Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

One of four brothers who served in WWII, Private Arthur Eric King (Service Nos:W4066/WX10385) initially enlisted in the ACMF on 20 September 1940, and was attached to 2/6 Field Park Coy on 18 December 1940 when he enlisted in the AIF. Private King - as Driver Mechanic - embarked with his Unit from Fremantle for Singapore on 30 May 1941, and was Reported Missing on 6 February 1942 - confirmed as a PoW of the Japanese on 19 May 1943. Private King left Changi Prison for Keppel Harbour on 15 March 1943, embarking with J Force on board the Wales Maru. Disembarking on Moji Island on 7 June 1943, Private King was held in Japan at Fukuoka Camp (coal mine and zinc foundry) and recovered from the Japanese at Niihama on 5 October 1945. Taken to Manila, Private King embarked for Sydney on 8 November 1945 on board HMS Speaker, and hospitalised prior to Discharge on 8 August 1946.

Third of five children of Sydney Ernest King (b1876 in Middlesex, England) and Lillian Esther Hatten (b1875 in Suffolk, England), Arthur was born in Norfolk, England in 1911.  Sydney (a Commercial Clerk) and Lillian (a Domestic Servant) married in 1907 in Suffolk, and moved to Norfolk, where Sydney worked as an Emigration Clerk. In 1913 Sydney and Lillian immigrated with their three childre, arriving in Fremantle WA on board the Ajana. The family settled in Perth, where Sydney worked as a Shop Assistant and Salesman until his death in 1932 - Lillian had died in 1927.

Arthur was a Farmer in Bullsbrook in 1936 when he married Jean Lee Graham (b1914 in Boulder, WA). Arthur and Jean settled in Bullsbrook, where Arthur was a Farmer and, in his Attestation Papers (NAA) gave his occupation as Builder's Labourer. Following his Discharge from the Army in 1946, Arthur and Jean remained in Bullsbrook, where they raised their family and Arthur was a Farmer until his death in 1965. Jean died in 2005.