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FORD, Monte Harold
Personal Details
| Service Number: | SX11408 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 February 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Orroroo, South Australia, 23 March 1919 |
| Home Town: | Orroroo, Orroroo/Carrieton, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Orroroo, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Storekeeper |
| Died: | Aortic Aneurysm, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia, 12 December 1955, aged 36 years |
| Cemetery: |
Orroroo Cemetery, S.A. |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Orroroo and District Roll of Honour WW2 |
Service History
World War 2 Service
| 24 Feb 1941: | Involvement Private, SX11408 | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Feb 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, SX11408 | |
| 24 Feb 1941: | Enlisted Wayville, SA | |
| 3 Sep 1941: | Embarked Private, SX11408, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Embarked in Sydney for the Middle East on Queen Mary. Travelled via Fremantle and Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), disembarked Eqypt 23/9/41. | |
| 23 Sep 1941: | Involvement Private, SX11408, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre, Attached to D Coy 13 Platoon. Entrained to Kantara then to Hill 95. Took part in invasion of Syria. 8/6/41 offensive in Beirut/Damascus area, capturing Damour, Homs, and Boudia. Billted in a monastery near Fih. 14/1/42 moved to Hill 69 in Palestine. Then to Kantara by train. | |
| 31 Jan 1942: | Involvement Private, SX11408, 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre, Embarked at Suez on Orcades, 3400 troops onboard, to Sumatra via Ceylon. On 15/2/42 disembarked Java, to hold aerodrome at Kotabumi. Confronted Japanese. Withdrew to Bandung then Soekaboemi. On 9/3/42 700 Australians ("Blackforce") faced 300,000 Japanese; surrender ordered. Interned at Leles on Java. | |
| 12 Mar 1942: | Imprisoned Leles, Java. Garoet. Bandung. Makasura. From Java to Singapore and disembarked then a POW in Changi, Singapore. Entrained to Banpong near Bangkok in Thailand. Then Banpong to Tarso (Nam Tok camp), On Burma Railway construction. At Konyu camp (near Hellfire Pass) and later moved to Thanbyuzayat into Burma. Transported from Singapore on ‘Byoko Maru', 10 weeks travel to Mogi Japan. Disembarked at Mogi Japan, near Nagasaki and taken to Ohama Japan. Working in coal mine. | |
| 6 Mar 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, SX11408 | |
| 6 Mar 1946: | Discharged | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
Personal Stories
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Dan Ford
Pte Monte FORD SX11408 was awarded Medals 1939 /45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939/1945, Australia Service Medal.
Married Coral May ARTHUR. Sons, Ian Monte FORD, born 10/8/1948, Rodney Arthur FORD born 27/6/1951.
“Coral states that Monte had become accustomed to sleeping on a hard surface and quite often awoke and found him asleep on the floor next to the bed.”
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