SPARK, William Robert
| Service Number: | WX19667 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 February 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 18 Field Company RAE AMF |
| Born: | Fremantle, Western Australia, 12 December 1910 |
| Home Town: | Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Pneumonia, Swan View, Western Australia, 10 May 1996, aged 85 years |
| Cemetery: |
Privately Cremated Cremated. Ashes scattered John Forrest National Park |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 13 Feb 1942: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX19667, First in 10th Light Horse; then briefly Medical Corps 2AAMC; finally 18th Field Company in Borneo as graded Miner TG2 Sapper with 2nd/28th | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX19667 | |
| 3 May 1945: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX19667, 18 Field Company RAE AMF, Listed as 18 Field Company On "USAT Sea Cat" Brisbane to Morotai disembarked 13 May 1945 | |
| 25 Feb 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX19667 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Rosemary Spark
William Robert Spark was born to Theresa Spark and Wiiliam Robert Spark Snr on 12 December 1910 in South Fremantle, Western Australia. He was the eldest son, with an older sister and 4 younger siblings. He mostly worked on farms and only received a couple of years schooling.
He joined the forces late in the piece in February 1942 just over 31 years old, giving his occupation as hunter, but he'd also worked as horse breaker and in the gold mines.
He was first with the 10th Light Horse surveying the coast line. He said they did discover caches presuably landed by the Japanese. He was then briefly with Medical Corps and swore by Epsom Salts and salt as two sovereign remedies. He ended up in Borneo with 18th Field Company. He told us the 2/28th He was a Sapper and Miner. He said he spent his time building bridges and then blowing them up.
On 16th April 1949 he married Eileen Joyce Marsh who he had met much earlier when his brother married Joy's sister. He had two children Rosemary and William. After a number of years working as farm hand and manager, they bought a farm in Mt Helena in 1955 and built a thriving poultry farm.
He spent the evenings poring over information from the Agriculure department improving both his literacy and mumeracy skills. He was a "greenie" before there were such things, maintaining the remnant bushland, welcoming kangaroos at sunset on the bottom paddock, avoiding the use of too many pesticides and fertilizers.
His tales from the war were of his mates, of the great relationships with the locals, of starting smoking and regrets of all those blown bridges.
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