The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Rochester
- First Name:
- John
- Nick Name:
- Jack
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX10808
- Company:
- ‘E’ Company, Special Reserve Battalion
- Enlisted:
- 15.01.1941
- DOB:
- 1.08.1905
- Place of Birth:
- England
- Father's Name:
- Edward Anderson Rochester
- Mothers's Name:
- Jane Rochester (nee Telfer)
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Farmer
- Memorial:
- Epitaph, Singapore Memorial, Column 136, Age 36.
- Cause of Death:
- Killed in Action
- Place of Death:
- South-West Bukit Timah
- Date of Death:
- 11.02.1942
General Description
Jack Rochester was at Woodside Camp South Australia when he contracted meningitis and was returned to Western Australia on 25.11.1941. He was transferred to the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion reinforcements on 9.1.1942. Soldier was originally a member of ‘A’ Company No. 6 Platoon.
John (known as Jack) Rochester sailed to Fremantle from London on ‘Esperance Bay‘ on 14 June 1927. He was 21 years old, and his occupation recorded as farm labourer.
Jack had one brother and possibly 2 sisters. He recorded his sister Mary as his NOK on his enlistment records. In the 1911 English Census his mother Jane (nee Telfer) was widowed, farmer, living at Morpheth, Northumberland, with 2 employees and 3 young children to care for.
In the Western Australian Electoral Rolls for 1931, 1936, 1937 up to 1943 Jack was recorded as farmer residing at Burracoppin South.
BURRACOPPIN is part of the Merredin Shire and 25kms east of Merredin on the Great Eastern Highway.
In the early quarter of the 1900’s Burracoppin was the main depot for the Rabbit Proof Fence. All gates through the fence and wells for the fence runners (those who look after the fence) were numbered from this town. For example, the Ten Mile gate was ten miles north of Burracoppin.
Burracoppin is also the site of the first Rabbit Proof Fence No. 1 which began construction in 1901. The town became the central depot for the fence which extended north to Port Hedland and south to Esperance. East of Merredin, Burracoppin in also on the railway line Perth-Kalgoorlie.
Jack’s name was included in several sales for lambs – indicating he was managing to earn income.
He was a keen and talented hockey player, and qualified to play country week hockey for Merredin.
Please see the Merredin WW2 War Memorial
Above: Burracoppin Hotel
Above: Notices were printed May 1946.
