QUAIRADING WW2 MEMORIAL
And the DANGIN AREA
‘The War Memorial commemorates those from the district who have served in the various conflicts in which Australia has been involved. The memorial was originally erected in memory of those who served in World War One.
It is a square granite obelisk with brass plates with names inscribed in raised gold lettering.
It is also contains an Australia Remembers plaque which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
The memorial was erected at a cost of over ₤180 and was unveiled by the Governor of Western Australia on the 19th November 1921. Out of a population of 600 men, women and children in the Quairading district, over 100 men had enlisted and gone abroad.
The West Australian (Perth), 20th December 1921′
QUAIRADING WW2 – 10 men from 2/4th MGB were Killed in Action, DOW, died of illness or drowned in South China Sea.
| Barr, R | Clarke, L | MacDonald, LM | Newton, T |
| Baty, R | Godfrey, RE | McCarthy, J | Thomson, JK |
| Bishop, N | Hollis, R | McKenzie, R | Toms, FW |
| Bowron, L | Hunt, E | Minchin, A | Tregenza, F |
| Carter, AH | Kelly, G | Minchin, M | Tregenza, J |
WX7611 BARR, Robert Shipley (Bob) b. 1918 Perth to James and Hannah Barr of Quairading. Enlisted AIF Aug 1940.
Joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy 14 Platoon under CO Lt Tomkins. Details of his death are unknown, however he was fighting on north-west coast Singapore with Platoon 14, believed to have been injured, admitted to hospital and discharged from hospital. Travelling in ambulance when captured by Japanese his CO believed Bob was executed. He was 23 years old.
WXD9326 CARTER, Alfred Henry b. 1920 Northam to Lewis Basil and Mary Jane Carter, Dangin. Enlisted AIF Oct 1940.
Joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy No. 13 Platoon. Taken POW Singapore. Selected to work Burma end of Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma departing Singapore by ships May 1942. Survived working railway. Japanese Selected by Japanese to work in Japan. Work Party became known as ‘Rakuyo’ Maru Party – this unmarked transport ship was hit by torpedoes fired by American submarines in South China Sea. Young Henry Carter was 24 years old when he perished on 12 Sept 1944 in the South China Sea. One of 38 2/4th Machine Gunners. Please read further about ‘Rakuyo’ Maru being torpedoes.
WX7606 GODFREY, Richard Edward (known as Teddy) b. 1919 Perth to Frederick and Alice Godfrey. His mother remarried Percival Robinson whom Teddy recorded as his NOK. He had two sisters and two stepsisters. Enlisted AIF Aug 1940. Joined 2/4th’s ‘C’ Coy as batman/runner.
In Singapore Godfrey was transferred to ‘E’ Coy HQ Special Reserve Battalion as batman to Commanding Officer Lt. Warhurst. Godfrey was killed by Japanese patrol 11 Feb whilst fetching water for wounded Lt. Warhurst. Unable to move with a shattered thigh Warhurst was also killed by Japanese soldiers.
Godfrey was just 22 years old.
Please read further about ‘E’ Coy, Special Reserve Battalion
WX9327 HUNT, Edgar Harold Corporal b. 1914 Beverley to Percival Harold and Alice Matilda Hunt at Beverley. He had an older sister and younger brother who lost his life in WW2. He was a talented football player having tried out as a team player with Swan Districts Football Club. (His name is not recorded so we must assume his effort was unsuccessful) He was also a member of the very successful 2/4th footy team. Enlisted AIF Oct 1940, later joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy, was a Corporal with No. 13 Platoon. 
In 1943 Hunt was selected to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Coy Thailand V Battalion, departed March 1943 from Singapore Railway Station for Thailand.
Please read further about V Battalion.
V Battalion endured high rate of fatalities. Sadly Edgar was one of them. He died Hindaine Camp, Burma-Thai Railway of bacillary dysentery 10 Aug 1943 aged 29 years. His brother Campbell who enlisted with RAF lost his life too.
Back row L-R C Ryan , F. McCaffery, L. Daily (C), A Hewby (Manager), E. Hunt, R. Anderson, F. Clark, T. Tomkins
Middle row L-R C. Helmrich, R. Baddock, J. Pearce, R. Riebe, C Spackman, J. Dore
Front row L-R E.J. Ovens, J. Smith, J. Wheelock, J. Innes, H. White, A. Mussman
WX9279 MACDONALD, Lindsay Murray (Lin) b. 1914 York to Douglas Grant and Laura Jessie MacDonald. Lin was one of 3 sons and 2 girls. He was working on the family farm at Quairading prior to enlisting AIF Oct 1940. He later joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy.
Lin was a talented sportsman and excelled at cricket playing for his local team and 2/4th team.
Lin with No. 13 Platoon was located on north west coast of Singapore for the Japanese invasion which began Sunday 8 Feb 1942. Their machine gun positions were quickly overrun by large numbers of Japanese troops. Lin was KIA 9 Feb at Lim Chu Kang Road, Singapore aged 27 years.
WX9324 MCCARTHY, Jack Corporal b. 1918 Dangin to Michael and Catherine McCarthy. Jack had and older brother Stanley and two sisters. The family resided at Midland Junction. He enlisted into AIF Aug 1940 from Dangin where he had been working, and later joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy. He was a Corporal with D Coy No. 13 Platoon.
As depicted by his smiling face in his photo, Jack McCarthy had a happy disposition and a love of life, sometimes a larrikin. He was also an active sportsman in Dangin/Quairading – tennis (doubles with his brother Stan), cricket and football.
Whilst a POW at Singapore Jack was included on several work parties outside Selarang. Johore Bahru and Adam Park before returning to Selarang Barracks.
