Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

VX26803 Private John Andrew Edward “Jock” Cameron gave his address as Barooga, New South Wales when he enlisted on 14 June 1940. He was actually born in Scotland on 15 July 1911 and his name is also on the Edinburgh War Memorial. John was the youngest of 8 children and lived at Fife, Scotland until he emigrated to Western Australia to join his brother in 1926. Soon after, they shifted to Victoria and Jock moved to Barooga, working as a labourer and horse driver. He enlisted in Melbourne on 14 June 1940 and ended up being posted to the 2/22nd Battalion which was being formed up at Trawool, near Seymour. The Battalion eventually marched all the way to Bonegilla near Wodonga to complete its training, 235 kilometers of marching and camping out.

As a member of the 2/22nd Battalion which was part of the 8th Division, Jock was sent to defend Rabaul on the island of New Britain, arriving with the first detachment in March 1941. Over 17,000 Japanese invaded the island in January of 1942 and overwhelmed the 1,400 Australian defenders known as Lark Force, who were armed with little more than .303 rifles.

In ensuing days, 2/22nd Battalion parties, ranging from company-strength down to pairs and individuals, sought escape along New Britain’s coasts. Some found small boats and got away under their own auspices. Around 400 members of Lark Force managed to return to Australia, 300 of whom were members of the 2/22nd. Approximately 160 Australians captured by the Japanese while trying to escape were massacred at Tol Plantation and another 836 were interned as prisoners of war. On 22 June 1942 a group of Australian prisoners and European civilians were loaded aboard the Montevideo Maru to be transported to Japan. The ship was sunk on 1 July 1942 by the submarine USS Sturgeon off the Philippines, killing all 1,053 prisoners and civilian internees. Jock Cameron died two weeks short of his 31st birthday aboard the Montevideo Maru.