1 W.A.G.S Prisoner Of War

The 1 W.A.G.S. Memorial pays tribute to those RAAF trainees who served in all Theatres of War during WW2 and became Prisoners of War.

To date 150 1 W.A.G. personnel were held in captivity with 31 dying as P.O.W.s. These airmen were held in German, Italian and Japanese camps. Twenty-two P.O.W.s died at the hands of the Japanese. The rest were whilst prisoners of Italian/German captors.

The following information has been included in this report and the Sources acknowledged.

The ones who were most likely to fall into German hands were those serving in Bomber Command, flying raids over Germany and German-occupied Europe. Fatal casualties in the RAAF over the duration of the war in Europe were 5397, of whom the lions share - 3486- had served in Bomber Command , compared to 191 in Fighter Command, 408 in Coastal Command and 1312 in training and other units. Middle Eastern operations, too, claimed a high price in RAAF fatalities, reaching 1135. Australian airmen also supported campaigns against German and Italian forces in North Africa, the Mediterranean and Far East. By the end of the war there were some 16,000 RAAF personnel in locations as varied as the UK, Western Europe, Gibraltar, Iceland and Middle East. The activities of Australian airmen extended across the greatest part of the war's duration. If they did not manage to escape, these men captured in the first year of hostilities spent close to five long years behind bars. At the other extreme, the last of the Australians to become POW's were also airmen, shot down over the Reich as it drew its final breaths.

Excerpts from the book  P.O.W.  Australian prisoners of war in Hitler's Reic by Peter Monteath.

During the Pacific war, the Japanese captured 22,000 Australians: soldiers, sailors, airmen and members of the army nursing service, as well as some civilians. They were imprisoned in camps throughout Japanese-Occupied Territories in Borneo, Korea, Manchuria, Hainan, Rabaul, Ambon, Singapore, Timor, Java, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam and also Japan itself. At the end of the war only 13,872 of the POWs were recovered: one-third of the prisoners had died.  POW in the services were as follows: Army (about 21,000); RAN (354); and RAAF (373).

Source - Department of Veteran Affairs 'Anzac Portal' and the Australian War Memorial

According to a directive ratified on 5 August 1937 by The Japanese emperor Hirohito, the constraints of the Hague Conventions were explicitly removed from prisoners of war from China, the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the Philippines held by the Japanese armed forces and these POWs were subject to murder, beatings, summary punishment, brutal treatment, forced labour, medical experimentation, starvation rations and poor medical treatment. The most notorious use of forced labour was in the construction of the Burma–Thailand 'Death Railway'.

According to the findings of the Tokyo Tribunal, the death rate of Western prisoners was 27.1%,seven times that of POWs under the Germans and Italians.

After the war, it became clear that there existed a high command order – issued from the War Ministry in Tokyo – to kill all remaining POWs.

Source - Forces War Records  Prisoners of War of the Japanese 1939-1945

1W.A.G.S Prisoner Of War
Major camps for Australian P.O.W.s in Europe
RAAF Ex-P.O.W
Ex RAAF POWs Welcomed Home 11 September 1945 Trove
A Japanese POW Camp
Allied POWs in a Japanese internment camp

The 1 W.A.G.S. Research Team acknowledges with thanks the Ex-Prisoner of War Memorial Ballarat website and the WW2 Nominal Roll which was used to verify the following names:

