The Soldier's Details

Roy enlisted 8 Oct 1941 and as a reinforcement joined 2/4th MGB’s ‘E’ Company at  Fremantle on board ‘Aquitania’ which arrived Gage Roads, Fremantle, 15th January for one night before sailing to Singapore the following day.  In Singapore ‘E’ Coy was placed under the command of Major Bert Saggers.

They lost too many men at a Japanese ambush at Bukit Timah on 11th February – although an ambush, the majority of ‘E’ Coy troops were barely trained and inexperienced.  Ecclestone was one of the more fortunate survivors who went on to be a POW of Japan and worked on the Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway.

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He was selected to work on the Burma end of the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma Green force No. 3 Battalion.

Please read about this first work party of 3,000 Australian POWs to sail from Singapore 14 May 1942 to south west coast of Burma

Roy Ecclestone was recovered from Bangkok at the end of the war.  He embarked on ‘Karoa’ 29 Oct 1945, disembarking Fremantle 7 November 1945.  He was admitted 110 (P) MH.

 

 

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Roy’s parents William Ecclestone and Ada Jane Grace Dawson married 1903, youngest daughter of Mr & Mrs G Lawson of Newtown.  They raised a family of two sons and two daughters and farmed at Wagerup.  Roy’s birth name was Royal Elliott Enoch Ecclestone.

 

 

Roy’s grandmother died 1922.

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His Grandfather died in 1924.

 

 

 

Roy married about 1935 to Elsie Hunt in Plantagenet Area.  According to the wedding write-up – the Ecclestones travelled to reside in Southern Cross.  They had three children their son was born February 1938.

He was recorded residing Southern Cross in the years 1935-1937 working as a carpenter.

 

Roy suffered two broken arms, injured hip and head injuries. This would have been a challenging time for Elsie Ecclestone .

 

During 1939, the Ecclestone family endured a tragic  loss.  Roy’s mother was walking with two sisters on the road near Wagerup, along Perth-Bunbury Road when Mary Ann was hit by a vehicle and died almost instantly.

 

 

Above are from South Western Times (Bunbury) 4 Oct 1939.   The driver of the vehicle was acquitted.

 

 

In 1939, Roy and Wandering Hotel.

 

 

Roy’s mother died Dec 1950.

 

After returning from war we are only able to locate Roy with Electoral Roll living 1958 Harris River, near to Collie and working as a timber worker.

In 1931 Roy was farming at Narrikup with his wife Elsie.  It is thought Elsie remained residing at Narrikup with the three children.

She is buried Mt. Barker Cemetery.

Roy Ecclestone died 29 Jan 1974 at Subiaco aged 69 years. His funeral was at Karakatta Cemetery.