JILLETT, Robert Edward
| Service Number: | QX17167 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 July 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/10th Field Regiment |
| Born: | Tambo, Queensland, Australia, 5 August 1919 |
| Home Town: | Tambo, Blackall Tambo, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Station Hand |
| Died: | Illness while a POW of the Japanese, Borneo, 5 June 1945, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Sandakan Prisoner of War Memorial, Tambo Shire Honour Roll WW2, Tambo War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Gunner, QX17167 | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 1940: | Enlisted | |
| 22 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, QX17167, 2nd/10th Field Regiment | |
| 5 Jun 1945: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Gunner, 2nd/10th Field Regiment |
Robert Edward Jillett
Robert Edward Jillett was born 6 August 1919, his death was listed as 5 June 1945, as a Prisoner of War Sandakan, Borneo.
Robert enlised in the 2nd A.I.F. in August 1940 No 17167 - 19th Battery, 2nd 10th Field Regiment 8th Division.
He saild on the “Queen Mary” in December, 1940, to Malaya. He was there for a year and he played foootball for Australia. He was stationed mostly in Penang. He was taken prisoner of Japanese Imperial Army in Febrary 1942 at Changhi, Singapore.
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 28th March 1943, onboard the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15th 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 MileCamp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. From that time the only communication from him was an Imperial Japanese postcard. There is no knowledge of his whereabouts, when, where or how he died.
His mother was the executor of his will, and she had a long running battle with the Army to get his soldier’s gratuity. He left his estate to his sister Betty.
Gunner Jillett is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 2 at the Australian War Memorial
One wonders if he ever knew that his cousin Dale Herron was also fighting at Labuan at the same time.
Submitted 6 June 2021 by Lynette Turner
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