MCGOWAN, William Joseph
| Service Number: | NX19999 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 June 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wee Waa, New South Wales, 1 March 1907 |
| Home Town: | Gilgandra, Gilgandra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Illness whilst a Prisoner of the Japanese , Borneo, 3 April 1945, aged 38 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Labuan Memorial Panel 9. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Gilgandra War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 4 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Private, NX19999, Gilgandra, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, NX19999 | |
| 5 Jun 1940: | Involvement Private, NX19999 | |
| 16 Apr 1942: | Imprisoned Malaya/Singapore, Sent to Borneo with B Force. Died Ranau No 1 POW Camp. Wooden POW tag recovered post-war. | |
| 3 Apr 1945: | Involvement Private, NX19999, 2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion, Prisoners of War |
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"...NX19999 Private William Joseph McGowan, Headquarters 22nd Infantry Brigade, Australian Infantry. 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. Private McGowan, aged 43, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 3 April 1945. He was the son of John James McGowan and Charlotte McGowan, of Newton, NSW. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 9..." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
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