Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Able Seaman Arthur Bancroft (Service No:F3239) enlisted in the RAN on 18 November 1940 and was an Ordinary Seaman attached to HMAS Leeuwin. Having completed training at land-based depots in Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney, OS Bancroft was posted to the Light Cruiser HMAS Perth in September 1941, and embarked in February 1942 as part of the ABDA (American, British, Dutch and Australian) fleet based in Java to defend against the Japanese. Able Seaman Bancroft (aka 'Blood' by his shipmates because of his red hair) was one of the few survivors of the Battle of Sunda Strait (28 February 1942) and was taken on board the Sandong Maru and transported to Batavia, then on to Changi Prison in Singapore. From there he was transported with other PoWs to Burma to build a railway through the jungle. Able Seaman was on board the Rakuyo Maru in September 1944 when he was rescued in the South China Sea by USS Queenfish, arriving in Perth on 25 October 1944. Able Seaman Bancroft was attached to HMAS Lonsdale at Discharge on 25 July 1945.

Born in 1921 in Fremantle WA, Arthur was youngest of seven children of Harold Stewart Bancroft (b1887 in Spring Hill, QLD) and Susan (Susie) Mary Hayden (b1891 in York, WA). Harold moved to Western Australia in the early 1900s, and was a Carpenter in Southern Cross in 1906 before moving to York where, in 1910, he and Susie married. The couple lived in York, Fremantle, Wyalkatchem, Doodlakine via Northam, Toodyay and Perth - Harold was a Carpenter.

Arthur was working for the Union Bank of Australia Ltd when he enlisted in the RAN - employment he returned to following his Discharge. In 1945 in Perth, Arthur married  Mirla Gwendolen Wilkinson (b1923 in Perth, WA). In 1949 Arthur and Mirla were living in Northam, where Arthur was Accountant/Teller at the Union Bank, President of the Northam RSL, and coach and mentor as well as Captain of the Football Club (where he was known as 'Banger Bancroft'). Transferred through his employment with Union/ANZ Bank. Arthur and Mirla lived in Albany and Wongan Hills where Arthur was Accountant/Teller before becoming Bank Manager in the mid 1950s. Arthur and Mirla settled in Perth (Wembley Park and City Beach) and Arthur retired as Senior Manager with ANZ Bank in September 1980. Mirla died in 2011 and Arthur in 2013.