The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Krasnostein
- First Name:
- Leslie
- Nick Name:
- Krass
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX7446
- Classification:
- Driver
- Company:
- Headquarters Company
- Enlisted:
- 6.08.1940
- Discharged:
- 29.04.1946
- DOB:
- 17.06.1905
- Place of Birth:
- Palestine
- Father's Name:
- Jacob Krasnostein
- Mothers's Name:
- Malka Krasnostein
- Religion:
- Jewish
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Wool Buyer
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp & Barracks Changi
- Force:
- 'D' Force Thailand, V Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Kinsaiyok, Brankassi, Hindaine, Non Pladuk
- Camps Japan:
- Fukuoka sub-Camp No. 17, Omuta
- Japan:
- Aramis Party
- Return Details 1945:
- Nagasaki-Manila, USS Lunga Point, Manila-Morotai-Darwin, PBY Catalina aircraft A24-359, Darwin-Perth, B24 Liberator.
General Description
Les was wounded 10 Feb 1942 Jurong Road. Admitted to 13 AGH with shrapnel wound to right shoulder. He was transferred to 2/9th Field Ambulance 15 Feb1942. Discharged to unit 22 Feb 1942.
Les was selected from Selarang to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion, leaving Singapore Railway Station on 17 Mar 1943 on a 4 day horror trip to Thailand. He had been a POW in Singapore for just over 12 months.
Les was in Thailand from March 1943 to June 1944. It is known he was at Hindaine Camp and Non Pladuk from where he was selected on 4 March 1944 with ‘Aramas’ Party to work in Japan.
Please read further about ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion
V Battalion suffered one of the highest death rates on the Railway.
The Aramis Party were sent by train back to Singapore where they were accommodated at Orchard Road Camp prior to sailing to Japan on 16th Dec 1944.
Read furrther about ‘Aramis’ Party.
After arriving in Japan Les was assigned to work at Fukuoka sub-Camp No. 17, Omuta. He remained here from July 1944 to Sep 1945. During April 1945 Les was badly beaten.
Read Affidavits by Les Krasnostein.
After the war Les changed his name to Krass and moved to Victoria where he passed away on 29/8/1995.
In 1929 Les married Beatrice Zeffertt, known as Dolly.
In April 1935, tragedy hit the Krasnostein family very hard – Les’s father and sister Rebecca died in the accident and a younger sister was injured.
Les Krasnostein died 28 August 1995 in Victoria. Beatrice died in 1979.
Camp Locations:
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Brankassi, Prang Kasi, 208k - Thailand
- Hindaine, Kui Mang 200k - Thailand
- Kinsaiyok Main, 170.2k - Thailand
- Non Pladuk, 0k - Thailand
- Omuta Miike, Fukuoka #17-B - Japan
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