Soldier profiles

Name : THORN, GEOFFREY
Service Number : VX18389
Date of Birth : 16/08/1912
Place of Birth : CARLTON, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : CLERK
Date of Enlistment : 05/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : SURREY HILLS, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : THORN, C
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : 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 : 11/01/1946
Date Died : N/A
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) : JAVA, NAGASAKI 13 (JAPAN), FUKUOKA (JAPAN)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : JAPAN
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0086 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6212002 [DIGITISED], Barcode 479020 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, NAOA_VX18389-P.jpg

Background : Son of C. Thorn of Surrey Hills, Victoria. At enlistment : single. 6 months C.M.F. previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 11 inches, grey eyes, brown hair, fair complexion. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : birthmark rear of right thigh & scar right shin. Full time war service : A.I.F. (05/06/1940 to 11/01/1946) which included 2047 days active service (89 days within Australia & 1652 days overseas). Operational service : Syria area, embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 14/10/1945. War badge no. 155946. Discharge certificate no. 482448.

Service record
06/06/1940 Taken on strength by R.R.D.
06/06/1940 Posted to 1st Corps Petrol Park, Puckapunyal Camp, Seymour, Victoria.
19/06/1940 Transferred to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
19/10/1940 Attended Southern Command Training School, Seymour, Victoria 19/10/1940 to 09/11/1940.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
04/05/1941 Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Suez.
06/08/1941 Appointed Lance Corporal.
21/09/1941 Evacuated 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station (sandfly fever).
23/09/1941 Evacuated 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station to 1st Australian Corps Rest Station.
27/09/1941 Discharged from 1st Australian Corps Rest Station.
27/09/1941 Rejoined unit.
25/11/1941 Evacuated 2/1 Australian Field Ambulance (malaria) & transferred to "X" list.
30/11/1941 Discharged from 2/1 Australian Field Ambulance.
30/11/1941 Rejoined unit & struck off "X" list.
16/12/1941 Evacuated 2/1 Australian Field Ambulance (P.V.O.) & transferred to "X" list.
22/12/1941 Discharged from 2/1 Australian Field Ambulance (influenza).
22/12/1941 Rejoined unit & struck off "X" list.
22/01/1942 Promoted Corporal.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle east on H.M.T. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked at Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action Java.
28/10/1942 Reported missing believed P.O.W. Java.
28/07/1943 Reported P.O.W. Java.
20/06/1944 Rescued by Japanese after hellship Tamahoko Maru sinking off Sumatra. 25/06/1944 Arrived in Japan. 01/08/1944 At Fukuoka Camp, Japan.
02/10/1945 Embarked on H.M.A.S. Kanimbla.
14/10/1945 Disembarked in Australia.
17/10/1945 Admitted 115 (Heidelberg) Military Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria.
19/10/1945 Discharged to General Details Depot.
07/11/1945 Admitted 115 (Heidelberg) Military Hospital.