HENLEY, John Benson
| Service Number: | VX45368 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 July 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 14 December 1900 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Malaria , Borneo, 6 June 1945, aged 44 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Labuan Memorial, Labuan, Malaysia -Panel 25. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Bendigo Sandakan Prisoner of War Memorial, Yarram WW2 Memorial Pillars |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Sergeant, VX45368 | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, VX45368 | |
| 13 Feb 1942: | Imprisoned VX45368 Sergeant John Benson Henley, 8th Division Mobile Bath Unit, Australian Army Medical Corps. 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 B Force. The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Sergeant Henley, aged 42, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 6 June 1945. |
John Benson Henley
Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of VX45368 Sergeant John Benson Henley, 8th Division Mobile Bath Unit, Australian Army Medical Corps.
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 B Force.
The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Sergeant Henley, aged 42, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 6 June 1945. He was the son of John and Rose Henley, and the husband of Louise Beatrice Henley (nee Darlington) of Colac, Vic. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 25. (Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)
Contributor: RobertW (49021781)
Submitted 6 May 2025 by Leanne Coryell
Biography contributed by Leanne Coryell
Photograph, taken on enlistment
VX45368 Sergeant John Benson Henley
8th Division Mobile Bath Unit, Australian Army Medical Corps.
POW- Japanese
Sgt Bensin 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 B Force.
The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Sergeant Henley, aged 42, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 6 June 1945.
- 8th Division Mobile Bath Unit Arrived Malaya — 2 Nov 1941
- 1942/07/07 left Singapore on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, destination Borneo
- 1942/07/18 - Arrived Sandakan
Sandakan Number 2 Camp (British moved from this camp to the Number 1 Camp about the 15 April 1945. Survivors were then moved back to a wired section of Number 2 Camp on 29 May 1945)
- Buried Sandakan Number 2 Compound (Cemetery was slit trenches, used after May 1945).
Labuan Memorial Panel 25
A relic of John’s found at Sandakan.
Japanese recorded death from Malaria
The Japanese made out false death certificates as a cover up to the deaths of almost 2500 who died at Sandakan Camp and the Sandakan Marches
Loved Ones
Son of John and Rose Henley
Husband of Louise Beatrice Henley, of Colac, Victoria
Click images to start slideshow.