Soldier profiles

Name : HIGGINBOTTOM, ROBERT ALFRED
Service Number : VX33534
Date of Birth : 21/03/1917
Place of Birth : RICHMOND, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : GENERAL LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 24/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : COLLINGWOOD, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : HIGGINBOTTOM, EVA
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
Actions : FORT MERDJAYOUN (SYRIA)
Wounded (date / details) : GUNSHOT WOUND TO LEFT KNEE (SYRIA)
Discharged : 26/06/1942
Date Died : 12/09/1994
Age at Death : 77
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : SPRINGVALE BOTANICAL CEMETERY, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. FICUS. GARDEN 3. SECTION G. NICHE 06.
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) : SYRIA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. Camps (details) : SYRIA
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : SYRIA
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : NO
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6225177 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial

Background : Husband of Eva Lillian Higginbottom. Date of service 14/09/1994 (cremated). At enlistment : married. Sapper with 10th Company Militia previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 7 inches, hazel eyes, medium complexion, brown hair. Marital status : married. Marks / scars : scar on right hand. Returned to Australia on hospital ship S.S. Oranje (disembarked 10/12/1941). War badge no. 6608. Discharge certificate no. 28071.

Service record
24/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
28/06/1940 Transferred to 3rd Engineering Training Depot Dandenong, Victoria.
20/09/1940 Transferred from 3rd Engineering Training Depot Dandenong, Victoria to 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion Hamilton, Victoria.
16/11/1940 Admitted Camp Dressing Station Hamilton, Victoria with mental stricture.
21/11/1940 Discharged for light duty.
01/02/1941 Transferred from 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion to 6 Training Battalion Darley Camp, Victoria.
28/02/1941 Transferred from 6 Training Battalion Darley Camp, Victoria to S/C Engineering Training Depot Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
21/03/1941 Transferred from S/C Engineering Training Depot Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Balcombe, Mt. Martha, Victoria.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Port Tewfik, Suez.
17/06/1941 Reported missing in action and transferred to X list.
17/06/1941 Previously reported missing in action now reported in hospital Syria - released prisoner of war.
17/06/1941 Wounded in action with gunshot wound left knee.
28/07/1941 Evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital with gunshot wound left knee.
04/09/1941 Medical classification assessed Permanently unfit for service by medical board and transferred to 1 Australian Depot Battalion.
17/09/1941 Evacuated from 7 Australian General Hospital to 2 Australian General Hospital with gunshot wound left knee. Compound (open) fracture patella medial condyle septic arthritis left knee.
20/11/1941 Discharged from 2 Australian General Hospital with gunshot wound left knee fractured left patella for return to Australia.
21/11/1941 Embarked Middle East on hospital ship S.S. Oranje for return to Australia as medically unfit.
04/12/1941 Delete 04/09/1941 (and transferred to 1 Australian Depot Battalion).
10/12/1941 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
20/06/1942 Marched in ex hospital (115? Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria) to General Details Depot.
26/06/1942 Discharged.