Name
Service No.
Status
Rank
Operations - Unit / Squadron
AITCHESON, Allan Graham
432654
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
POW Netherlands East Indies - 30 Sqn.
ALDRIDGE, Elliot Richmond
416173
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
9 SQN
ASHTON, Ronald Anthony
404762
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 SQN
AUSTIN, Clifton Edward
408617
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
460 SQN
BAKER, James
402700
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Air ops.Halong Netherlands East Indies - 2 SQN
BANDY, John Percy William
401021
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Believed POW missing air ops. Coral Sea, off New Guinea. - 20 SQN
BARRY, Maxwell Rae
419764
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
463 SQN
BARTLE, Murray Thomas
415753
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
PHU
BEDDOE, Donald Cosmo
401731
Killed (POW)
Flying Officer
Shot down over Itain Islands Banda Sea POW - 2 SQN
BEECHER, Thomas Francis
410208
Killed (POW)
Warrant Officer
Air ops.Wesseling, Germany - 51 BASE HQ
BELL, John Robert
404137
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
216 SQN
BENNETT, James Frederick Morgan
404195
Killed (POW)
Warrant Officer
Prisoner of War Germany - 11 SQN POW
BERRY, Graham Royston
407281
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
460 SQN
BLACK, William Rex
417292
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
5 MR U
BLACKET, Geoffrey Caleb
407635
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
21 SQN UK
BOANAS, Jack William Robinson
417331
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
P.O.W Ambon - 55 OBU
BONNICE, Thomas
401737
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
25 SQN
BOORD, Thomas Kitchener
410829
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 MD Reh
BROWN, Ronald Arthur
401812
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN
BURFORD, Eric
407820
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
104 SQN
BURNLEY [DFC], Bernard
407097
Killed (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
Flying battle India - 11 SQN
BURRILL [DFM], Keith Richard
408120
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
21 SQN
CALDER, Lewis Walter
427416
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
Air ops. Yugoslavia - 148 SQN CMF
CHEESE, William Desmond
408046
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Air ops. Target Essen - 460 SQN
CHENOWETH, Colin Maxwell
407198
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
Air ops. Middle East Egypt POW by the Italians. - 223 SQN
CLARK, Jack Robert
415763
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
466 SQN
CLARK, Roger Francis Wyman
406389
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
HQ Pearce
CLEARY, Francis James
400870
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
467 SQN
CLOHESSY, Keith Francis
427295
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
103 SQN
CLOWRY, Thomas Philip
402083
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
14 SQN
COLLINS, Billy Kendall
406613
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1651 CONV
COPPIN, James Bayfield
407099
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
HQ India
CROMIE, John Andrew
410633
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
550 SQN UK
CROOKSTON, Duncan Alexander
402770
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
460 SQN
CRUMP, Hedley Lawrence
407027
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
37 SQN
CURRIE [MBE], Alister McGregor
407822
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
12 SQN
DEASE, Maxwell
415073
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
463 SQN
DINGEY, Vincent Gilbert
427590
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
463 SQN
DOCKING, Gilbert Charles
419930
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
455 SQN
DONALD, Geoffrey Robert
402287
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 SQN
DOWNTON [CGM], George Alban
401206
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1437 Strat
DUNCAN, Alexander
38367
Killed (POW)
Pilot Officer
Flying battle Bochum Germany - 466 SQN
EARL, Eric John
410963
Discharged (POW)
Flying Officer
463 Sqn
EASTON, Thomas Somerville
409135
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN [UK]
EATON, John Gill
437260
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
207 SQN
ELLIS, Elias Charles
418931
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
467 SQN
FAIRCLOUGH, Mervyn James
427078
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
4 Med Reh
FARRELL, George Thomas William
415895
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
15 SQN
FAWCETT, Theodore Allen
406143
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
459 SQN
FITZGERALD, William Frederick
415775
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
49 SQN
FORSYTHE, Pete Gordon
402158
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 SQN
FOXWELL, Clarence Murray
407148
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
211 SQN
FRASER, John Donald
436322
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
Karrakatta
GALVIN [DFC], Glenburne George
401208
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
35 SQN
GARDNER, Donald Drew
416257
Discharged (POW)
Flying Officer
460 SQN
GAYFER, Roscoe Napier Bunning
400556
Killed (POW)
Warrant Officer
Died of illness [POW of Japan] Burma - 1 SQN
GILLAN, John Walter
400253
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 SQN
GRAHAM, John Chisholm
400653
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
36 SQN
GRAHAM, Maurice Anthony
410337
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
Missing air ops. from Australia executed whilst P.O.W Ambon - 2 SQN
GREY, Robert Colin
415646
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
158 SQN
GUTHRIE, Keith Clifford
400254
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 SQN
HAYMAN, Frederick William
401036
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
460 SQN
HOCKING [DFC], Reginald Thomas
407291
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
159 SQN
HOLBOROW, Ian Grantley
402290
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN
HORNABROOK, Roydon Sargood
400876
Killed (POW)
Warrant Officer
Prisoner of War Thailand - 36 SQN POW
JONES [DFM], Arthur Edward Frederick
407103
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
21 OTU
KIRK, George Andrew
409057
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN
LANDSBERG, James William
404759
Killed (POW)
Warrant Officer
Prisoner of War Java. - 1 SQN
LEWIS, Harold Victor
406146
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Died a prisoner off the Japanese Coast - 211 SQN
LINDLEY, George Grey
427712
Killed (POW)
Pilot Officer
Prisoner of War Celebes - 21 SQN POW
MADIGAN, Norman James
406982
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
40 SQN
MAIN, Anthony Clifton
406049
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
458 SQN
MANN, Percival James
401043
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
36 SQN
MARTIN, Howard Allan
407506
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
5 Medreh
MARTIN, Philip Andrew
406441
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
460 SQN
McARTHUR, Norman
400880
