Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Henry Frank and Rose Edith Hackshaw, of Cannington, Western Australia.

ALWAYS REMEMBERED BY ALL THE FAMILY

Albert was born in Epsom, Surrey, England in April 1900 to parents Henry Frank and Rosa Edith Hackshaw. Albert was one of thirteen siblings to Frank and Edith Hackshaw.
 
Albert departed London England, with his family on 24th December 1912 sailing to Fremantle, West Australia. On departing England there were nine children recorded on the embarkation records. The five other Hackshaw siblings were born in Western Australia. The family first lived in Bellevue where Alberts father was employed by the WA Government Railways.
 
Albert joined the First A.I.F. in February 1918 where he was attached to 28th Battalion. On enlistment he recorded his age as 18 years & 10 months. His actually age was 17 years. By May 1918 he embarked for France from Albany, joining his battalion in the field of October 1918, one month before armistice was signed on 11th November 1918.
 
Albert returned to Western Australia in 1919, where in 1925 the Hackshaw family moved to Bencubbin purchasing several farming properties, with Albert farming one of those properties. He had moved to Bencubbin with his brother Reginald. Due to the depression, poor agricultural prices vermin (rabbits) and drought, Albert was forced to walk of the farm at Bencubbin. He moved to Roebourne in the northwest of Western Australia where he worked with the Main Roads as a foreman.
 
In August 1940 Albert enlisted into the second A.I.F. at Claremont with his brother Reginald Hackshaw. On enlistment in 1940 Albert again change his age recording he was 35 years; his actual age was 40 years. He was taken on strength and by December 1940 he was transferred to the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion. During 1941 Albert conduct training where he December 1941 he embarked from Darwin, disembarking in Singapore on 24th January 1942.
 
Albert along with the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion were captured at Singapore on 15th February 1942 by the Japanese Imperial Forces. By April 1942 Albert was reported as “missing” in Malaya. It was not until 23rdAugust 1943 that he was officially recorded as a “Prisoner of War” imprisoned in the notorious prison of Changi, Singapore.
 
Albert became a part of “F” Force along with 3,666 other A.I.F soldiers who formed a Japanese prisoner of war labour force, moving from Singapore to work on the Burma Thailand rail link. The prisoners were led to believe they were leaving Singapore for a better place. They were ruthlessly marched into Thailand where they were worked mercilessly to death.
 
Albert was eventually evacuated with other sick “F” Force to a hospital camp in Burma from the work force camps in Thailand. Albert died in the Tanbaya Hospital Camp on the 2nd November 1943 from Tropical Ulcers. He was buried in the hospital cemetery.
 
Albert was later reinterned to the Thanbuzayat War Cemetery Myanmar, Burma.
His inscription on his headstone reads.
 
“Always Remembered By All The Family”

Survived by his parents, brothers Henry, Frederick, Alan,Charles and sisters Rosa, Annie Young, Jane Tilley, Gertrude Broomhill, Beatrice Lamperd and May Collins.