The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Burgess
- First Name:
- Edward John
- Nick Name:
- Kegga
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX16405
- Company:
- ‘E’ Company, Special Reserve Battalion
- Enlisted:
- 10.09.1941
- Discharged:
- 11.12.1945
- DOB:
- 21.01.1906
- Place of Birth:
- Boulder, Western Australia.
- Father's Name:
- Sydney Albert Burgess
- Mothers's Name:
- Emily Lorraine Burgess (nee Hugo)
- Religion:
- Methodist
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Miner
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp Changi
- Force:
- ‘ A ’ Force Burma, Green Force, No.3 Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Tamarkan, Nikhe Wood Camp (1944)
- Camps Burma:
- Victoria Point, Kendau 4.8km, Thetkaw 14km, Meiloe 75km, Augganaung 105km, Reptu 30km Hospital Camp from Aungganaung 105km Camp, (August 1943)
- Camps Java:
- Joined Williams No. 1 Mobile Force and worked down into Thailand to the Nikhe area.
- POW#:
- 3114
- Return Details 1945:
- Thailand-Singapore by aircraft, Singapore-Fremantle, HMT Tamaroa.
General Description
He enlisted AIF 10 Sept 1941 and sent to Woodside, SA to join 2/4th MGB. When the reinforcements arrived towards end of January, Burgess was transferred to ‘E’ Coy SRB. Please read about ‘E’ Company SRB
Burgess joined No. 3 Platoon under Commanding Officer Lt Mazza. Lt Mazza was one a large number of SRB’s deaths at SW Bukit Timah 12 Feb 1942 when he was KIA.
In Singapore he was selected to work on the Burma end of the railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion which sailed as a work Party of 3,000 POWs from Singapore Harbour about 14 May 1942. ‘A’ Force was the first to leave Singapore.
Green Force arrived to work at Victoria Point on the south west coast of Burma. Their main task was to repair and enlarge the aerodrome. From here they made their way to the beginning of the Burma-Thai Railway and started work at Kendau 4.8km on 1st October 1942. They would remain working on this project until the completion at the end of 1943.
At that time we believe Burgess was selected to join Williams No. 1 Mobile Force which would work their way down to Thailand to camps in the Nikhe area. This was really a mobile repair party.
Please read further about ‘A’ Force Green Force
Also read about Williams No. 1 Mobile Force
-
in particular the commencement of Williams Mobile Force.
forces.
The above was printed newspaper October 1943.
Burgess sends news to his wife he is alive and safe. Soon to be arriving home. Also news of Arthur Rees who also enlisted from Kalgoorlie.
Sydney Albert Burgess married Emily Lorraine Hugo in Victoria 1888. It is not known when the Burgess family moved to WA but believed to be about 1900.
Edward was about 4 years when his father Sydney Albert Burgess died at Boulder in 1913. Edward was the youngest of their children.
Emily Burgess remarried 1919 to Charles Rowling.
Emily died 1945.
Edward John Burgess married about 1930 to Alice F Hunt at East Coolgardie.
Edward John Burgess died 4 June 1981 at Esperance aged 75 years.
Camp Locations:
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Nikhe Wood Camp, Ni Thea, 131 Kilo, 284k - Thailand
- Tamarkan, Tha Makham 56k - Thailand
- Aungganaung,105Kilo - Burma
- Kendau, Kandaw, 4 Kilo - Burma
- Meilo, 75 Kilo, 340k - Burma
- Reptu, Retphaw, 30Kilo 385k - Burma
- Victoria Point, Kawthoung - Burma. \'A\' Force, Green Force No. 3 Btn
- Thetkaw 14 Kilo - Burma
