The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Philp
- First Name:
- William Hawksley
- Nick Name:
- Bill or Baldy
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX7902
- Classification:
- Driver
- Company:
- Headquarters Company
- Enlisted:
- 13.08.1940
- DOB:
- 17.12.1907
- Place of Birth:
- Mt Barker, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- William John Philp
- Mothers's Name:
- Maud Ethel Philp
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Bus Driver
- Memorial:
- Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Collective Grave, Plot 10, Row A, Grave 1-4, Age 35.
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp and Barracks Changi
- Force:
- D' Force Thailand, V Battalion
- POW#:
- 1/8982 & 2283
- Cause of Death:
- Malaria
- Place of Death:
- Kuii
- Date of Death:
- 8.09.1943
- Buried:
- Grave No. 169, Kuii
General Description
Philp enlisted Aug 1940 joinging HQ No. 3 Platoon as a driver. The COs were Capt Phelp and Lt O’Sullivan.
Bill was wounded in action and admitted to Australian General Hospital on 12.2.1942 with a bayonet wound to his right thigh. Discharged to unit 20.2.1942.
Taken POW of Japan on 15 Feb 1942. Philp left Singpore with work party D Force Thailand Battalion under 2/4th’s CO Alf Cough. This work party suffered terribly being sent to work camps where there were a much larger number of Dutch East Indies POWs. The 2/4th men suffered high number of illnesses and deaths in miserable camp and work conditions.
Tragically Philp was to die of malaria at Kui Camp on the Burma Thai Railway 18 Sept 1943 aged 35 years.
Holdman’s photo below.
Philp and Holdman were in HQ No. 3 Platoon. Holdman missed reboarding ‘Aquitania’ on 16 Jan 1942 and was sent to Java, one of about 90 boys from 2/4th. From Java Holdman sailed with work party Java Parrty No. 4,Williams Force on the Burma-Thai Railway at the Burma end of the line. Holdman, aged 34 years tragically died 23 Aug 1945 during an Allied air-raid while he was working on go-downs at the Bangkok wharves.
Philp heard Holdman was on Java and wrote the above note – obviously although this sounded like a fun idea, it was challenging.
Both men did not survive to return home to their families.
Today they both rest at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery with 90 mates from the 2/4th.
Please read about ‘H’ Force Thailand V Battalion and Kuii Camp
William ‘Bill’ Philp died of Malaria at Kuii, Thailand on 18th September 1943.
His wife Verna and their three children were residing in Collie when Bill enlisted AIF Aug 1940, later joining 2/4th MGB Headquarters Company No. 3 Platoon as a Driver – as had Norm Holdman. (Norm however was AWOL when ‘Aquitania’ sailed from Fremantle to Singapore on 16 Jan 1942 – read further)
His parents William and Maude Philp were residing in Claremont. Bill Philp had one sister and one brother.
Bill’s name is forever remembered at the WW2 War Memorial, Collie.
Violet (Verna) Philp remarried 1948 and was widowed again in June 1959 when her husband Charles A. Budd died aged 38 years.
Verna died in 1987 at Collie, aged 76 years.
Camp Locations:
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Kuii, Kui Yae, 185.6k - Thailand
