Malcolm (Max) MILLER

MILLER, Malcolm

Service Number: WX3552
Enlisted: 28 May 1940
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: Not yet discovered
Born: Leederville, Western Australia, 20 May 1909
Home Town: Perth, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: motor driver
Died: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, 9 June 1984, aged 75 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Kalgoorlie Cemetery, Western Australia
Memorials: Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
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World War 2 Service

28 May 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX3552
30 Sep 1942: Imprisoned Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre, missing in action from 27 Jul 1942; interned Camp 29, then Camp 82 before transfer to Stalag 18A (POW No. 6387); deplaned in UK in May 1945; returned to Australia Jul 1945
3 Sep 1945: Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX3552

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Biography contributed by Cherilyn McMeekin

Malcolm was the fifth of seven children born to Albyn and Henrietta, and one of six boys. His birth shows his middle name was Neate, like his father, although not included on his service record.

His father died in Feb 1921 at age 47 (see https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/27957628). Henrietta remarried in 1923 to Eric Wilken SMITH; she died in Mar 1940.

That same year, Malcolm enlisted and also got married, to Agnes Isabella LEGGO. Two of his brothers - Donald and Noel - also went on to enlist.

Malcolm was captured at El Alamein and held as a POW for almost three years. 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. Malcolm was one of the 122 Australian POWs to survive the incident.

Agnes and Malcolm divorced in 1948 and he re-partnered with Thelma Emily CAMERON. He died in 1984 aged 75 and was interred at Kalgoorlie Cemetery, as was Thelma in 1986.

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