George William DOWNS

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DOWNS, George William

Service Number:	WX15469
Enlisted:	30 July 1941
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	2nd/1st Field Workshop
Born:	Geraldton, Western Australia, 22 June 1912
Home Town:	Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Engine Driver
Died:	Melville, Western Australia, 3 September 1981, aged 69 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Fremantle Cemetery, Western Australia
Memorials:

World War 2 Service

30 Jul 1941:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX15469
23 Sep 1941:	Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX15469, 2nd/1st Field Workshop, embarked Fremantle for Middle East
10 Mar 1943:	Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX15469, 2nd/1st Field Workshop, embarked Middle East for Adelaide on board HMS Netherland en route for Fremantle on board Mulbera
27 May 1943:	Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX15469

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Biography contributed by Chris Buckley

Private George William Downs (Service No:WX15469) initially served in the ACMF (Service No:W23923) before enlisting in the AIF on 30 July 1941 - Trade Group Fitter. Private Downs served in the Middle East (20 September 1941 to 10 March 1943) and was attached to 2nd/1st Field Workshop at Discharge on 27 May 1943. Siblings Charles and William also served in WWII.

Born in Geraldton, WA in 1912, George was eldest of five children of William Downs (b1875 in Warwickshire, England) and Amelia Smith (b1892 in Reefton, New Zealand). William worked as a Bricklayer in England for his Uncle before immigrating to Australia. William and Amelia married in Geraldton, WA in 1913 and lived in Boulder and Westonia before settling in Fremantle in the early 1920s - William worked as a Bricklayer.

George worked as an Engine Driver in Fremantle, WA before enlisting in the Army and, following his Discharge, in 1944 married Margaret (Peg) Mary Reid (b1915 in Perth, WA) - Margaret was a Munitions Worker in Perth. George and Peg lived in Perth and Fremantle, where George worked as a Fitter. In the mid 1950s they moved to Bunbury, where George worked as an Instrument Fitter before retiring to Melville in Fremantle WA. George died in 1981 and Peg in 2010.

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