The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- King
- First Name:
- Alfred Victor a.k.a. Albert John King
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX16236
- Enlisted:
- 27.08.1941
- Discharged:
- 23.01.1946
- DOB:
- 22.02.1922
- Place of Birth:
- Warwickshire, Kings Norton, (Birmingham) England
- Father's Name:
- Not Known
- Mothers's Name:
- Not Known
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Miner and Stationhand
- Memorial:
- Sukchon Cemetery Korea, Portion 2, Plot and Row 11, Grave 126, Age 26
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp and Barracks Changi, Forest Party
- Force:
- ‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Tarsau, Kanu II, Hintock, Chungkai, Tamuang
- Camps Japan:
- Yamane, Niihama
- POW#:
- 8800 & !648
- Japan:
- Rashin Maru Party
- Cause of Death:
- Killed in Action Korea 1950
- Place of Death:
- Korea. Soldier was a Kingsley Fairbridge Farm school boy. He absonded and changed his name to avoid detection. Soldier re-enlisted and tragically was killed in action after only 42 days in Korea.
- Date of Death:
- 8.11.1950
- Return Details 1945:
- Wakayama‐Okinawa, USS Sanctuary, Okinawa- Manila, USS Bingham, Manila-Sydney, HMS Speaker, Sydney-Fremantle, HMT Strathmore
General Description
King was a Kingsley Fairbridge Farm school boy and had absconded from his place of work. (At that time Fairbridge children were Wards of the State until 21 years of age). He changed his name to avoid detection. He would have been 17 years old when he enlisted.
His mothers surname was Beddow.
Born 21/2/1924, Alfred Victor King arrived in Australia on ‘Oronsay’ 23/8/1932 aged 8 years. He was housed in ‘Nelson’ with ‘Cowboy’ Matthews and Reg Tooze who had arrived at Fairbridge in 1931.
2/4th Fairbridge boys – is thought King is standing 2nd from left.
King was sent to work Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force S Battalion. Please read further.
He was selected as being ‘fit’ by Japanese to work in Japan, and sailed to Moji Japan from Singapore with ‘Rashin’ Maru.
King re-enlisted on 9th August 1950, landing in Pusan, South Korea on 28th September 1950. The battalion was part of the 27th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade. Troops from 3RAR were rotated and replaced on an individual basis, and 3RAR remained in Korea for the duration of the conflict. King served with the Special Forces Unit 3 RAR and was killed in action after only 42 days in Korea on 8th November 1950. His Regt. No. was 5/400008. His remains are buried at:
United Nations Memorial Pusan Korea, Sukchon Cemetery – Portion 2, Plot and Row 11, Grave 126.
Camp Locations:
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Nihama, Hiroshima #2-B- Japan
