John Hill left Singapore to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with V Battalion, with Commander Alf Cough. They were to suffer most terribly. Alf Cough wrote about his concern for Johnny’s health at Brankassi, June 1943.
After his return to Western Australia on 15.10.1945 Jack (or John as he was known) married Elizabeth Ashton on 14.11.1945. Sadly Elizabeth would soon find herself widowed. At 1600 hours on 24.1.1946 John was travelling in an army truck along Allora Road, Toowoomba, Queensland. Due to the tropical rains the road was flooded and John leant out over the back of the truck to place his map case over the truck’s exhaust. The vehicle suddenly lunged and John was thrown from the vehicle and under one of its wheels, where upon his skull was crushed. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that this officer had endured so much heartache and hardship as a Prisoner of War.
