Soldier profiles
Name : SIMPKINS, WILLIAM ALFRED
Service Number : VX8241
Date of Birth : 30/05/1920
Place of Birth : NORTH MELBOURNE, VIC
Known as : WAZZA
Occupation on Enlistment :
Date of Enlistment : 14/05/1940
Locality on Enlistment : NORTH MELBOURNE, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : SIMPKINS, 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 : 04/12/1945
Date Died : N/A
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : N/A
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-0079 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6217795 [NOT EXAMINED], Barcode 1033687 [NOT EXAMINED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, AWM_REL/01823.jpg, Past article (size 432kB)
Background : 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.
