Alec Randolph MINCHIN

MINCHIN, Alec Randolph

Service Number: WX7662
Enlisted: 10 August 1940
Last Rank: Corporal
Last Unit: 4th Machine Gun Company
Born: Dangin Western Australia , 4 April 1914
Home Town: Dangin, Quairading, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Died at sea (POW Rakuyo Maru), South China Sea, 15 September 1944, aged 30 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Labuan Memorial Panel 18
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Quairading Memorial Pool, Quairading Memorial Wall, Quairading War Memorial
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Corporal, WX7662
10 Aug 1940: Enlisted Private, WX7662, 4th Machine Gun Company
10 Aug 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Corporal, WX7662, 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion
27 Nov 1940: Involvement Corporal, WX7662, 4th Machine Gun Company, Malaya/Singapore
16 Feb 1942: Imprisoned Malaya/Singapore, POW Changi Singapore
11 May 1943: Imprisoned Malaya/Singapore, POW Burma Railway

Help us honour Alec Randolph Minchin's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Graham Padget

Corporal Alec Minchin was the son of Frederick and Lily May Minchin, of Dangin, Western Australia; husband of Mabel Alice Minchin, of Dangin.

As a POW of the Japanese in Changi Alec was selected with the first work force to leave Singapore to sail to Burma.    ‘A’ Force Burma Green Force No. 3 Battalion.  

At the end of 1943 when the railway line was completed, the Japanese began to evacuate all the POWs in Burma and move them south into Thailand into one of about 4-6 large camps.

During 1944, Alec was considered ‘fit’ to work in Japan by the Japanese.  He finally departed Singapore in Sept 1944 on ‘Rakuyo’ Maru bound for Moji, Japan.

Folllowing an American Submarine attack, the ‘Rakuyo’ Maru sank.  Alec perished in the South China Sea on 15 Sept, 1944 aged 30 years.

(Part detail courtesy of 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion 2nd4thmgb.com.au/soldier/wx7662/) 

 

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