Soldier profiles

Name : PUGSLEY, HARRY CHARLES
Service Number : VX17737
Date of Birth : 22/07/1899
Place of Birth : FOOTSCRAY, VIC
Known as : HARRY
Occupation on Enlistment : TAILOR CUTTER
Date of Enlistment : 30/05/1940
Locality on Enlistment : WEST FOOTSCRAY, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : PUGSLEY, FLORENCE
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) :
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 02/01/1946
Date Died : 29/04/1957
Age at Death : 57
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : N/A
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : NO
P.O.W. Camps (details) : THAILAND
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0071 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6212275 [DIGITISED], Barcode 32339842 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, J_DAVIDSON_13.jpg

Background : Husband of Florence Aurill Violet Pugsley. Repatriated to Australia on the M.V. Highland Brigade.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : married. 32 Battalion Australian Military Forces previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 5 inches, blue eyes, dark complexion, brown hair. Marital status : married. Dependent children : 3 16 years & older. Medical : scotomata presbyopia. Full time war service : A.I.F. 30/05/1940 to 02/01/1946 which included 2044 days active service (73 days within Australia & 1659 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East & Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 21/10/1945). War badge no. 224137. Discharge certificate no. 481156.

Service record
30/05/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
31/05/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
15/11/1940 Admitted Puckapunyal 4 Australian General Hospital, Seymour, Victoria with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (U.R.T.I.).
18/11/1940 Discharged R.T. Lines.
17/12/1940 Admitted 7 Australian General Hospital with haematemesis.
17/12/1940 Discharged to unit.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
27/06/1941 Injury - accidentally injured (twisted knee).
28/06/1941 Evacuated to 1 Australian General Hospital with sprained right ankle and transferred to X list.
31/08/1941 Discharged 1 Australian General Hospital and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion.
31/08/1941 Marched in.
02/10/1941 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
04/10/1941 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
01/10/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
26/08/1943 Previously reported missing in action believed prisoner of war now reported prisoner of war.
18/09/1943 Reported prisoner of war.
10/12/1943 Now interned Thailand camp.
22/12/1943 Reported interned Thailand camp.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
20/08/1945 Alive in Siam. Recovered from Japanese.
06/10/1945 Embarked Singapore on M.V. Highland Brigade.
21/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
21/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot, Melbourne, Victoria ex M.V. Highland Brigade.
23/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
18/12/1945 Discharged to Prisoner of War Wing Watsonia, Victoria.
18/12/1945 Marched in ex 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
19/12/1945 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
02/01/1946 Discharged.