Soldier profiles

Name : CLEMENTS, ERIC GARTH
Service Number : VX20803
Date of Birth : 23/04/1919
Place of Birth : COBDEN, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 01/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : COBDEN, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : CLEMENTS, ROBERT
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 : N/A
Date Died : 21/07/1943
Age at Death : 24
Community Roll of Honour : COBDEN (VIC)
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY, THAILAND. COLLECTIVE GRAVE 1. Q. 2-78. / AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL COMMEMORATIVE AREA PANEL 72
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) : 21/07/1943 / CHOLERA / HINTOCK CAMP (THAILAND)
P.O.W. Camps (details) : JAVA, HINTOCK (THAILAND)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : NO
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial Death Circular, Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0016 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6212306 [DIGITISED], Barcode 32514537 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian War Memorial, Headstone [photo courtesy of K. Fraser (son of VX18403 S. Fraser)], Past article (size 285kB), Past article (size 888kB), Past article (size 91kB), Past article (size 106kB), AWM_REL/11885.jpg, Shire of Heytesbury commemorative scroll

Background : Son of Robert Badger Clements and Agnes Orwell Clements, of Cobden, Victoria, Australia. Third son of four others serving in the Army. Local football team member and a keen sportsman. Shire of Heytesbury commemorative scroll to his family reads : Presented to the Relatives of Pte E. Clements who made the Supreme Sacrifice in World War II by the President, Councillors and Ratepayers of the Shire of Heytesbury as a record and in appreciation of Services nobly rendered. 25/04/1948. Japanese Java Party 6 Prisoner of War. 04/01/1943 Embarked Java on Usu Maru with 1970 Prisoners of War. 07/01/1943 Disembarked Singapore and party split up. 20/01/1943 From Singapore overland on Train 37 to Thailand with 625 Prisoners of War. A Red Cross enquiry was made about Pte. Clements, enquiry number 43146 : CLEMENTS Given Name(s) or Initials: E G. Military Service Number or Last Known Location: VX20803 Missing, Wounded and Prisoner of War Enquiry Card Index Number: 43146. 191383. Item: [2016.0049. 09867] "Clements, E G, VX20803".

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. Hazel eyes, dark brown hair. Marks / scars : 1 inch scar medial left knee.

Service record
01/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
03/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
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.
24/08/1941 Evacuated to 1 Australian Corps Rest Station with Not Yet Determined (N.Y.D.).
30/09/1941 Discharged 1 Australian Corps Rest Station to unit.
30/09/1941 Rejoined unit from 1 Australian Corps Rest Station.
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.
15/10/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
21/07/1943 Died of illness (cholera) in Thailand whilst prisoner of war.
28/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war, Java.