Members of 2/4th nominated for Medal but not awarded

Members of the 2/4^th Machine Gun Battalion who received nominations for the British Empire Medal, not awarded.

WX12765 Pte. Philip James Beilby, WX7409 Pte. Thomas Anthony Pascoe, WX9223 Pte. Harold Thomas Bunker, WX9055 Pte. Harry Pickett, WX16369 Pte. Alfred John Cocking,           WX16424 Pte. Alfred Sing, WX7123 L/Sgt. Robert Douglas Hampson, WX 8110 Pte. Alfred Daly Winter, WX17452 Pte. Laurence Daniel Kearney, WX10373 Pte. Walter Victor Winter, WX7268 Pte. Frederick Victor Cross

THE ABOVE SOLDIER, was a member of the party of Ps.O.W. which embarked in a Japanese ship at Singapore on 4^th Sept 1944 for transfer to Japan. The ship that they were in was torpedoed at 0530 hrs on 12^th Sept 1944. The Japanese panicked and without showing the slightest interest in the Ps.O.W. deserted the ship in the lifeboats. The Ps.O.W. showing amazing control and discipline threw all rafts and wooden articles, which would float overboard and then progressively made an orderly evacuation of the ship. Depth charges were dropped by the escorting Japanese destroyer affecting many men struggling in the sea. The Japanese then proceeded to rescue their own nationals and when this had been done waved derisively to the Ps.O.W. who showed magnificent spirit by singing ‘Rule Britannia’. THE ABOVE SOLDIER spent four to five nightmare days on the raft with his comrades. After years of exhausting work on the Burma Railway, in an emaciated state from the conditions under which they had existed on the Japanese transport, covered with filthy oil, without clothing and exposed to the elements for four days and nights without a scrap of food or a drop of water, these men displayed dauntless courage and amazing endurance. It was the outstanding and intrepid spirit of THE ABOVE SOLDIER and his comrades that enabled them to survive this terrifying ordeal, until rescued by a U.S. submarine. As a result their tenacity and courage they were the means of conveying to Australia the condition of the Ps.O.W. in Japanese hands thereby rendering a very great service.

Recommended by: Major C.E.Green C.O. 2/4 M. G..Bn.