POSTLETHWAITE, Albert George
| Service Numbers: | NX47916, NX479146 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 September 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2 Infantry Battalion AMF |
| Born: | Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia, 24 August 1918 |
| Home Town: | Newcastle, Hunter Region, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Heart Attack, Lemon Tree Passage, New South Wales, Australia, 6 October 1986, aged 68 years |
| Cemetery: |
Newcastle Memorial Park (fmly Beresfield Crematorium) Cremated |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 5 Sep 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX47916 | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr 1941: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX47916, 16 Infantry Battalion AMF, Disembark Middle East; On ship Convoy US 10 | |
| 27 Mar 1942: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , NX479146, 2 Infantry Battalion AMF, Disembark Ceylon | |
| 12 Sep 1942: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX47916, 2 Infantry Battalion AMF, Disembark New Guinea | |
| 30 Dec 1942: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX47916, 2 Infantry Battalion AMF, Disembark Brisban | |
| 9 Feb 1944: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX47916 |
Help us honour Albert George Postlethwaite's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Clare Tokareff
Private Albert George Postlethwaite
NX47916 – 2/2 Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force
24 August 1918 – 6 October 1986
Early Life
Albert George Postlethwaite, known affectionately as “Bert,” was born on 24 August 1918 in Cootamundra, New South Wales, the son of William Postlethwaite and Elsie May (née Chuck).
He was born a twin, alongside his brother Harold Postlethwaite (1918–1980). The two brothers entered the world together at the closing stages of the First World War and grew up during the interwar years in New South Wales.
Bert was one of six siblings, including:
Harold Postlethwaite (1918–1980) – twin brother
Doreen Postlethwaite
Gwenda Postlethwaite
William James Postlethwaite (–1946)
By the time war again threatened the world, Bert was living in Hamilton, Newcastle, NSW.
Enlistment and Service
At 22 years of age, Albert volunteered for service in the Australian Military Force and he enlisted for service at Martin Place in Sydney NSW on 23 July 1940. Bert took the oath of enlistment on 5 September 1940 in Newcastle.
Enlisted: 5 September 1940
Service Number: NX47916
Unit: 2/2 Infantry Battalion
Enlistment Location: Martin Place, Sydney, NSW
1941 – To the Middle East
On 9 April 1941, Private Postlethwaite embarked from Sydney aboard Convoy US 10.
He disembarked in the Middle East on 3 May 1941, joining the 2/2 Battalion during a period of reorganisation following the battalion’s withdrawal from the Greek campaign.
Throughout 1941 he served with the battalion in the Middle East theatre.
1942 – Ceylon
In March 1942, the 2/2 Battalion redeployed from the Middle East:
10 March 1942: Embarked Middle East
27 March 1942: Disembarked in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
The battalion was stationed in Ceylon during a period of heightened threat following Japanese air raids in the Indian Ocean. Their duties included defensive preparations and protection of strategic Allied supply routes.
1942 – New Guinea
Later that year, the battalion returned to Australia and was soon deployed north to the Pacific theatre.
12 September 1942: Embarked Brisbane
14 September 1942: Disembarked New Guinea
The battalion was deployed into the Papua theatre during a critical stage of the New Guinea campaign. Conditions were harsh: jungle terrain, tropical climate and the constant threat of disease.
During this period, Private Postlethwaite contracted malaria — an illness that affected many Australian soldiers serving in New Guinea.
Medical Evacuation and Discharge
He was medically evacuated from New Guinea in late 1942 and returned to Australia for treatment.
Despite periods of recovery and return to administrative strength, recurring illness resulted in a Medical Board assessment in October 1943.
He was formally discharged on:
4 February 1944
Reason: Medically unfit for further military service
His discharge reflects the long-term effects of tropical disease sustained during operational service.
After the War
After returning to civilian life in New South Wales, Albert worked as a store assistant.
He married Mavis Cecillia Barton in 1949 in Glebe, where they settled in Dundas and then Parramatta, NSW. Mavis passed away in 1976.
Later in life, after Bert reconnected with an old friend and married Florrie Josephine Price (nee Nash) (1919–2003) — known as Flo — at St Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church, Penrith, in 1980. Bert lived with Flo at her house in Lemon Tree Passage, NSW. He bacame the step-father to Flo's grown children and the grandfather to their children.
Death and Legacy
Albert George Postlethwaite passed away on:
6 October 1986
Lemon Tree Passage, New South Wales
His ashes were scattered at Beresfield, Newcastle, NSW.
Service Summary
Enlisted 1940
Middle East 1941
Ceylon 1942
New Guinea 1942
Medically evacuated due to tropical illness
Discharged 1944
His service mirrors the journey of many Australian infantrymen of the 6th Division — from the deserts of the Middle East to the jungles of New Guinea, where disease proved as relentless as combat.
He served alongside thousands of young Australians, including his generation’s sons and brothers — among them his own twin, Harold, who shared the same birth date and the same formative years.
Private Albert George Postlethwaite
A son of New South Wales.
A twin brother.
A soldier of the 2/2 Battalion.
A man shaped by war, family and resilience.
Lest We Forget.
Click images to start slideshow.