Soldier profiles

Name : DREW, GEORGE EDWARD
Service Number : VX20172
Date of Birth : 01/02/1901
Place of Birth : HEYFIELD, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 31/05/1940
Locality on Enlistment : HEYFIELD, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : DREW, FRANCIS
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 : BALATE RIDGE (SYRIA)
Wounded (date / details) : 27/06/1941 MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS
Discharged : N/A
Date Died : 13/11/1943
Age at Death : 42
Community Roll of Honour : HEYFIELD (VIC)
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, MYANMAR. A7. D. 13. / 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) : 13/11/1943 / DYSENTERY, MALARIA, MALNUTRITION / 105 KILO CAMP (BURMA)
P.O.W. Camps (details) : 105 KILO (BURMA)
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-0024 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6213751 [DIGITISED], Barcode 3256688 [DIGITISED], Barcode 31697894 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian War Memorial

Background : Son of John William and Edith Drew, of Heyfield, Victoria, Australia.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. Serving member of 37 Battalion. Blue eyes, black hair.

Service record
31/05/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
03/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
19/09/1940 Admitted 4 Australian General Hospital with mumps.
27/09/1940 Discharged 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.
27/06/1941 Wounded in action - multiple gunshot wounds.
29/06/1941 Evacuated to 1 Australian General Hospital, Middle East (multiple gunshot wounds) and transferred to X list.
15/07/1941 Evacuated from 1 Australian General Hospital to 1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Middle East.
28/07/1941 Discharged from 1 Australian Convalescent Depot and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion.
28/07/1941 Marched into Pioneer Training Battalion, Middle East.
04/08/1941 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion, Middle East from Pioneer Training Battalion.
05/08/1941 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion, Middle East.
22/09/1941 Evacuated to 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station with acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (U.R.T.I.).
27/09/1941 Evacuated from 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station to 1 Australian Corps Rest Station.
30/09/1941 Discharged from 1 Australian Corps Rest Station and returned to unit.
30/09/1941 Rejoined unit from 1 Australian Corps Rest Station.
01/11/1941 Evacuated to 2/1 Casualty Clearing Station with jaundice and transferred to X list.
06/11/1941 Evacuated from 2/1 Casualty Clearing Station, Middle East to 7 Australian General Hospital with hepatitis.
15/11/1941 Evacuated from 7 Australian General Hospital to 1 Australian Convalescent Depot.
01/12/1941 Discharged 1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Middle East and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion.
01/12/1941 Marched into Pioneer Training Battalion ex 1 Australian Convalescent Depot.
18/12/1941 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
20/12/1941 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.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
29/07/1942 Reported missing in action now believed prisoner of war.
18/09/1943 Reported prisoner of war (Java).
13/12/1943 Reported interned in Thailand prisoner of war camp and transferred to Thailand group.
11/04/1945 Died of illness (dysentery) whilst prisoner of war on or after 15/10/1943 south-west Pacific.
09/06/1945 Geneva confirms died of disease.