William John (Bill) GANNON

William John (Bill) GANNON Update Details

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GANNON, William John

Service Numbers:	QX17342, QX 17342
Enlisted:	26 July 1940
Last Rank:	Lance Bombardier
Last Unit:	2 Field Regiment AMF
Born:	Townsville, Queensland, Australia , 28 May 1919
Home Town:	Julia Creek, McKinlay, Queensland
Schooling:	Julia Creek State School, Julia Creek, Queensland, Australia
Occupation:	Trainee Doctor.
Died:	Illness while a POW of the Japanese, Borneo, 17 June 1945, aged 26 years
Cemetery:	Labuan War Cemetery Section 7. Row A, Grave No 5, Labuan War Cemetery, Labuan, Malaysia
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Julia Creek War Memorial, Sandakan Prisoner of War Memorial

World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939:	Involvement QX17342
26 Jul 1940:	Enlisted
26 Jul 1940:	Enlisted Lance Bombardier, QX 17342, 2 Field Regiment AMF, Place of Enlistment Kelvin Grove Brisbane Queensland
26 Jul 1940:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lance Bombardier, QX17342, 2nd/10th Field Regiment
1 Jan 1942:	Imprisoned Japanese POW, Changi
15 Apr 1943:	Imprisoned Taken to Sandakan Subar Malaysia POW Prison Camp where he died 17th June 1945
17 Jun 1945:	Discharged

Lance Bombardier William John Gannon

Lancr Bombardier William John Gannon, 2/10th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of E Force. The 500 Australian and 500 British POW's who made up E Force, left Changi on 28 March 1943, on board the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15 April 1943. The POW's were held there until 5 June, when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The next day they were transferred to the 8 Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. Lance Bombardier Gannon, aged 26, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 17 June 1945. He was the son of William George and Olivia Amanda Gannon, of Nundah, Qld. He is buried in the Labuan Cemetery Section 7, Row A, Plot 5. (Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)

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