The Soldier's Details

Jimmy enlisted AIF 3 Sept 1941 and soon after joined 2/4th MGB’s ‘A’ Company Headquarters under CO Major Saggers.  Other Northampton boys who were also reinforcements for 2/4th and joined ‘A’ Company HQ included Cripps, Osborne, Sutherland.

Soon after arriving in Singapore, Major Saggers was transferred to CO of ‘E’ Company Special Reserve Battalion.  Captain Thomas became CO in ‘A’ Coy HQ.

L-R Back – Sutherland, Carlyon, Keith Mitchell

Front: Eric Osborne, Jimmy Randall, Davey Cripps.

Carlyon and Mitchell survived to return home to Australia.  Both Carlyon and Mitchell were selected to work at Burma end of Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion with Randell and Cripps.  However they missed the draft for Japan and therefore missed the tragic journey on the ‘Rakuyo’ Maru which sank in South China Sea in Sept 1944.

Read story of Enlistments from Northampton

RANDALL, Private, ERNEST EDWARD, WX16356, A.I.F. 2/4 M.G. Bn., Australian Infantry. 12 September 1944. Age 36. Son of Edward and Martha Randall; husband of Jessie Randall, of Ajana, Western Australia. Panel 19.

Labuan Memorial, Malaysia.

Please read about ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion.

Ernest Edward Randall (Jimmy) was born Northampton to parents Edward Harrison Randall and Martha Maude Rodgers who married 1907, Northampton.  The couple had a very large family of 14 children and lived in Northampton.

Jimmy’s younger brother Arthur George Randall who was born 1919 also enlisted WW2.  Tragically he was KIA and buried El Alamain, Matruh, Egypt. There were many death notices in the ‘West Australian’ for Arthur, however there was not even one from the Randall family for Jimmy.

Jimmy married Jessie Oxenham about 1940 and lived at Ajana, about 50 km north of Northampton.  Information received from  Jessie’s descendants who spoke glowingly of Jimmy Randall, tell of Randall’s commitment to Jessie to marry before he left for war, ensuring Jessie would receive a pension should anything happen to him.   Sadly there was disapproval from some of Jimmy’s family.

Jimmy was his own man and he didn’t need their approval.

I spoke with a granddaughter of Jessie’s about 2020 who spoke so  warmly and highly of Jimmy.   She wouldn’t have known him personally however this was the picture provided to her by her grandmother of this wonderful man.    Jimmy ensured Jessie’s future and that of their children was financially secure. (Cheryl Mellor – 2/4th Historian)

Below:  Mr & Mrs Randall, with eight of their 14 children.

Below:  A young Jessie Randall

Read Cripps and Northampton

Having survived working on the Burma end of  Thai-Burma Railway, the Japanese brought all the POWs south to Thailand.  Jimmy was at Tamarkan when he was selected to work in Japan with what was to become known as ‘Rakuyo Maru’ Party.

The party was sent by train via Bangkok to French Indo-China.  The POWs eventually arrived at Saigon where they were immediately put to work at the docks.  The Japanese intended to ship the POWs from Saigon to Japan.  After some weeks it became apparent the seas around Saigon were unsafe due to the American submarine blockade.  The POWs were then sent back from Saigon to Singapore by train.

At Singapore they were accommodated at River Valley Road Camp where they were sent on work parties whilst waiting for a ship.

Please read about ‘Rakuyo Maru’.

Jimmy was 36 years old when he perished in the South China Sea in September 1944 along with young Davey Cripps from Northampton.  The two mates remained together throughout 1942-1944.