Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Donald Ross (Service No:WX9253) enlisted in the Army on 30 October 1940 in 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion with Brother-in-Law Harry Bunker (Service No:WX9223). Private Ross (a Driver) and Private Bunker (a Rangetaker) were captured by the Japanese in Singapore and held at Changi PoW camp in Singapore. Private Ross embarked from Singapore with E Force on 28 March 1942 on board the DeKlerk to work at the Sandakan airfields in Northern Borneo. On 11 April 1944 a message from Private Ross was heard over shortwave from Singapore 'Dear Ada. I am in good health. I hope you are too. Write and give me news of home. Longing to be back. Deepest love Don' (NAA). Private Ross died at Sandakan No 1 Camp of Malaria on 23 May 1945.

Don was born in Albany, WA in 1913, fourth of nine children of Alexander Ross (b1876 in Bungaree, Victoria) and Lillian May Saul (b1885 in York, WA). Alexander was working on the water pipeline from Mundaring to Coolgardie in 1907 when he and Lillian married in Midland Junction, Guildford, WA. In 1910 they settled at Bornholm via Albany, where they raised their family and Alexander was an Orchardist and Farmer, and was Foreman with the Public Works. 

Don had worked at Bornholm as a Farmer, and was in Albany in 1940 when he married Ada Annie Bunker (b1913 in Kendenup via Albany, WA). Don and Ada settled in Albany, where Don was a Quarry Worker and Motor Driver when he enlisted in the Army later that year. Following Don's death in Borneo, Ada remarried.