Soldier profiles

Name : MCNEIL, ALEXANDER
Service Number : VX55690
Date of Birth : 17/12/1908
Place of Birth : CARAMUT, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : STATION HAND
Date of Enlistment : 13/05/1941
Locality on Enlistment : CARAMUT, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : MCNEIL, JOSEPH
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 : 19/07/1946
Date Died : 08/07/1961
Age at Death : 52
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : CARAMUT CEMETERY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.
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-0058 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6110474 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 579kB), Headstone [photo courtesy of C. Judkins]

Background : Son of Joseph McNeil. Repatriated to Australia on Moreton Bay.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 9 inches, blue eyes, dark complexion, dark hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : Nil. Full time war service : A.I.F. 13/05/1941 to 19/07/1946 which included 1894 days active service (262 days within Australia & 1514 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East & Java areas, embarked from Australia 08/09/1941 , disembarked in Australia 30/10/1945. War badge no. 309977. Discharge certificate no. 550492.

Service record.
13/05/1941 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
16/05/1941 Granted leave without pay 16/05/1941 to 26/05/1941 inclusive.
27/05/1941 Rejoined unit from leave without pay.
30/05/1941 Transferred from Recruit Reception Depot to Engineers Training Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
31/05/1941 Taken on strength Engineers Training Battalion.
23/06/1941 Transferred to Pioneer Engineers Training Depot.
08/07/1941 Posted to 3rd Reinforcements 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
03/09/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.T. G.G..
23/09/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
10/11/1941 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from Pioneer Training Battalion.
12/11/1941 Taken on strength 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action and transferred to X list.
01/10/1942 Reported missing believed prisoner of war.
04/11/1943 Reported prisoner of war.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
20/08/1945 Recovered from Japanese in Thailand.
15/10/1945 Embarked Singapore on Moreton Bay.
30/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
30/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot.
30/10/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria from ship with injured arm.
09/05/1946 Discharged from 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria to unit.
19/07/1946 Discharged.