Armadale WW2 Memorial includes two members of 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion:
WX8425 Edward (Ted) Jonathon Leadbitter
Whilst working on Burma-Thai Railway at Kuii Camp, Ted Leadbitter was very ill suffering from malaria and was delirious. He was kicked and beaten for 30 minutes by the Japanese Engineer Corporal known as ‘Black Cat’. He died of cholera 14 days later 10 October 1943 aged 24 years.
Please read about ‘D’ Force Thailand V Battalion and Kuii Camp
Leadbitter was a Fairbridge Farm School boy. Read further
WX7474 Herbert (Herb) Michael Rubery
Bert died of illness 23 Feb 1943 at Australian General Hospital Roberts Barracks, Singapore aged 24 years.
2/4th Enlistments from Armadale area included:
WX8185 James Joseph BASELL
WX9035 Ronald Hamilton CORNISH
WX10048 Edward James COSSON
WX17595 Norman Lenard (Bob) DUNNELL
WX8586 Basil FITZGERALD
WX7268 Edgar Joseph HOWARD d. 1 Jul 1943, Cholera, Kanu II, Burma-Thai Railway, Thailand
WX9045 Howard Edward SAW