11 November 2022
RSL KWINANA dedicates the RSL Hall to
Sgt Bryan ‘Harry’ MANWARING WX7438 
Bryan Manwaring would surely have been proud of the Dedication to the Hall in his name. It was attended by his three children and a large number of grandchildren.
Below: Following the Hall Dedication Service, RSL Kwinana Sub-Branch hosted Remembrance Day 2022 at the nearby City of Kwinana War Memorial
Above: Manwaring’s three children lay a wreath.
Attended by Harry Tysoe and Cheryl Mellor from Committee, 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion ex-Members Assocation
Above: George Hancock, Dorothy & Bryan ‘Harry’ Manwaring
Manwaring married prior to leaving for war, to Dorothy May Letts (born Geraldton 1917). She is daughter of Thomas Letts and Rebecca Elizabeth Hancock, older sister to 2/4th’s WX7987 George Hancock.
Sent to Singapore with 2/4th MGB he survived the one week’s battle and was selected with ‘A’ Force Burma Green Force No. 3 Battalion – the first work force to leave Singapore. 3,000 Australians would commence work on the Burma end of the Railway. But first, they would spend several months in south west Burma working to repair and enlarge several former British owned airfields commencing at Victoria Point.
Manwaring left Singapore with A Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion about July 1942 – Green Force had completed the airfield repairs and enlargement at Victoria Point and moved onto Ye to undertake a similar task. Conditions were much worse at Ye than at Victoria Point. This was the first time the men had met up with former troops from Dutch East Indies, from Java. The Japanese treatment of the Dutch was extreme.
Bryan Manwaring led a party of 20 2/4th boys on a work party at Ye Airfield, South West coast of Burma.
‘They were recovering logs from the jungle for piles and wharf decking. A bit of a character with a rather quizzical sense of humour Bryan selected a log he thought would be eminently suitable for the job in hand and hooking on the chains gave the order …………. One, two, three, heave ………… one, two, three, heave……..
As the 20 straining men slowly emerged from the jungle, their Jap guard jumped to his feet in anticipation. With about 30 feet of rope attached to the log it took a while for it to appear. When finally it did the gang collapsed in exhaustion – it was about 6 feet in length and about the circumference of a small sapling.
Brian looked at the Jap and in his quiet way said “yuroshi ka?” (good hey!)
The Jap looked at Brian, then ‘the log’ then at Brian, then at the men and then again at ‘the log’ and then exploded …… “Number One – Number One” and burst out laughing!
Now this was not the reaction the men had expected.
They were taken by surprise and when the guard said “all men yasumei” (rest) the men couldn’t believe it!’
It never happened again. The story became a precious memory to share again and again in the dark days ahead – and there were years of those dark days.
The Jap with a sense of humour! AND NO PUNISHMENT.
At the end of 1943 the Japanese began to bring all POWs working in Burma, south to one of several large POW Camps or hospitals in Thailand. ‘Harry’ was sent to Tamarkan. The POWs glad to be free of the railway.
Rumuors abounded. The Japanese were wanting men to send to Japan to work. There were mixed reactions to the news. The POWs wanted to get away from jungle conditions, but were aware of US submarine attacks and had some knowledge of the progress of war via secret radios.
The Japanese selected those they considered fit. They also wanted to the best looking ‘specimens’ – no freckles, dark skin, etc.
So it was that Manwaring was selected on 27 March 1944 with what would become known as ‘Rakuyo’ Maru Party.
POWs destined for Japan were to be entrained to French Indo-China, (their destination was Saigon’s nearby port which Japan had been using for some years to ship equipment to front line soldiers in north Burma) via Bangkok arriving 16 June 1944,
Once in Saigon it became evident to the Japanese this plan would not be feasible. US submarines had now effectively blockaded any Japanese shipping using this port. During this waiting period the POWs worked around the Saigon Docks.
After several months the Japanese decided the best plan was sending these POWs to Singapore and shipping them to Japan from there. At this point in time, Manwaring became one of four 2/4th boys who became ill and remained behind in Saigon.
On 12 Sep 1944 the ‘Rakuyo’ Maru was sunk by US submarines. Most Pows on board lost the lives, however miraculously some were picked up by a Japanese corvette and taken on to Japan. A number were rescued by the same US submarines which had days earlier, attacked them. (They would be home by Christmas 1944!)
Manwaring would spend the remainder of the war as a POW in French Indo China. At the end of the war, Bryan was recovered from Red Cross Hospital in Saigon . He had suffered ulcers to his legs and malaria. His eyesight was reduced to 15% due to the blows received to his head from Japanese/Korean guards and/or combination of vitamin deficiency. When he returned he was a patient with other former POWs suffering from diminished eyesight at Lady Lawley, Cottesloe.
Manwaring always read by magnifying glass. His family never heard him complain.
Firstly Bryan and Dorothy returned to Mandurah where he worked in his father’s store. He took up role of President of Mandurah RSL energetically organising events. He also stood for the Manduarah Roads Board and was elected for several years.
He and Dorothy moved to Medina in 1953 where they established a general store to service the Kwinana area. He instigated the formation of the Medina RSL sub-Branch in 1955. Bryan was President from 1955 to 1963. On his election as President Bryan expressed his wish that the formation of the new Sub Branch would be a success, and that he would do all in his power to make it so.
He assisted in establishing the original Kwinana Bowls club in 1959 and served as President from 1960-65. He later became a Councillor on the Town of Kwinana council serving from 1970-72.
Throughout his life Bryan lived with reduced eyesight for which he used a large magnifying glass. He managed always and was never heard complaining.
He and Dorothy had three children.
He died at Medina in 1984 aged 71 years. Dorothy died in 2020.
Below: This memorial wall is situated in the City of Kwinana War Memorial Park
Below: A happy group celebrating opening of Kwinana RSL 1955. Bryan is standing slightly right of centre, wearing white shirt with tie.
