Beacon is a town in the Shire of Mount Marshall; located 42 km north of Bencubbin and 333 km northeast of Perth. This memorial records the names of seven local men including two from 2/4th MGB.
HONOUR ROLL
F3546 Leslie Joseph Blight
22937 Robert Joseph Goff
WX7562 Harry Laurence Elkins, 2/4th MG Battalion
WX818 Phillip Geoffrey Hammond
WX617 William Henderson
17635 Vernon Halloway Hardwick
WX9178 Private Jack Oliver Street, 2/4th MG Battalion
“Harry Laurence Elkins was born in Margate, England. He farmed in North Marindo, Location 3260. He joined the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion. This Western Australian Battalion was in Singapore when it was attacked by the Japanese. The 2/4th inflicted many casualties during the first assaults by the Japanese. An order came from higher command for the West Australians and Allied Forces to surrender. The Japanese were quite brutal to members of 2/4th due to the casualties it has caused to initial Japanese assault. Harry died of dysentery and acute enteritis on 12th August 1943 at Brankassi Camp, Thailand on the Burma -Thai Railway whilst a prisoner of war of the Japanese. Please read about ‘D’ Force V Battalion He was survived by his widow Annie Elkins nee Whyte. Annie died in 1995 aged 92 years.”
“Jack Oliver Street had a farm with his father William at Ballidu (Ballidu is a small wheatbelt town in the shire of Ballidu-Wongan Hills. Localities in the shire include Wongan Hills, Ballidu, Cadoux, Kondut and Burakin.)
After the failure of that farming enterprise, he came to Beacon and worked for Harry Dunne. He joined the Army from Beacon in 1940. Jack was killed by the explosion of a Japanese artillery shell on 15th February 1942 during the final hours of war when Allied Forces surrounded the city of Singapore. “
You can read further Beacon Memorial
