Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

My Great Uncle Hector was born in 1904 and lived in Goulburn during the depression. Times were tough, and he worked on a DMR road gang in the early 1930s.

He was 35 in 1939 when the British Commonwealth declared war on Germany. He was married with two children. Nonetheless he enlisted in the Army within a few days. Some historical documents listed his birth date as "not kown" - I suspect he might have "reduced" his age when he enlisted.

He was trained as a truck driver and served with the 3rd Reserve Motor Coy, AIF, part of the Army Service Corps.

Private Maclean embarked for Singapore in early 1942 as part of a reinforcement for the 8th Division AIF. My knowledge of this is partly anecdotal, coming from my Uncle who is now 93, but he remembers that Hector left Australia after Japan commenced hostilities, and was part of a unit that arrived shortly before the city fell.

Unfortunately, the unit diary is not yet available on-line at the AWM website, and I have not been able to confirm further details; however, Gavin Long, in The Six Years War describes the formation of a provisional infantry battalion from the Army Service Corps troops in Singapore.

This Reserve battalion was comitted to the fighting north of Tengah airfield, so I believe that Hector probably fought as an infantryman in the final days. his battalion commander was Major Saggers; the battalion was attached to 22nd Brigade on 8 February 1942, as recorded in the brigade war diary.

Hector was captured, and after a period at Changi, was sent to work on the Burma railway. He died from disease on 4 September 1943 aged 39.

He is buried in Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Myanmar (Burma).