Soldier profiles

Name : ALEXANDER, JOHN WALLIS
Service Number : VX16907
Date of Birth : 10/10/1911
Place of Birth : GARFIELD, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 27/05/1940
Locality on Enlistment : GARFIELD, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : ALEXANDER, T G
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 : 29/11/1945
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) : JAVA
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0002 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6212034 [DIGITISED], Barcode 1032870 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, AWM_REL/11885.jpg

Background :

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 7 inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, fair hair. Marital status : married. Dependent children : 1 16 years & older. Marks / scars : scar left cheek. Full time war service : A.I.F. 27/05/1940 to 29/11/1945 which included 2013 days active service (46 days within Australia & 1652 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East & Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 14/10/1945). War badge no. 186896. Discharge certificate no. 311032.

Service record
27/05/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
29/05/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
25/02/1941 Admitted Camp Dressing Station Balcombe, Mt. Martha, Victoria with Pyrexial cold.
25/02/1941 Evacuated from 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Balcombe, Mt. Martha, Victoria to No. 5 Camp Dressing Station Balcombe, Mt. Martha, Victoria.
28/02/1941 Rejoined unit from No. 5 Camp Dressing Station Balcombe, Mt. Martha, Victoria.
28/02/1941 Discharged from No. 5 Camp Dressing Station Balcombe, Mt. Martha, Victoria to unit.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
12/06/1941 Transferred from 2/2 Pioneer Battalion to Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
12/06/1941 Marched into Pioneer Training Battalion Middle East.
07/07/1941 Evacuated from Pioneer Training Battalion to 1 Australian General Hospital with acute appendicitis.
10/07/1941 Discharged from 1 Australian General Hospital with dyspepsia.
04/08/1941 Marched out from Pioneer Training Battalion to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
05/08/1941 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion.
03/09/1941 Evacuated to 2/4 Field Ambulance with Sandfly fever.
06/09/1941 Evacuated from 2/4 Field Ambulance to 1 Australian Corps Rest Station.
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.
19/06/1943 Previously reported missing in action believed prisoner of war now reported prisoner of war believed Java camp.
28/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
15/09/1945 Received from Batavia Radio and understood to be Australian prisoner of war Java.
18/09/1945 Reported recovered Batavia.
22/09/1945 Reported recovered Batavia and held by 2/12 Australian General Hospital.
26/09/1945 Embarked Morotai on hospital ship Wanganella.
13/10/1945 Disembarked Sydney, New South Wales.
14/10/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with malnutrition.
18/10/1945 Discharged to General Details Depot, Victoria.
18/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot, Victoria.
21/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with ascaris.
22/11/1945 Evacuated from 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria to 50 Australian Convalescent Hospital.
22/11/1945 Admitted 50 Australian Convalescent Hospital from 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
24/11/1945 Discharged to General Details Depot, Victoria.
24/11/1945 Marched into General Details Depot ex 50 Australian Convalescent Hospital.
27/11/1945 Marched out from General Details Depot, Victoria to Australian Army Military Forces Discharge Depot.
27/11/1945 Marched into Leave and Transit Depot, Victoria.
27/11/1945 Marched into Army Military Forces Discharge Depot ex Leave and Transit Depot, Victoria.
29/11/1945 Discharged Royal Park, Victoria.