Sydney Francis (Syd) SPOUSE

Sydney Francis (Syd) SPOUSE Update Details

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SPOUSE, Sydney Francis

Service Number:	WX13553
Enlisted:	24 May 1941
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion
Born:	Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia, 19 January 1921
Home Town:	Southern Cross, Yilgarn, Western Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Mining Bogger
Died:	Heart Failure and Tropical Tumour whilst a prisoner of the Japanese, Thailand, 13 October 1943, aged 22 years
Cemetery:	Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Burial reference: - Plot 1. Row K. Grave 7. Personal Inscription: - "HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE EVER REMEMBERED".
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Brookton District War Memorial, Brookton Road Board District Roll of Honour WW2

World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939:	Involvement Private, WX13553
24 May 1941:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX13553
13 Oct 1943:	Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX13553, 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion, Died of heart failure in Tarsau, Thailand.

Help us honour Sydney Francis Spouse's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Dianne Black

Parents: - Stanley Garfield Spouse and Elizabeth Valentine Davidson married in Perth, Western Australia and moved to Dumbleyung, Western Australia.

Sydney Francis Spouse enlisted on 24th May 1941 in Claremont, Western Australia, after basic training he was taken on strength (26th June 1941) with the 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion, 'A' Company, 6th Platoon as a reinforcement. Private Sydney Francis Spouse along with his battalion, embarked for Overseas Service from Fremantle, Western Australia on 15th January 1942 disembarking at Singapore via Batavia on 24th January 1942.

After the Allied surrender to Japan, Sydney Francis Spouse became a POW and working with various work parties for the Japanese. He was at Selarang Camp, Thomson Road, River Valle Road Camp and then Selarang Barracks before being sent to work on Burma-Thai Railway, within 5 months of working on the railway, Private Sydney Spouse died from heart failure and tropical tumour on 13th October 1943 at Tarsau Hospital Camp, Syd was just 22 years old. He was interred at Cemetery No. 2. Tarsau, Grave 261.

Sydney’s father Stanley Garfield Spouse was a World War One veteran enlisting at Narrogin, Western Australia and assigned to 16th Battalion 4th Reinforcements. He saw service at Gallipoli and was reported missing in action at Reincourt, France on 21st April 1917, later confirmed as prisoner of war with Germany, Private Stanley Spouse, # 1862 was later repatriated to England on 30th December 1918 and returned to Australia 3rd March 1919.

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