Soldier profiles

Name : FALLOWS, WALTER JAMES
Service Number : WX15516
Date of Birth : 05/11/1918
Place of Birth : RAVENSTHORPE, WA
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : MINER, LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 30/07/1941
Locality on Enlistment : RAVENSTHORPE, WA
Place of Enlistment : CLAREMONT, WA
Next of Kin : FALLOWS, CYRIL
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 : 15/01/1943
Age at Death : 24
Community Roll of Honour : RAVENSTHORPE (WA)
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : SINGAPORE MEMORIAL, SINGAPORE. COLUMN 138. / 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) : 15/01/1943 / KILLED DURING BOMB NEAR MISS ON HELLSHIP / AT SEA BAY OF BENGAL
P.O.W. Camps (details) : BICYCLE (JAVA), CHANGI (SINGAPORE)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : NO
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial Death Circular, Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0027 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6469825 [DIGITISED], Barcode 31706356 [DIGITISED], Barcode 31706357 [DIGITISED], Barcode 31737318 [OPEN], Barcode 32564149 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 1504kB)

Background : Son of Cyril George and Martha Fallows, of Ravensthorpe, Western Australia. Brother of Lawrence George Fallows 2/6 Field Park Company (died P.O.W. 12/09/1944 at sea S/W Pacific).

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. Blue eyes, brown hair. Marks / scars : left forefinger terminal phalanx, upper half of right tibia, inner side of right foot.

Service record
30/07/1941 Strength increase. Enlisted and taken on strength Western Command General Details Camp Claremont, Western Australia.
05/08/1941 Strength decrease. Transferred to 3 Training Battalion Northam, Western Australia.
05/08/1941 Strength. Taken on strength from Western Command General Details Camp.
02/09/1941 School of Instruction. Marched out to Mechanical Transport School C.T.S.
02/10/1941 Rejoins unit. Marched in ex Mechanical Transport School C.T.S.
10/10/1941 Transferred to Reinforcements 2/16 Infantry Battalion.
10/10/1941 Transferred. Marched in Reinforcements 2/16 Infantry Battalion ex 3 Training Battalion.
16/10/1941 Granted pre embarkation leave from 16/10/1941 to 25/10/1941.
07/11/1941 Embarked Fremantle, Western Australia on H.M.A.T. U.S. Convoy no. 13.
24/11/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
20/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from 21 Australian Training Battalion.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Battle casualty. Reported missing in action, Java.
23/09/1942 Prisoner of war. Reported prisoner of war.
14/04/1945 Reported killed in action 15/01/1943. Result of bombing raid on Japanese transport off Tavoy, Bay of Bengal whilst prisoner of war.