In March 1943 he departed
Singapore Railway Station with ‘D’ Force V Battalion and headed to Thailand to work on Burma-Thai Railway.
Please read about V Battalion.
At Linson Wood Camp Jack officially aged 24 years died of malaria. His body was buried in the Linson Wood Camp Cemetery and after the war interred to be taken to Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
14 August 2022 – today at the Service at Kings Park for 77th Anniversary of ‘Victory over Japan’ I learned from Jack’s niece Laurel Morris (nee McCarthy) that her grandmother and Jack’s mother Kate McCarthy sought the details of her second son’s death. Kate apparently met up with a former POW from V Battalion. Jack was beaten up so badly by the Koreans with their usual width of bamboo used for punishment that Jack was left unconscious and died soon after of internal injuries at Linson Wood, Thailand.
Below: Jack’s niece Laurel Morris (nee McCarthy) who learned about Jack as a young man. Her Grandmother was unforgiving towards Japanese when she learnt the truth of his death. (Taken 14 Aug 2022 – POW Memorial, Kings Park on 77th Anniversary of Victory over Japan)
WX7662 MINCHIN, Alec Randall, Corpral b. 1914 Dangin to Frederick and Lily Minchin. He was one of eight children and lived Dangin.Alec’s brother Mervyn also enlisted. He died 1 May 1945 Tarakin, Borneo.
Alec married Mabel Alice Stone about 1941 at Rockingham.
Alec enlisted AIF Aug 1940 later joining 2/4th’s ‘C’ Company 11 Platoon. Alec sailed May 1942 with ‘A’ Force Burma to work on Burma end of Burma-Thai Railway. He survived more than 14 months toiling on the line. In 1944 all POWs in Burma were brought south into Thailand into one of the larger camps. Minchin was selected to work in Japan. His work party travelled to French Indo-China before returning to Singapore to board ‘Rakuyo’ Maru Sept 1944. On 12 Sep, an American submarine wolf pack attacked the convoy ‘Rakuyo’ was sailing with. The ship was hit with 2 torpedoes. It took nearly 12 hours to sink – the Japanese left the POWs behind to fend for themselves. Minchin sadly did not survive. He wearily slipped off the man made life raft on which other machine gunners were holding, on the third day, 15th Sep 1944 aged 30 years. He was one of 28 2/4th Machine Gunners who perished, including Carter (above) and Tom (below).
Please read about ‘Rakuyo’ Maru
WX7664 TOMS, Frederick William b. 1904 Aldershot, England to Septimus and Minnie Toms. He enlisted AIF Aug 1940 later joining 2/4th’s ‘C’ Company, 11 Platoon with Minchin.
It is believed Toms arrived WA ‘Orveto’ 1930 aged 25. We have little information about his life after his arrival.
Tom was earlier on, we believe, working for Alwyn Lohoar’s family who farmed at South Quairading. Alwyn Lohoar married Beth Minchin – sister of Alec Minchin WX7662. Fred Toms and Alec Minchin enlisted 10 August 1940 (there were many others who also enlisted on this date) and joined ‘C’ Coy, Toms was 10 years older than Minchin. As with Minchin, Toms was sent to Burma to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘A’ Force Burma, sailing from Singapore May 1942. He was also selected to work in Japan with ‘Rakuyo’ Maru Party. Toms died on 14 Sep 1944, two days after ‘Rakuyo’ sank. He was 40 years of age. Others from Quairading on board Rakuyo included Carter and Minchin.
WX9280 TREGENZA, Frederick Thomas b. 1910 Dangin to James Montague and Mary Jane Tregenza of Dangin. He enlisted AIF Oct 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy, No. 13 Platoon. His brother John (Jack) also enlisted with AIF on same day and he too joined ‘D’ Coy. 
Fred with ‘D’ Coy machine gunners, was sent to west Singapore’s defensive line to support 2/20th Battalion and where Japan’s soldiers began their invasion on 8 Feb 1942. On 9th Feb Fred was reported missing believed KIA when their Vickers machine Gun was overrun by Japanese soldiers. He was 31 years old.
WX9235 TREGENZA, John (Jack) Ernest Sgt b. 1914 Dangin to James Montague and Mary Jane Tragenza of Dangin. He enlisted AIF same time as his brother Fred on 30 Oct 1940, he later joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy. He was a Sergeant in No. 15 Platoon. 
Jack survived the Japanese invasion and week’s fighting from 8-15 Feb. At Singapore he joined work parties to Johore Bahru and Adam Park and returned Selarang. Jack also went with ‘D’ Force Thailand V Battalion to work on Burma-Thai Railway departing Singapore Railway Station March 1943 to Thailand. Jack died on 2 Sep 1943 of cerebral malaria at Brankassi Camp. He was 28 years of age. Please read further about D Force Thailand V Battalion
Happier days in Quairading.
WX9289 ANDERSON, Ronald George (Ron) was with ‘D’ Coy 13 Platoon. Went with ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Battalion to work on the Burma end of the Railway. Anderson survived to return home.
Ron was at Linson Wood Camp with Jack McCarthy.
Also known as ‘Big Ron’ – Anderson Played footy with 2/4th team before going to war.
WX7608 McLennan, Chris born Beverley1920 enlisted AIF 10 Oct 1940 and later joined 2/4th’s ‘C’ Company 10 Platoon as a Corporal to CO Lt Wilson. He was sent to the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force S Battalion. McLennan survived and was recovered at the end of the war from Nacompaton Camp, Thailand.
Rod McLennan, son of Chris served as President of the 2/4th MGB from 2010 until he died in 2018. Rod was popular with the old boys (veterans) and travelled away on several trips to lay plaques.
Rod was a conscript for the Vietnam war and had suffered ill-health in the later years of his life. In fact he spent most of the last few years hospitalised.
