Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas Johnston McLaren (Jack) was one of eight children born on the 14 July 1901 at Broken Hill. Both his parents came from the mid north of S.A. with Thomas Joseph Snr being from Gawler and Catherine Quinlan being from Seven Hills, however they spent most of their lives at Broken Hill although most of their children returned to South Australia. Just 17 years old, Thomas Jnr (Jack) enlisted for WWI on the 4th October, 1918, but upped his age by a year claiming he was 18 years and two months (the legal age to enlist without parental consent) and that his birth date was 15th July 1900. He may have been found to be under age after he enlisted as his parents later signed consent for Jack to be able to serve on active service overseas enlistment on the 10th October 1918 and their signatures were independently verified as being genuine. He became S15591 then began his training at the Mitcham Base, unfortunately he absented himself from a tattoo on the 1st November 1918 and was punished with 2 days Confined to Barracks, next contracting tonsillitis and sustaining an eye injury causing him to be hospitalised before in December suffering a reaction to Camp food. Not the best introduction to war service. With the cessation of hostilities, he was discharged on the 7th January 1919.
While working for the railways, he met, then married 18-year-old Jamestown born Florence Cummings on the 3rd November 1927, at Hindmarsh, South Australia. Florence was 11 years old when her mother died. The four children, aged from 13 to 9 were consequently distributed amongst the wider relatives. She and her sister then went to live in Jamestown with their grandparents, George and Anne Napper. Her two brothers Roy and Alf went to live with Fred Cummings. The girls went to the Jamestown school until grade five then left to help at home. Her grandparents also had boarders that worked for Elders Stock firm, so it was a busy and vibrant home setting. Not one for liking to milk cows, her sister Ruby quite frequently enticed Florrie to milk for her while she watched out for anyone coming. Florrie was much more adept at preventing the cows from putting their hoof in the freshly collected bucket of milk.
Thomas and Florence had three daughters, Clara Helen, born in November 1927, Jean May born the following year and then the youngest, Betty. When WWII broke out, Jack again enlisted giving his correct age and date of birth as 14th July 1901, listing Florence as his next of kin. At that stage he was a fettler with the Commonwealth Railways. He became SX112 and was part of the group which was sent to Singapore. That was the last Florence, Clara, Jean and Betty were to see of their husband and father. His own father, Thomas Snr had been unwell and died, aged 80 at Robe in September of 1941 believing the reports that Thomas was missing, so was not to learn of the fate of his son in Singapore.
It would be two more years of uncertainty for Florrie with her hopes raised that Jack, who had previously been reported missing in July of 1941, then in July of 1942 the Minister for the Army formally announced the 160 South Australian names of members of the AIF missing as a result of the Malayan, Amboina, Java, Singapore, Timor, and New Britain campaigns. He was reported in the Advertiser as warning “the public against gaining the impression that they were fresh casualties.” Finally, Florrie learned that her husband was a Prisoner of War in Malaya in May of 1943, but he was alive.
In a cruel twist of fate, Thomas died as a POW, two months short of his 44th birthday. Local newspapers reported that “Mrs. F. McLaren, of Sussex Street, Lower North Adelaide, has been notified that her husband, Pte. T. J. McLaren, of the 8th Division Ammunition Sub-Park, died of illness on June 5, 1945, while a prisoner of' war in Malaya. Before enlisting in the 2nd AIF the late Pte. McLaren was employed by the Commonwealth Railways as a fettler, at Winninowie. He was also stationed at Curdimurka before transferring to Winninowie on the opening of the Port Augusta to Port Pirie line. He leaves a widow and three daughters.” Thomas was officially listed by his Japanese captors as dying of Illness, ‘Caused by Entamoeba histolytica and Paralytic dementia‘ (according to his prisoner records) Malaya, 5 June 1945, aged 43 years, tragically just prior to the cessation of the war.
Thomas was buried at the Kranji War Cemetery, one of 3702 casualties, where Florrie chose to have a cross and the inscription “His Duty Fearlessly and Nobly Done’ engraved on his headstone.
His heartbroken family continued to mourn him and miss having him walk his daughters down the aisle for their weddings. Jean married Leslie Waye at the Maughan Church in Adelaide on March 16th 1950 and Clare married Brian Cole.
Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 - 1954), Wednesday 5 June 1946, page 16 McLAREN, Pte. T. J.—In loving memory of my dear husband who died June 5 1945 P.O.W. Malaya Camp When last we 'saw your smiling face you looked so bright and well. Little did we think dear father that was our last farewell. Ever remembered by your loving wife and daughters Clare Jean, and Betty.
Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 - 1954), Thursday 5 June 1947, page 16 McLAREN. Pte. T. J.—In loving memory of my dear husband and father, who died June 5. 1945. P.O.W. Malaya Camp. When last we saw your smiling face. You looked so bright and well. Little did we think, dear father. That was your last farewell. —Ever remembered by your loving wife and daughters. Clare, Jean and Betty.
Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 - 1954), Saturday 5 June 1948, page 12 HEROES OF THE EMPIRE McLaren. Pte. T. J.—ln loving memory of my dear husband and father who died June 5. 1945. P.0.W., Malaya Camp. —Ever remembered by loving wife, daughters and sons-in-law. Clare, Jean, Betty. Brian and Neville.
As many family of those killed during their capture in Singapore had little finances or opportunity to visit the grave sites of their family, a Ridley Grove school teacher, Miss McNamara, on her visit to Singapore in 1954 took several photos of the lynch gate at Kranji war cemetery and through the Advertiser offered to distribute these to the families of those interred. Such a compassionate act.
Written and researched by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 and grand daughter of Stan and Blanche Cummings.