WATERS, Garnet Henry
| Service Number: | VX68077 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 December 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Hamilton, Victoria, Australia, 24 December 1919 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 15 Dec 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, VX68077, 2nd/4th Pioneer Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, VX68077, 2nd/4th Pioneer Battalion |
Help us honour Garnet Henry Waters's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Rob Waters
Garnet Henry Waters (VX68077)
Below is a comprehensive breakdown of all submitted photos and documents, woven into a historical family legacy profile.
1. Enlistment & Attestation
Date: 15 December 1941
Place of Enlistment: Town Hall, Melbourne
Trade: Railway Cleaner
Age at Enlistment: 22
Next of Kin: Mary Elizabeth Waters
Residential Address: 73 Victoria Rd, Northcote
Sworn into the Australian Military Forces for service during the war and beyond if required.
2. Service and Casualty Records
These records meticulously track his movements:
Initial Training: Southern Command, 3rd Military District, transferred to 7 A.M.P., then onward to Darwin.
NT Deployment: Active service in Darwin during 1942; involved in anti-air and logistics tasks.
Tropical Disease Note: Contracted dengue fever in NT.
Mid-1943: Attached to 119 Australian General Hospital in New Guinea.
Late 1943: Detachment to 7th Infantry Battalion and then transfer to Commando units.
1944–45: Served in 2/9 Australian Cavalry (Commando) Regiment, then 12 Australian Commando Squadron
Campaign Movements:
Cairns → Morotai (May 1945)
Morotai → Borneo (Labuan, Brunei) — Combat support, amphibious landings, jungle operations
Transferred aboard multiple naval landing vessels (LCIs, LSTs)
Final Service Year (1946): Hospitalized with malaria and ultimately discharged in June.
3. Medal Entitlements & War Service Summary
Awarded the:
1939/45 Star
Pacific Star
Defence Medal
War Medal
Australia Service Medal
War Badge Number: 310209
Statutory entry notes awards were originally withheld but released in 1953.
4. Discharge Summary
Date of Discharge: 24 June 1946 from No. 1 Camp (Tatura Internment)
Reason: Demobilization
Discharge Authority: AMR GO 253A (11)
Home Address: Railway Station, Mernda VIC
Total Service: 1,653 days (4.5 years), including 274 days overseas.
Medical Condition: Fair, with no recorded permanent disabilities.
5. Statutory Declaration for Lost Discharge Papers
Filed: 16 August 1960
Reason: Discharge certificate left in mess hall with personal kit.
Verified under oath and confirmed his full details, enlistment, and NOK.
Family Legacy Profile Summary
Garnet Henry Waters served Australia with quiet strength and enduring commitment. A commando-trained soldier, he braved the malaria-ridden jungles of Borneo, endured disease, and transitioned between vital postings across the Pacific.
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6075911
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