SINCLAIR, William Ray
| Service Number: | SX16932 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 January 1942, Wayville, SA |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Moonta Mines, South Australia, 24 May 1912 |
| Home Town: | Kensington, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Moonta Mines School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Shoemaker Boot Repairer |
| Died: | Adelaide, South Australia, 8 March 1973, aged 60 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Cheltenham Cemetery, South Australia Lawn Drive Row 9 Site Number 165S |
| Memorials: | City of Kensington & Norwood Honour Roll World War II Book and Case |
World War 2 Service
| 31 Jan 1942: | Involvement Lance Corporal, SX16932 | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX16932 | |
| 31 Jan 1942: | Enlisted Wayville, SA | |
| 18 Jan 1943: | Transferred 2nd/4th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 12 Aug 1943: | Embarked Per Duntroon at Townsville. Disembarked Port Moresby | |
| 4 Sep 1943: | Involvement New Guinea - Huon Peninsula / Markham and Ramu Valley /Finisterre Ranges Campaigns | |
| 24 Oct 1944: | Promoted Lance Corporal | |
| 28 Apr 1945: | Embarked Brisbane per Van Heutz. Disembark Morotai. | |
| 1 Jul 1945: | Involvement Borneo - Operation Oboe July - August 1945 | |
| 12 Nov 1945: | Discharged | |
| 12 Nov 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX16932 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by David Sinclair
William Ray Sinclair, known as Ray was born in 1912 at Moonta Mines, a copper mining town to Leslie John Hancock Sinclair and Ethel Olive (nee Butler) They raised six sons and a daughter, Lillian Mavis, Ray, Norm, Reg, Ian, Jack, and Allan.
Ray commenced schooling at Moonta Mines in 1918 before the family left Moonta for Norwood in 1921. He married Daphne Sarah Sinclair (nee Hobbs) in 1937 and they moved to High St. Kensington. They had four sons,Malcolm, Graham, Robert, and Neil. In 1944 they moved to Cheltenham.
Ray did 3 months service in the CMT before, at the age of 29 enlisting in the AIF at Wayville. His brothers Norm, Reg, and Jack also served.
In April 1942 he qualified as a boot repairer and July 1943 was graded a group 3 shoemaker.
Initially in the third training battalion, December 1942 saw him aboard a train for the Northern Territory as part of the 2/4th Australian Pioneer Battalion. (See link) March 1943 he returned to South Australia, then by train through Victoria to Queensland where he was transferred to the 2/2 Australian Infantry Troops Workshop at Malanda near Cairns.
In August 1943 Ray embarked Townsville for Port Moresby, at which time the Huon Peninsula Campaigns were happening.(see link) Returning to Australia in March 1944, he was made a Lance Corporal in October of that year.
May 1945 saw him overseas again, this time in Morotai, where a month later he boarded LST 702 for service in British North Borneo. This saw him taking part in operation Oboe.(see link)
Returning to Australia in August 1945 Ray was discharged on the 12 November 1945. He had served 1382 days which consisted of 987 days in Australia and 322 days overseas.
He was married to Daphne for 36 years and is buried with her at Cheltenham cemetery.
Brothers who served
Norman Sinclair (Norm)
Private 12 Small Ships Company AIF WW2 SX31069
Jack Sinclair
Private Occupation Force Japan AIF WW2 SX 34420
Reginald Sinclair
Private 2/24th Infantry Battalion AIF WW SX 25876
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