Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Robert Thomas was my paternal grandmother’s younger brother. He was born on May 21st 1903 at 6 Glan Llyn Terrace, Melin y Coed, a small village near Llanrwst, Denbighshire, North Wales. His father was a blacksmith and his mother a midwife. The family spoke Welsh as a first language. Robert was the youngest of six children.

In 1928, Robert and his brother Owen emigrated to Australia. They sailed on the S.S. Borda from London to Sydney via the Cape. In Sydney, Robert worked as a storeman at the Rowntree Cadbury factory.

On July 21st 1941 he enlisted in the 2/29 Infantry Battalion and on January 10th 1942 they sailed for Singapore. They arrived on April 10th 1942.

On April 13th 1942 Robert was reported as missing. In April 1943 he was reported as missing- believed P.O.W.and in August 1943 he was reported P.O.W. at Changi Camp, Singapore. He was recovered from Changi on September 25th 1945 and arrived back in Sydney on October 10th 1945.

Whilst at Changi he suffered from dysentery and furnunculosis and was hospitalised. He never spoke about his time at Changi. The appalling conditions had a lifelong effect on his health and he died relatively young at 73 in 1976.

Robert and his brother Owen came home to Wales several times when I was a child to visit the family. I was later fortunate to be able to go down and visit him in Sydney when I lived in Brisbane from 1974-76.

I feel very proud of him.
Christine Williams