NEAVE, Alan George
| Service Number: | WX12688 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 May 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/28th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Fremantle, Western Australia, 5 September 1920 |
| Home Town: | East Fremantle, East Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Perth, Western Australia, 24 January 1978, aged 57 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Fremantle Cemetery, Western Australia ashes taken |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 9 May 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX12688, 2nd/28th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 1941: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Infantry Training Battalions, from Fremantle to Middle East | |
| 30 Sep 1942: | Imprisoned El Alamein, reported missing in action 27 Jul 1942; interned at various camps (Italy); embarked for Australia 13 Oct 1944; detrained in Perth 22 Nov 1944 | |
| 22 Nov 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX12688, 2nd/28th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Alan George Neave's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cherilyn McMeekin
Alan was the second of three children born to George and Mary of East Fremantle, and their only son. His father was a seafarer and died at sea on Boxing Day 1925 as second engineer of the Minderoo
Alan enlisted in May 1941, giving his year of birth as 1920. However, his birth was registered in Fremantle in 1922 (reg. 560).
Alan was captured and held as a POW. He was on board the Italian transport ship Nino Bixio when it was torpedoed by a British submarine in the Mediterranean on 17 August 1942. The Nino Bixio was transporting Allied POWs from Libya to Italy. He was one of the 122 Australian POWs to survive the incident.
Alan married Daisy O'SHANNESSY in 1955 in Perth (reg. 1816). He died in 1978 aged only 55.
Biography contributed by Cherilyn McMeekin
Alan's battalion was captured at El Alamein. They had reached their objective; however, the promised tank support did not arrive. When the enemy counter-attacked, the Commanding Officer surrendered.
After the transport ship Nino Bixio was torpedoed, Alan was taken ashore in Greece for treatment for his injuries. He stated his treatment was very unsatisfactory owing to the shortage of equipment and personnel, with only one doctor for over 100 patients.
Alan was then interned at various POW camps. He described the accommodation as reasonable, rations as very poor, bathing and sanitary facilities as fair, and recreational facilities as poor. He described the behaviour of interment camp staff as 'vindictive and childish'.
Alan worked (farming) for eight hours a day. He reported he received 2000 lire in credit for the work but received nil, but did receive 1 lire 'allowance' daily.
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