LAVERTON BOYS IN 2/4TH
Goldmining Town with mines such as Gladiator Gold Mines, Cables Boomerang Goldmines.
Below: Laverton 1940
WX7266 EDWARDS, George Henry born 1900 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England enlisted from Laverton into AIF 1 Aug 1940.
He joined 2/4th’s ‘B’ Company 8 Platoon under CO Lt Mackinnon. Edwards left Singapore to sail to Sandakan, North Borneo with ‘E’ Force Borneo.
He died (malaria) at Sandakan Camp 20 March 1945 aged 34 years. He was one of 72 men from 2/4th to lose his life here.
Please read about the men of Sandakan.
WX7234 JONES, Ivor William born 28 Sep 1900 Abergavenney, Monmouthshire, Wales enlisted from Laverton 1 Aug 1940 where he was a fireman.
Ivor joined ‘D’ Coy 14 Platoon under CO Lt Tompkins.
Ivor arrived 26 August 1926 Fremantle on ‘Orama’ aged 25 years old, recorded as farm labourer as was his younger brother Artis Walter 21 years who accompanied him.
From Singapore, POW Ivor was selected with ‘F’ Force Thailand to work on the Burma Railway. The 13 trains carrying ‘F’ Force departed Singapore Railway Station 16 April 1943. Seven months later, on 13 November 1943 Ivor Jones lost his life sick with beri beri, he was 43 years old.
Please read further about ‘F’ Force Thailand
Artis Jones died as POW in Germany had enlisted from Meckering.
WX7204 LYNN, Walter Ernest (Wally) born 1913 Claremont enlisted AIF 1 Aug 1940 and later joined ‘D’ Company 14 Platoon under CO Lt Tompkins as did Ivor Jones.
Wally had earlier resided at Toodyay as did Lt Tompkins.
He left Singapore by ship to SW Burma with ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion to work on the Burma end of the Railway.
Wally survived his time on the railway and was he sent to Ubon Camp from where he was recovered at the end of the war.
WX7248 THAXTER, Frank Dawson born 1918 Ravensthorpe and enlisted from Laverton into AIF on 1 Aug 1940. Frank later joined 2/4th. On 26 Sept Frank transferred and trained Australian Army Ordnance Corps as a fitter TG1 (Geelong).
Frank left Singapore to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion. This particular work force under Command of 2/4th’s Alf Cough would endure terrible hardships and high rate of deaths. Please read further
Frank was one of the fortunate to survive working with V Battalion. He was later sent to work on another project in Thailand and was recovered from there at the end of the war.
Many V Battalion men were sent to work in Japan.
