Soldier profiles

Name : BATTEN, LEONARD ERIC
Service Number : VX56357
Date of Birth : 12/04/1916
Place of Birth : KING ISLAND, TAS
Known as : LEN
Occupation on Enlistment : LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 21/05/1941
Locality on Enlistment : FRANKSTON, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : BATTEN, WILLIAM
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 : 10/07/1943
Age at Death : 27
Community Roll of Honour : KING ISLAND (TAS)
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) : 10/07/1943 / 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 B-JAVA-0006 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6110600 [DIGITISED], Barcode 32459928 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 58kB), Death notice (The Mercury 03/08/1945), AWM_REL/11885.jpg

Background : Son of William and Elizabeth Alice Mannering Batten, of Currie, King Island, Tasmania, Australia. Fiancee of Elsie Jean McDonald.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. Brown eyes, brown hair. Marks / scars : appendectomy scar, small scar left knee from motor accident.

Service record
21/05/1941 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
23/05/1941 Granted leave without pay 23/05/1941 to 29/05/1941 inclusive.
30/05/1941 Rejoined unit from leave without pay.
04/06/1941 Transferred to Southern Command Engineering Training Depot.
05/06/1941 Transferred from Recruit Reception Depot to Engineering Training Depot (Pioneer Wing) Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
08/07/1941 Posted to 3rd Reinforcements 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
08/07/1941 Graded Carpenter Group II.
26/08/1941 Promoted to acting Corporal.
09/10/1941 Promoted to acting Sergeant.
29/10/1941 Posted to Reinforcements 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
02/11/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.T. L.L. Convoy 13.
24/11/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
25/11/1941 Reverted to Private.
26/11/1941 Promoted to acting Corporal.
30/12/1941 Reverted to Private on evacuation to hospital.
30/12/1941 Evacuated to 1 Australian General Hospital with mumps.
10/01/1942 Discharged 1 Australian General Hospital and marched into Convalescent Hospital with parotitis.
21/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion.
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.
19/08/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
28/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war, Java.
10/07/1943 Died of illness whilst prisoner of war (Beriberi), Thailand.