The Soldier's Details

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Minchin enlisted AIF 30 Oct 1940 and later joined 2/4th MGB’s ‘A’ Coy 5 Platoon as a driver/mechanic.  Tim Hodgson was in 6 Platoon – both left Singapore to sail to south west Burma, before travelling on to work on the northern, Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway.

 

Tom Minchin’s photo was included 15 May 1941 ‘Sons of Empire’.

We believe the above to be siblings of Tom’s wife Pearl Minchin (nee Whittem). Pearl’s sister Luteticia was known as Auntie Tui to the family.  Tui lived a long life and died in her 90s.

Below:  Sister to Pearl and Tui Whittem is Francis Eileen Whitten who married 1937 to Charles Hodgson – older brother to ‘Tim’ Leonard Sydney Hodgson WX9231 of 2/4th who died post leg amputation at Khonkan 55 km Camp, Burma in 1943. (Tim Hodgson was Rangetaker with  ‘A’ Company No. 6 Platoon and was sent to work  on railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion.)    Also in same platoon with Hodgson were Harry Tysoe and Bill Cake (reinforcement).

 

Below: Tom’s wife Pear gives birth to their first son Thomas George 1941.  We don’t know if Pearl’s news reached Tom during his incarceration.

 

Tom and his wife Pearl were expecting their first child when Tom departed for Singapore 1942.  Tom met his son for the first time when he was about four years old.  Pearl joined the large number of wives of POWs- never knowing if he were alive, raising her son with the assistance of her parents.

We are grateful toTom’s grandson Graham Minchin who advised of any corrections to make.    Graham also included a story about Bill Cake who was quite a joker.  Now remember this story has passed from the POWs to their sons and now grandson – Tom Minchin and Bill Cake were working on the railway together with ‘A’ Force.

“Japanese Roll Call ocurred severel times daily – Because the Japanese guards did not like to look the POWs in the eye they counted the number of feet standing –  dividing the total number by two.  Billy Cake decided to have some fun and stood on one leg.  Of course the Japanese found their numbers incorrect and beat the last POW in line.”   Which would have put an end to Cake’s pranks. 

Graham believes it was told by Bill Cake to his father.

He also believes his Grandad Tom Minchin is standing far right in the photo below.

Left:  Bill Cake with Gordon Orbst, possibly Les Cody (3rd from Left) and Schurmann and possibly Tom Minchin.

As a POW in Singapore Tom Minchin was selected with ‘A’ Force Burma Green Force No. 3 Battalion to work on Burma end of Burma Thai Railway.  ‘A’ Force made up of 3,000 Australian PoWs departed Singapore Harbour on 14 May 1942.  They firstly sailed to south-west Burma where they split into at least three parties to repair and enlarge airfields left behind when the english departed. Sometimes the POWS worked at two or three airfields before making their way to the northern end of the Burma-Thai Railway.

Please read further about ‘A’ Force 

When the Rail Link was completed and the Japanese began bringing all POWs in Burma south at the end of 1943 into one of the larger camps in Thailand – Tom Minchin was sent to Tamakan.

Tom was recovered from Nakom Nayok when war ended – he was sent to Bangkok, to Bangkok University to await flights out of Thailand.

Tom Minchin was with Doc Anderson from 2/4th in Burma.

 

 

 

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Thomas Minchin married about 1937 to Margaret ‘Pearl’  Whittem. Pearl’s sister Eileen married Charles Hodgson.    Younger brother to Charles is Leonard Sydney (Tim) Hodgson WX9231 ‘A’ Coy No 6 Platoon (died Khonkan Hospital, Burma 1943 following second leg ampuation).

Tim’s brother Charles Thomas Hodgson married Frances (Eileen) Hodgson.

The Minchin and Hodgson families would have known each other from farming in Denmark.

Thomas Minchin was the eldest of about 7 children born to parents Thomas (Snr) and Edith Emily Godsell who married 1909 Stoke- upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England.    There were 6 boys and two girls born in according to the shipping list –  Tom was born 1910, Sister Edith Veronica b. 1912, Alfred Joseph b. 1919 and Ernst William b. 1926 – before the family migrated to WA.
We believe Edith and Thomas had at least 3 additional children.

The Minchin family arrived at Albany from London in January 1927 on ‘Verdic’.  Tom’s father’s occupation was recorded as ‘Gardener’.   The family moved to Denmark (probably Bornholm) to farm with Group 41 Settlement.  Thomas (Jnr) was about 15 years.

Father Thomas Minchin b. 1878 died 1963 and was buried Margaret River and his mother Edith Born 1888 died 1981 Perth.

After the war Thomas and wife Margaret ‘Pearl’ (nee Whittem) remained living in the Denmark/Albany region. The couple lived/farmed at Youngs Siding for at least 25 years from mid 1950’s.  In about 1980 Thomas and Margaret then moved to Albany although they maintained their farming interest with Tom driving each day from Albany to assist his son who took over the farm.

Tom is included on the page with the 2/4th men from Youngs Siding, Bornholm, Torbay, etc.

 

Below:  Tom wrote about his mate Jack Caimanos on his death in 1976 South Australia.

Thomas Minchin aged 95 died in Albany on 25 June 2005.

 

Tom’s grandson Graham wrote:

His grandad spent months recuperating at Hollywood before returning to Albany and purchasing his farm at Youngs Siding and living until the ripe old age of 95 years.  Graham’s sister with her children live on part of the original farm.

Grandad was an absolute gentleman who loved a good joke, treated one and all with great dignity and never spoke about his life as a POW.

Tom Minchin was a councillor with the Albany Shire for a number of years.  A Minichin Road at Young Siding is named after him.