GREEN, Eric Hedley
| Service Number: | SX11940 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 March 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Mount Gambier, South Australia, 25 February 1921 |
| Home Town: | Penola, Wattle Range, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tinsmith |
| Died: | Died of Illness (POW of Japan), Thailand, 24 August 1943, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery 1 J 64, Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand |
| Memorials: | Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Kalangadoo War Memorial Park Gates, Naracoorte War Memorial, Penola Memorial Walk, Penola War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 25 Mar 1941: | Enlisted Private, SX11940, Wayville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX11940 | |
| 18 Feb 1942: | Involvement Private, SX11940, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Australia's Northern Periphery, "Blackforce" Java | |
| 7 Mar 1942: | Imprisoned Java | |
| 24 Aug 1943: | Involvement Private, SX11940, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Prisoners of War |
Private Eric Green
Private Eric Green
Service No.: SX11940
2/3 Machine Gun Battalion
World War II 1939 – 1945
Enlisted: 25th March 1941
Age on Enlistment: 20 years
Occupation: Railway Worker
N.O.K. Dorothy Green
Nickname: Whopper Green
Private Eric Green was a member of the 3rd Light Horse.
The 3rd Light Horseman Regiment was located at Millicent, Naracoorte and Mt Gambier, with its Headquarters in Adelaide. After WWI it was disbanded but then raised up as a C.M.F or Malitia Regiment until1939.
Private Eric Green embarked after training from Adelaide, (His wife Dorothy Green was pregnant on Eric’s departure).
Private Eric Green first served in the Middle East, then was transferred to Java.
Private Eric Green left Syria on board the P & O liner “The Orcades”. About 1200km from Fremantle the ship was redirected to Java.
2 / 3 Machine Gun Battalion was to help repel the Japanese advancing. Approximately 1000 Australian troops landed, but all their guns and ammo was on another ship. Bill Schmidt said, “The only thing we had against 6 – 7,000 Japs was our fists.” Some guns were eventually given to these Australians by the Dutch. But it was all too late. The Australians were captured and taken to several P.O.W. camps.
Private Eric Green was taken prisoner and put to work with other P.O.W.’s on the infamous Burma Railway.
Private Eric Green died as a P.O.W. at the tender age of 22 on the 24th of August 1943 in Thailand.
Private Eric Green now lies at rest in the war cemetery at Kanchanaburi, Thailand.
Private Eric Green was awarded the following medals.
The 1939 – 1945 Star
The Pacific Star
The 1939 – 1945 War Medal
The Australian Service Medal
The Infantry Front Line Service Medal
These medals are worn with pride here today by his daughter Dulcie Dawn Wheeldon
Submitted 10 May 2025 by Peter Savage
Click images to start slideshow.