Soldier profiles
Name : HOCKING, JOHN REGINALD
Service Number : VX17768
Date of Birth : 03/07/1916
Place of Birth : CASTLEMAINE, VIC
Known as : JACK
Occupation on Enlistment :
Date of Enlistment : 27/05/1940
Locality on Enlistment : CASTLEMAINE, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : HOCKING, ALBERT
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : LANCE CORPORAL
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 : 28/05/1945
Date Died : 26/05/2003
Age at Death : 86
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) : AT SEA
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0041 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6212187 [NOT EXAMINED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, C_HAMLEY_1.jpg, C_HAMLEY_2.jpg
Background : Knew VX23638 Edward Francis Buerckner (2/2 Pioneer). Survivor of the hellship Rakuyo Maru torpedoed on 12/09/1944 by the Balao class submarine U.S.S. Sealion (SS-315) at around 5:00am in the South China Sea, east of Hainan in position 18§42'N, 114§30'E. Japanese hellships were used to transport slave labour (including prisoner of war) under horrendously disgusting conditions. Rescued by Balao class submarine U.S.S. Pampanito (SS-383).
