32.
Singapore:
Selarang Camp Changi
Force:
'E' Force Borneo
POW#:
4/6560 & 1885
Cause of Death:
Malaria
Place of Death:
Sandakan No 1 Camp
Date of Death:
23.05.1945

General Description

Ross enlisted AIF Oct 1940 later joining 2/4th MGB’s ‘A’ Coy 6 Platoon as a Driver.
He left Singapore with ‘E’ Force Borneo to work at the Sandakan airfields, North Borneo.  Please read about ‘E’ Force Borneo.
Tragically none of the 71 men of 2/4th MGB would survive – they all died during 1945.
Studio portrait of WX9253 Private (Pte) Donald Ross 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, killed in action on 23 May 1945. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of E Force. The 500 Australian and 500 British POWs who made up E Force, left Changi on 28 March 1943, on board the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15 April 1943. The POWs were held there until 5 June, when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The next day they were transferred to the 8 Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. Pte Ross, aged 32, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 23 May 1945. He was the son of Alexander and Lillian May Ross, and the husband of Ada Annie Ross, of Albany, WA. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 19. (Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)
Studio portrait of WX9253 Private (Pte) Donald Ross 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, died of illness on 23 May 1945. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of E Force. The 500 Australian and 500 British POWs who made up E Force, left Changi on 28 March 1943, on board the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15 April 1943. The POWs were held there until 5 June, when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The next day they were transferred to the 8 Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. Pte Ross, aged 32, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 23 May 1945. He was the son of Alexander and Lillian May Ross, and the husband of Ada Annie Ross, of Albany, WA. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 19. (Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)

 

 

Don Ross WX9233 died Sandakan 23/5/1945 & Claude Knott
Don Ross WX9233 died Sandakan 23/5/1945 & Claude Knott WX7616 who was recovered from Thailand and returned to Australia.

 

Ross Donald Albany Advertiser (WA _ 1897 - 1950), Monday 5 November 1945, page 8

Please read about the Ross family of Bornholm

Above from The Albany Advertiser, November 1945.

 

 

Please read further about E Force Borneo

ROSS, Private, DONALD, WX9253, A.I.F. 2/4 M.G. Bn., Australian Infantry. 23 May 1945. Age 32. Son of Alexander and Lillian May Ross; husband of Ada Annie Ross, of Albany, Western Australia. Panel 19.   Labuan Memorial, Malaysia.

 

 

Below Don and Ada’s engagement 1940.

 

Don’s wife Ada Annie Ross (nee Bunker) is sister to Harold ‘Harry’ Thomas Bunker WX9223 who miraculously survived the sinking of the Rakuyo Maru. Don Ross and Harry Bunker enlisted on same day 30 Oct 1940, were both in ‘A’ Coy – Don was a Driver and Harry a Rangetaker.

Read of connections/marriages between men of 2/4th

The Ross family endured further tragedy when Don’s widowed father suicided in October 1949 at the age of 72.  He was found by two of his other sons.  Alexander came to WA from Euroa, Victoria and began work on the water pipeline from Mundaring to Coolgardie.  He came to Bornholm from Midland in 1910 and took up a virgin block of land converting it into a prosperous orchard and mixed farming.  Alexander worked as a foreman with the Public Works.

 

Please read further about the 2/4th men who enlisted fromn Bornholm (Albany/Denmark) area.

 

Camp Locations:

  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Sandakan - Borneo ***
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