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
100 SQN
McDIARMED, Douglas Graham
400562
Killed (POW)
Pilot Officer
Air ops.from Australia vicinity Pomelaa - 20 SQN
McDONALD, Kenneth Stewart
400351
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Died a POW Middle East - 458 SQN
McKENZIE, Lyndon Lloyd
416284
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
2 Per Dep
MEGGS, Alan Maxwell
419412
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1Med Reh Unit
MILNE, David Keith
427134
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
37 SQN
MONTGOMERIE, Laurence John
406865
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Air ops. over Ambon. Executed by the Japanese whilst a POW. - 2 SQN
MURPHY, Lawrence Mathew
401627
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
14 SQN
NILEN, Thomas Alexander
436772
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
467 [RAAF] SQN
NOLAN, Michael Joseph
7188
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
4 Med Reh
NORTHWAY, Patrick William
406679
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
40 SQN
O'CONNELL, Conel
403033
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
408 SQN
OLDFIELD [DFM], Ernest Radcliffe
406221
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
HQ/WA
ORGILL, John Victor
441469
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
Died whilst POW Celebes - died of injuries after being beaten by Japanese guards. - 21 SQN
PACKHAM, Keith
436776
Killed (POW)
Flying Officer
Prisoner of War Tomohon North Celebes - 31 Sqn
PARKER, Keith Rex
408106
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1Med Reh Unit
PAYNE, Stanley Wilfred
406537
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
106 SQN
PERRY [DFM], Geoffrey Arnold
427728
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
4 Med Reh
PLUNKETT [BEM], John James
404216
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
458 SQN
READ, Isaac Wood
406222
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Missing believed P.O.W Halong Netherlands East Indies - 2 SQN
REDPATH, Harry Cadwallader
410285
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
150 SQN
RENNICK, William Herbert
40974
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
467 SQN
RICHARDS, David Bower
407743
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
102 SQN
RIDGE, Raymond Francis
417891
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
5 Med Reh
ROBERTS, Rhys
407513
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
223 SQN
ROBERTSON, Ronald Thomas
418680
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
N/E HQ
ROBINSON, Ian William
409227
Discharged (POW)
Flying Officer
207 SQN
ROLLINS, James Leslie
407036
Killed (POW)
Pilot Officer
Flying battle Germany target Duisburg. POW - 49 SQN
ROSS, Allan Hugh
402206
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
84 SQN
RYDINGS, John Alty
427356
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
27 OTU
SAUNDERS, James Miller
401453
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
150 SQN
SHARP, Gilbert Alfred Lawrence
400883
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
100 SQN
SHERIDAN, Frederick Joseph
441296
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN UK
SMITH, Henry Ross
401327
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 SQN
SMITH, James Herbert
407462
Discharged (POW)
Flying Officer
7 SQD UK
SOUTH, Edgar
401054
Killed (POW)
Warrant Officer
Missing Far East reported P.O.W. in Japanese hands. Died whilst P.O.W in Thailand - 100 SQN
SQUIRE, John Manuel
407952
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
Flying battle Middle East, POW - 104 SQN POW
STANLEY, William Allen
436168
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
1 Med Reh
STEPHENS, Maxwell Frederick
406664
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
14 SQN
STOBART, Albert Adrian
408934
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN [UK]
STOCKDILL, Ronald George
427957
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
4 Med Reh
STYLES, Robert Charles
441367
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN
TAYLOR, Robert
422742
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
455 SQN
TEE, Walter
418988
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
299 SQN
TERRETT, Leslie James
418711
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
158 SQN
THOMAS, Gordon Ronald
417011
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
Operations with 22 SQN [Boston] Aircraft A28-15 damaged by enemy fire and ditched 30 miles south of Gasmata. Gordon died a POW. - 22 SQN
THOMPSON, William Robert
407653
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
40 SQN
THOMSON, Robert Melrose
407304
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
R/S Mallala
THOMSON, Stuart Colin
400671
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
6 HOSP
TILLER [DFM], Henry Stanley
417677
Discharged (POW)
Flying Officer
5 Med Reh
TONKIN, Alan Roy
407654
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
5 Med Reh
TONKIN, Rodney Coombs
417431
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
50 SQN
TREGENZA, Robert George
407955
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
162 SQN
TRENDENICK, Allan Francis
404307
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
211 SQN
TULLOCH, John Roland
437457
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
5 Med Reh
TUNNEY, Donald James
406048
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
458 SQN
TWIST, Colin James
407655
Killed (POW)
Flying Officer
Enermy action from Australia believed a POW - 11 SQN
UNDERWOOD, Hubert John
407306
Killed (POW)
Flight Sergeant
Prisoner of War Burma - 1 SQN
WALLACE, Nicholas Francis
408556
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
27 OTU
WATKINS, Douglas Alexander George
406542
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
21 OTU
WEIR, John
16874
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
4 MED REH
WHITE, James Kevin
418035
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
218 SQN
WHITE, William Murray
402043
Discharged (POW)
Pilot Officer
38(I) SQN
WHITE-KANE , Anthony Kane
401060
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
100 SQN
WHITFIELD, Ross Albert
417026
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
466 SQN
WHITTY, John Francis
401061
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
100 SQN
WIDDUP, Victor
415596
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
460 SQN
WILLINGTON, Neil
436767
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
467 SQN
WINDMILL, Frank
409637
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
102 SQN
WITHAM, William Douglas
404761
Killed (POW)
Sergeant
Air attack on shipping at Koepang wounded P.O.W by Japanese - 2 SQN
WOOD, Kenneth Ronald
404155
Killed (POW)
Warrant Officer
Death the result of the sinking of a Japanese Transport whilst a POW - 1 SQN
WOODLAND, Stanley James
401062
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
100 SQN
WOODS, Malcolm Stuart
416306
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
99 SQN
WRIGHT, Norman Harry
401226
Discharged (POW)
Flight Lieutenant
35 SQN
ZWAR, Ronald Frank
417554
Discharged (POW)
Warrant Officer
5 MED REH
Showing 1 to 150 of 150

Acknowledgements

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