Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

https://www.facebook.com/groups/gippslandhistory/posts/4197447183818610/


Today marks the anniversary of Private Lionel Clifford GAPES. The son of George and Nellie Gapes was a saw mill employee from Warragul who enlisted at Royal Park on 8 July 1941.
Following engineers training, Private Gapes joined the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion and on 23 September 1941, landed in the Middle East. His battalion saw action in the Syria-Lebanon campaign where Gapes was hospitalised with mumps in October, rejoining his battalion in November.
Following Japan’s entry into the war in December 1941, orders were received for the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion to return to defend Australia. Gapes departed the Middle East on 31 January 1942, however was diverted to join Blackforce to reinforce British and Dutch forces to defend Java against the Japanese invasion.
On 30 April 1942, Gapes was listed missing. He was one of 865 men from the 2/2nd Pioneers who became Prisoners of War, with 258 members dying as POWs.
However, he was not confirmed as a Prisoner of War until 4 November 1943 when he was located at the Tamarkan Camp in Thailand following the completion of the Thai-Burma Railway in October that year.
Private Gapes succumbed to illness on 6 April 1944. His remains are interred at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand, located near the Thailand-Burma Railway and the Bridge on the River Kwai.
Lest We Forget 🌺
📸: National Archives of Australia