The Soldier's Details

Review WX10844 William Alexander Willder‘s military records held at NAA.

William was a POW recovered from Siam at the end of the war.  It is most unfortunate we do not have any information of Willder’s POW life sent to work on Burma-Thai Railway, Thailand.

Scottish born Willder enlisted AIF Jan 1941 later transferring to 2/3rd  MGB.  His recordrd his NOK his sister Ellen living in Scotland.  Bill sailed on Orcades from Middle East to Australia.  However enroute the ship was diverted to Java where following very heated discussions between Blamey and 2/3rd Commanding Officer Blackburn the men of the 2/3rd and 2/2nd were ordered off Orcades  to remain at Java to fight with Dutch against Japanese.  They were without their military equipment.

Please read about this incident which changed the direction of so many lives.

 

 

 

 

William Alexander arrived in Western Australian in 1928 from Scotland.

1931 Electoral Roll he was recorded residing Geraldton area, farm-labourer working for Empsall Bros, Maya.

Maya was originally a railway siding between Mullewa and Wongan Hills.

Having returned from war and in 1948 Willder married Sylvia ‘Madge’ Thompson. Sylvia was daughter of Stephen James ‘Jim’ Thompson and Elsie Jones.   A son Alexander James Thompson was born 1948, he died 2013 Dalwalinu.

We note a registration is made 1962 for livestock brand:   Thompson and Willder at Forrest Hill, Maya

Willder died on 25 April 1977 Dalwalinu.  Madge died in 2019 at Dalwalinu.

 

 

 

 

James ‘Jim’ Stephen James THOMPSON

Born 16 September 1888 in Nhill, Victoria, Australia.  Son of James THOMPSON and Elizabeth COUPER.
Farmer in Dowerin, Western Australia in 1912.
Farmer in Coorow, Western Australia in 1913 and 1914.  His brother Lionel Francis Seymour THOMPSON was a farmhand on Turipa Farm in Coorow in 1914 and farmhand in Dowerin in 1916.

On 4 April 1916 Jim Thompson enlisted at Blackboy Hill.  He and eight others who were enlisting were given a farewell at the Agricultural Hall in Dowerin on 27 March 1916.  Two of the other men farewelled were his brother Lionel and Edmund Y. Taylor who later farmed at Yandanooka.

On enlistment Jim was 5 feet 8½ inches tall, weighed 182 pounds and had blue eyes, light hair and a fair complexion.  Hs Service No. was 6344.  After training at Blackboy Hill he was appointed on 21 August 1916 to the 20th Reinforcements of the 16th Battalion. He and his brother Lionel embarked from Fremantle for active service abroad on the H.M.A.T. Suffolk A23 on 13 October 1916, disembarked at Plymouth, England 2 December 1916 and after further training proceeded to France on 16 January 1917.

He was reported missing in France on 11 April 1917 – later updated to captured and a Prisoner of War.  Both he and his brother had been captured by German forces in Reincourt and were interned in Germany at Dulmen (according the Red Cross).   He managed to get a telegram to a relative or friend in England and asked if he could let his father know they were okay.
After almost two years as a Prisoner of War he was repatriated to England on 11 December 1918.

Embarked on his return home on the steamship Khyber and disembarked in Fremantle, Western Australia on 23 May 1919.

Married Elsie JONES in 1919.

Information from  Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project.