John James THORPE

THORPE, John James

Service Numbers: 4306, 1162, 290364
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: Railway Unit (AIF)
Born: Fremantle, WA, 15 November 1897
Home Town: Mardella, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Teamser
Died: Bassendean, WA, 5 January 1960, aged 62 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials: Mundijong Honour Roll, Mundijong School Roll of Honour, Serpentine WWI Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

17 Jan 1916: Involvement Private, 4306, 11th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: ''
17 Jan 1916: Embarked Private, 4306, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Fremantle
23 Nov 1917: Involvement Private, 1162, Railway Unit (AIF), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: SS Canberra embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
23 Nov 1917: Embarked Private, 1162, Railway Unit (AIF), SS Canberra, Fremantle

World War 2 Service

Date unknown: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Squadron Leader, 290364

Help us honour John James Thorpe's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

For a number of years John ran the Armadale Bus service until bought out by the Metropolitan Transport Trust.

During WW2, John served in the RAAF as a flying instructor, and at time of his discharge he was a Squadron Leader. His son John Roy (Jack) Thorpe OAM served with the 2nd AIF and was captured by the Japanese, but lived to tell the tale in his book The life story of just an ordinary bloke who says he was 'Bloody lucky'. He also served with the Occupying Force in Japan and later in Korea with the 3rd Battalion RAR.

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