The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Byrne
First Name:
Leo Patrick
Nick Name:
Paddy
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX6155
Company:
C' Company, No 10 Platoon
Enlisted:
13.07.1940
Discharged:
29.06.1942
DOB:
12.01.1906
Place of Birth:
York, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Frederick Burgess Byrne
Mothers's Name:
Mary Ann (Mollie) Byrne (nee Gurney)
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Pre-war Occupation:
Miner
Java:
‘Blackforce’, attached to 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion
Force:
Admitted to hospital from 18.2.1942 to 25.2.1942.
Camps Thailand:
Embarked on H.M. Hospital Ship Wuseh on 25.2.1942.
Camps Burma:
Admitted to 2/12th Australian General Hospital at Columbo (Ceylon) on 4.3.1942.
POW#:
8753
Return Details 1945:
Returned by ship to Melbourne and by train to Perth, The Hospital Ship Wuseh departed Singapore on 9.2.1942. This ship then departed Tanjong Priok, Batavia, crowded with patients.

General Description

Some of C Coy (mostly No 9 Pln) in transit Rear L-R Kev Moir, Clarrie Henderson, Fred Webb Front Taffy Jones, Cyril Anderson, Jock Leith, Chris Mc Lennan, Les Marriot, Ern Ricketts, Paddy Byrne, S Morris, Bert Fidge. Kneeling Harry Norris
Some of C Coy (mostly No 9 Pln) in transit
Rear L-R Kev Moir, Clarrie Henderson, Fred Webb
Front Taffy Jones, Cyril Anderson, Jock Leith, Chris Mc Lennan, Les Marriot, Ern Ricketts, Paddy Byrne, S Morris, Bert Fidge.
Kneeling Harry Norris

 

Paddy Byrnes, Unknown, Ern Ricketts, Chris McLennan, Bill McKay
Paddy Byrne, Unknown, Ern Ricketts, Chris McLennan, Bill McKay

 

Paddy placed a death notice in West Australian on learning his mate Jack McCarthy had died on the Burma-Thai Railway in 1943.

 

Paddy Byrne was AWOL from ‘Aquitania’ when it anchored at Gauge Roads off Fremantle sailing to Singapore.  He arrived in Batavia instead of Singapore having embarked on  ‘Marella’ from Fremantle on 39 January 1942.
Read story about AWOL men from 2/4th.
He was diagnosed medically sick about 17 February 1942 and evacuated from Batavia on the hospital ship ‘Wu Sui’ which had sailed out of Singapore on 9 February 1942 and left Batavia about 20 February 1942 crowded with patients and headed for Columbo.  A stroke of luck!
He was admitted sick to Hospital in Batavia from 18 Feb tp 15 Feb 1942.  He boarded ‘Wu Sui’ 22 Feb 42 at Java and arrived Colombo 4 March 1942 and admitted 12 AGH Columbo.
He returned to Melbourne 28 March 1942 and was hospitalised for several weeks before returning to WA.  He was discharged medically unfit 26 June 1942 having returned by train from Melbourne to WA.
Read further about ‘Wui-Suii’ and Ceylon

 

 

Prior to enlisting Paddy Byrne was a miner living in Kalgoorlie, where it appears other Byrne family members were also residing.
He was third born in a large family of nine sons and 3 daughters.  Several of his brothers enlisted with the military services.  Sadly younger brother Mervyn Joseph (Joe) aged 27 years, died in Northam Military Hospital in 1944.
Returning to civilian life, Paddy was living with his wife Ann Edith (Peg)  Emery whom he had married Boulder in 1923  before the war, and working in Kalgoorlie as a miner.  As you will read below, he was to tragically lose his life in a mining accident at the age of 50 years on 22 February 1954.  He was buried at Boulder Cemetery.

 

Please read about accidents & deaths of 2/4th men

 

Below:  Paddy’s headstone, Coolgardie Cemetery

Above:  Paddy’s brother Mervyn Joseph, known as ‘Joe’ died of illness August 1944.

Not until late 1945 do the family receive word of Malcom Byrne’s death in Java 1942 as a POW. Paddy’s brother was with 2/2nd Pioneers where he was taken POW of Japan 8 March 1942.   He died of illness within two months.
Paddy’s mother died in 1955 and his father Frederick died 1961 in Coolgardie.

Paddy’s wife Peg died in 1966.

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