Soldier profiles

Name : ROBERTSON, KENNETH CHARLES
Service Number : VX56473
Date of Birth : 18/07/1923
Place of Birth : ALBURY, NSW
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : TEXTILE WORKER
Date of Enlistment : 22/05/1941
Locality on Enlistment : BENALLA, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : ROBERTSON, CHARLES
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 : 11/02/1946
Date Died : 09/08/1996
Age at Death : 73
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : BENALLA CEMETERY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. LAWN P3.
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) : SENRYU 24 (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-0074 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6123336 [DIGITISED], Barcode 31833672 [DIGITISED], Barcode 1033645 [NOT EXAMINED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 432kB), Headstone

Background : He put his age up 3 years in order to enlist. 15/12/1944 boarded hellship Awa Maru at Singapore. 26/12/1944 sailed in convoy up China Coast and across to Moji, Japan. Arrived in Japan 16/01/1945 aboard hellship Awa Maru. Repatriated to Australia on the H.M.S. Formidable. 29/09/1968 Medals, certificate and war badge destroyed in house fire at Lang Lang, Victoria.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 4.5 inches, brown eyes, dark complexion, black hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : no. Full time war service : A.I.F. 22/05/1941 to 11/02/1946 which included 1727 days active service (122 days within Australia & 1502 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East, Java areas (embarked from Australia 03/09/1941, disembarked in Australia 15/10/1945). War badge no. 241850. Discharge certificate no. 491250.

Service record
22/05/1941 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
26/05/1941 Granted leave without pay 26/05/1941 to 30/05/1941 inclusive.
31/05/1941 Rejoined unit from leave without pay.
06/06/1941 Transferred to Engineering Training Depot.
07/06/1941 Transferred from Recruit Reception Depot to Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
23/06/1941 Transferred to Pioneer Wing Engineering Training Depot.
08/07/1941 Posted to 3rd Reinforcements 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
26/07/1941 Evacuated to 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria and transferred to X list.
26/07/1941 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with appendicitis.
28/07/1941 Discharged fit to unit.
28/07/1941 Rejoined unit from 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
03/09/1941 Embarked Convoy no. H.M.T. G.G.
23/09/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
23/09/1941 Evacuated to 13 British General Hospital with urethritis.
06/10/1941 Evacuated from 13 British General Hospital to 8 Australian Specialised Hospital.
25/10/1941 Discharged from 8 Australian Specialised Hospital and marched into camp.
07/11/1941 Evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital with asthma.
15/11/1941 Evacuated from 7 Australian General Hospital to 1 Australian General Hospital with Sandfly fever.
25/11/1941 Discharged from 1 Australian General Hospital with Sandfly fever and marched into camp.
21/01/1942 Marched out to Australian Pioneer Battalion from Pioneer Training Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength 2/2 Pioneer Battalion 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.
29/07/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
04/11/1943 Reported prisoner of war.
13/12/1943 Reported interned Thailand camp and transferred to Thailand camp.
22/12/1943 Reported interned Thailand camp.
15/01/1945 Transferred to Fukuoka.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
15/10/1945 Marched in from General Details Depot New South Wales Lines of Communication area.
13/12/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria from General Details Depot with polyarthritis.
15/12/1945 Evacuated to 2/2 Australian General Hospital with polyarthritis.
15/12/1945 Admitted from 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with polyarthritis.
29/01/1946 Discharged from prisoner of war wing, Watsonia.
29/01/1946 Marched into General Details Depot, Victoria ex 2/2 Australian General Hospital.
04/02/1946 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
04/02/1946 Marched into Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot ex Leave and Transit Depot, Royal Park, Victoria.
11/02/1946 Discharged.