
WATCHORN, Neil Edwin
Service Number: | VX45224 |
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Enlisted: | 8 July 1940 |
Last Rank: | Captain |
Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
Born: | Christchurch, New Zealand , 2 April 1903 |
Home Town: | Larpent, Colac-Otway, Victoria |
Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
Occupation: | Grazier |
Died: | Execution, Ambon, Netherlands East Indies, 20 February 1942, aged 38 years |
Cemetery: |
Ambon War Cemetery, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia Ambon Memorial, Malaysia 23 B 14 |
Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Beaufort War Memorial, Hutchins School WW2 Honour Roll |
World War 2 Service
3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Captain, VX45224 | |
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8 Jul 1940: | Enlisted VX45224 |
Help us honour Neil Edwin Watchorn's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Ian Fox
The 2/21st was deployed to Ambon as part of Gull Force in December 1941 following the Japanese invasion of Malaya; however, with the defence of the island considered untenable due to the limited military resources available and overwhelming Japanese strength it was subsequently captured despite determined resistance, surrendering on 3 February 1942.
Most members of the battalion became prisoners of war, and a large number died in captivity. Gull Force lost 15 men killed during the defence of Ambon, and another 309 men at Laha who were either killed in action or by mass executions by the Japanese which occurred on 6 February and between 15–20 February.
Captain Watchorn was one of the victims of the mass executions.
[Source: Wikipedia, Colac Family History Project]