Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Sergeant Robert Hugh Challen MiD (Service No:WX104) enlisted in the Army as a Gunner on 7 November 1939 - he had trained in an artillery militia unit for some years previously (Trove). Promoted to Lance Bombardier and Bombardier, He embarked from Sydney for Gourock, Scotland on 23 May 1940 and was a Sergeant by 2 January 1941 when he embarked from Scotland for Palestine. On 20 June 1941 Sergeant Challen embarked from Gaza for Greece and was reported as Missing, believed PoW, on 20 August 1941. He was conformed as a PoW (No:2294) and as WiA (GSW to thigh and arm) on 20 November 1941. Sergeant Challen was interned at Camp Kokkinia Hospital in Greece and later at Stalags VIIB, 344 and XI-B before being recovered on 10 May 1945. Sergeant Challen embarked from England on 20 July 1945 for Sydney where he was hospitalised before Discharge on 6 October 1945. Sergeant Challen was awarded a Mention in Despatches in 1947.

Born in 1920 in Perth WA, Bob was the eldest of six children of Leslie (Les) George Reginald Challen MC, MiD (b1895 in Walhalla, Victoria) and Kathleen Beatrice Wardell-Johnson (b1895 in York, WA). Les (a Clerk) and Kathleen (a Typist) married in 1920 in Perth, WA, following Les' return from WWI. Les and Kathleen settled at Herne Hill in the Swan Valley where Les was a Viticulturalist before moving to Perth in the late 1920s. Les and Kathleen settled in Perth where they raised their family and Les was a Motor Mechanic. Les also served in WWII.

Bob, a keen tennis player, had attended Perth Boys' School and Perth Modern School and was working in Perth as a Storage Battery Fitter when he enlisted in the Army in 1939. Following his Discharge in 1945, Bob attended university and was a student in 1947 when he married Judith Isabel Anne Freeman (b1920 at Forrest River, WA) - Judith was a Nurse in Perth. Once Bob had completed his studies, he and Judith moved to Mt Isa, QLD where Bob worked as a Chartered Engineer before moving to Jindalle in Brisbane in 1970 where they settled and Bob worked as an Engineer. Judith died in 2012 and Bob in 2016.