NELLIGAN, Frank William
| Service Number: | WX9950 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 December 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Infantry Training Battalions |
| Born: | Dartford, England, 12 January 1907 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Spaller |
| Died: | Perth, Western Australia, 5 June 1963, aged 56 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 13 Dec 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX9950 | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul 1941: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Infantry Training Battalions, from Fremantle for the Middle East | |
| 30 Sep 1942: | Imprisoned El Alamein, missing in action from 27 Jul 1942; captured at Ruin Ridge. Interned at various POW camps; embarked for Australia Oct 1944 and detrained at Perth 22 Nov 1944 | |
| 22 Aug 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX9950 |
Help us honour Frank William Nelligan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cherilyn McMeekin
Frank was born in Dartford, Kent, England in 1907 as Frank William MARJERAM (2a 607). His parents were Arthur and Lillie (or Lillian) MARJERAM, who married in 1906. Frank had a brother named George, born in 1908, who died in infancy, and two half-siblings from Arthur's first marriage.
The family came to Western Australia in 1911 with the promise of work. Not long after their arrival in Fremantle, Arthur took his life, leaving Lillie with three children. She remarried in 1914 to John NELLIGAN (East Coolgardie, reg. 14). Frank assumed his stepfather's surname. John and Lillie had a further six children together. Two of Frank's three half-brothers also enlisted in WWII.
Frank married in Perth in 1930 to Margaret 'Peg' Catherine POTTS (reg 358). They lived at Canning Dam.
He enlisted in Dec 1940 and embarked for the Middle East in Jul 1941. His battalion was captured at Ruin Ridge, El Alamein, in Jul 1942.
Frank 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. Frank was one of the 122 Australian POWs to survive the incident.
He was interned at various POW camps between Aug 1942 and Sep 1943. He described the accommodation as 'fairly good', the rations as insufficient, the bathing facilities as very bad, and sanitation and recreation as fair. He spent 8 hours a day on farm work, for which he received 20 lire, plus a daily allowance to spend at the camp canteen. He described the behaviour of internment camp staff as vindictive.
Frank died in 1963, aged only 56. His wife Margaret died at age 98 in 1999.
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