Allan Samuel SPOKES

Allan Samuel SPOKES Update Details

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SPOKES, Allan Samuel

Service Number:	VX27270
Enlisted:	15 June 1940
Last Rank:	Lance Corporal
Last Unit:	Not yet discovered
Born:	Winchelsea, Victoria, Australia, 29 November 1906
Home Town:	Winchelsea, Surf Coast, Victoria
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Slaughterman
Died:	Illness whilst a Prisoner of the Japanese , Ambon, Netherlands East Indies, 14 July 1945, aged 38 years
Cemetery:	Ambon War Cemetery, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial

World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939:	Involvement VX27270
15 Jun 1940:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, VX27270

Notes on Allan Spokes

The 2/21st Infantry Battalion began assembling and training at Trawool in central Victoria on 11 July 1940. On 23 September the battalion began to move to Bonegilla, near Wodonga, a 235 km journey made on foot, arriving on 4 October. Training soon resumed and occupied the battalion until it moved to Darwin on 23 March 1941. Allan wrote a couple of letters to his daughters from Darwin, possibly the last.

On 13 December the battalion travelled to Ambon, Indonesia to join "Gull Force". Despite instances of brave and determined resistance, the 2/21st could not hold back the Japanese. On 2 February 1942, B and C Companies were massacred around Laha Airfield. The remainder of the battalion surrendered on 3 February and were imprisoned at their former barracks on Tan Tui.

Conditions for the prisoners on Ambon were harsh and they suffered the highest death rate of any Australian prisoners of war. A contributing factor was the transfer of all but a small number of medical personnel to Hainan Island on 25 October 1942.

Allan had survived nearly three and a half years as a POW only to have died one month before wars end.

Source: Australian War Memorial/Colac Family History Project/WW2 Honour Roll

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia