Item in the collection of Gilbert John Mitchell (Jack) Pre WW2 Jack had service for a brief time in the 38th BN Bendigo No 447203. He enlisted in the RAAF on 31.1.1942 No 410686 age 20 years. Embarked for England on 6.1.1943 for further Training. Posted to 166 Sqd RAF Wellington Bombers then posted Operational to No 466 Sqd RAAF flying Halifax Heavy Bombers. On 18.7.1944 he and his crew in MZ313 were on a mission to attack Railway Sidings at Vaires. This was new Aircraft on 11.6.1944. They were hit by Anti Aircraft shells exploding in the fuselage. The Bomb Aimer Flt/Lt Finley advised the crew to leave by parachute as it was possible the craft could disintegrate. The Pilot Officer R.J. Evans decided to try and get the aircraft back to England, once there they abandoned the craft which was seen to disintegrate in mid air. Both were awarded the DFC. Jack was taken POW and sent to Stalag Luft 1 near Barth on the Baltic Sea for Allied Airmen. The Crew were; Roger John Evans No 410202, enlisted 5.12.1941 age 31 years. Peter Hamiliton Finley No 412294, enlisted 22.6.1941 age 22 years. L.C. Abbott, British/Allied. G.J. Mitchell, POW. Keith Mossman Tranent POW, No 426402, enlisted 20.6.1942 age 19 years 2 months. J.P.T. Finn RAF (Paddy) T.W. Wild British/Allied. On 30.4.1945 The Germans vacated the Camp Jack was in and 2 days later the Russians released them and he was placed in a British Hospital weighing 6 stone. He arrived home in Sept 1945. He stayed in the RAAF No 033130 and served in No 35 Sqd flying VIPs. He was in the Berlin Airlift 1948 - 1949, he also went on exchange with the RAF and flew in No's 24 & 511 Sqd's one a transport the other VIP transport. He was discharged from the RAAF with the rank of Flt/Lt on 6.7.1956 in No 11 Sqd. "Maunder and Sheean". In the article Jacks says that Lofty Maunder always had a joke etc when near the target to settle everyone down. The crew of Halifax LV875 were shot down by a Night Fighter near the target "Terngier" north of Paris 0n 11.4.1944. There was 157 Halifax's on the raid with 10 being lost. The Crew were; John Henry Maunder No 412562, Navigator, enlisted 19.7.1941 age 19 years 10 months. Brian Leo Sheean, No 409855, Wireless Operator, enlisted 1.10.1941 age 18 years. Research shows there were at least 3 more of the Crew KIA. Cecil John Bond No 420433, Pilot, enlisted 8.11.1941 age 19 years 11 months. John Neville Keys No 426112, Bomb Aimer, enlisted 23.5.1942 age 19 years 6 months. Clifford Young Warren No 427047, Rear Gunner, enlisted 26.4.1942 age 19 years 3 months. J.A. White, Flight Engineer, British/Allied. D.K. Messenger, Mid Upper Gunner, British/Allied. Newspaper article Herald Sun 19.4.2002, copy. Article re Jack Mitchell. The article has 6 photo insets 3 of Jack, 2 show Airmen beside an aircraft. The one with 2 Aircrew is "Lofty" Maunder and Jack. The article is mostly about "Maunder and Brian Sheean" mates of Jack. The inset photo of a women in uniform is believed to be "Maunders" English wife who he had married previously. Maunder and Sheean were KIA. "FLY THE FLAG FOR A MATE"newspaper, article, 466 sqd

The little boy's father worked for a gold mining company in Malaya. The boy and his mother made it out of Malaya to Bendigo safely. The father volunteered by joining the 4th Pahang Bn of the Federated States of Malaya, serial no 13428 and his rank was Sgt. He was a POW, worked on the Burma railway. The father, Desmond Vandergrift Giblin survived the War. Desmond Vandergrift Giblin has letters and his diary on the Aust War Memorial website.This is a pocket sized memo book. Mottled blue cover with white printing. The spine is dark blue. The cover is hard cardboard. Inside are numerous lined pages. The pages in the first section are used as a scrap book showing news clippings about fund raising for our POW's (Red Cross). 1st clipping shows a little boy, Ian Desmond Giblin, aged 2 yr 10 mth. His father was a POW in Malaya. Other pages in the book are either blank or have a few pencilled financial notations.“July 6th” is written on the little boy's clipping but no year.ww2, red cross, pow's, burma railway, v.a.d.

"THE/ WAR DIARIES/ OF/ WEARY DUNLOP/ JAVA AND THE BURMA - THAILAND RAILWAY 1942 - 1945" Book - item in the collection of Richard William McGILVERY, RAAF. Refer Cat. No. 7287P for his service details, photo, awards, HARD COVER BOOK WITH DUST COVER. Hard cover - cardboard with adhered red buckram, gold print on spine. Dust cover - paper, white print on front, spine and back on red background. Folded flaps with black print on beige background. Illustrated - front - colour seated portrait of Sir Edward Dunlop. Back - copy in colour of watercolour painting of "Weary Dunlop" operating in a jungle hospital by "Jack Chalker". 401 pages - cut, plain, off white paper. Illustrated black and white photographs and sketches.history, books, ww2, autobiography

Maxwell Barry Cowden VX19297 enlisted in the 2/nd AIF on 30.5.1940 age 18 years (put his age up to 21) in 2/2 Pioneer Battalion AIF, embarked for the Middle East 8.4.1941, promoted L/Cpl 25.6.1941, promoted Cpl 29.10.1941, took part in the Syrian Campaign. On 31.1.1942 the unit embarked for Australian but were diverted to Java to defend it, disembarked 18.2.1942. Java surrendered and they were taken POW, reported MIA on 30.4.1942 then after as POW. As a POW he worked on the Burma Railway. In December 1944 they were on the Hell Ship AWA Maru and sailed for Japan to work in the Coal Mines arriving mid Jan 1945. He was repatriated back to Australia on the HMS Formidable, discharged on 28.11.1945 with the rank of Cpl. Refer also Cat No 7077.Brown wood frame with gold edge, contains a photo and medals on a green background re a WW2 soldier/POW. The medals are a mixture of official and unofficial not in the correct order. Medals top. 1. Miniature Dutch medal 1942 - 45 official. 2. Prisoner of war medal, commemorative unofficial. Centre row. 1.Dutch medal 1942 - 45 official. 2. Africa star, official. 3. 1939 - 45 Star, official. 4. Pacific Star, official. 5. Front line service medal, unofficial. Bottom. 1. Defence medal, official. 2.Australian Service medal 1939 - 45, official. 3. For Combatant duties in active service, unofficial. 4. Foreign service medal, unofficial. 5. British war medal 1939 - 45, official."Max Cowden VX19297 2/2 Pioneer Battalion AIF"award, medals, photo, pow, 2/2

The spoon was given to Maxwell Barry Cowden VX19297 2/2 Pioneer BN by an American POW. He carried the spoon tied to the side of his loin cloth. Max worked on the Burma Railway and in the Coal Mines in Japan, Senryu 24 and Fukuoka camps. After the war he could not sit on a chair for a long time and would just squat on the floor with his back to the wall as he had done as a POW. Refer Cat No 7076P for more service details.Framed brown timber with gold edge, inset background is green, within is a silver spoon and medal displayed. The medal is a Commemorative unofficial Prisoner of War. On the spoon stamped in "U.S"framed, pow, souvenir, u.s

The Grinton Collection. Standing on the ground 2nd from the left Sgt Coffey. Refer Cat No. 1280 for Jack Grintons service details. Photograph framed. Photograph - black and white photograph on paper, depicting twelve troops sitting and standing in the doorway of a railway wagon. Frame - timber, light varnish finish, Perspex front, cardboard backing."Group I: Living behind the lines". "K. Troop train"framed accessories, camera on the somme, ww1, 38th bn, grinton

Items in the collection re Clarence Shearing, refer Cat No 7089.16P for his service details.Photographs B & W eleven in total re BCOF Japan. Six photos are of damage to Hiroshima, two have text on. Two photos of a harbour. One X Hiroshima Railway station pre bombing. One X Hospital. One X Farmland.photographs, hiroshima, bcof

"BEHIND BAMBOO" "An Inside Story of the Japanese Prison Camps" Author - ROHAN D. RIVETT "War Correspondent Prisoner of War, on the Burma-Siam Railway"Hard cover book. Cover - cardboard, light orange buckram with red and white print on front and spine. 400 pages - cut, plain, off white paper, illustrated - black and white and colour illustrations. Front end papers - owner's name, owner's stamp, book seller's label. Price notation.Front end papers - Owner's name - handwritten, black pen, "O.PELL / 7 VIOLET ST/ BGO" "M. PELL/ ORBOST" Owner's stamp - black ink "BENDIGO DISTRICT RSL SUB BRANCH INC/ PO BOX 42/ LONG GULLY 3550. Book seller's label - silver on black background A.J. DIGBY/ BOOKSELLER AND STAT (?)/ BAIRNSDALE" price notation - grey lead pencil "$10/ DMTY"books, military history, ww2, japanese prison camps

Owner and donor details - see Cat No. 5836.3.SOFT COVER BOOK. Cover - cardboard, white colour print on front, red colour background. Illustrated - front, colour photograph of a vehicle on a flat top railway wagon. 134 pages - cut, plain, semi gloss, white paper. Illustrated black and white photographs, maps and papers. Page 1. handwritten signature.Page 1 - handwritten in blue ink - signature "Aubrey Jarrott".books, military history, ww1, ww2, biography

"THE CHANGI CAMERA/ A UNIQUE RECORD OF CHANGI AND THE THAI-BURMA RAILWAY" A unique story of an Australian soldier - GEORGE ASPINALL - a keen photographer.Hard cover book with dust cover. Hardcover - cardboard, black buckram with gold print on spine. Dust cover - paper, grey, red and gold print on front, spine, back and flaps. Illustrated sepia toned photographs. Front - Barracks with large crowd of troops. Back - Beach scene. 242 pages, cut, plain, white paper. Illustrated - collection of black and white photographs. End papers illustrated - black and white photographs.books, history, ww2, biography, photography

Book - "A WEEK/ IN/ SEPTEMBER/ - A STORY OF ENDURING LOVE/ FROM THE BURMA RAILWAY."Soft cover book. Soft cover - cardboard, white, gold and yellow print on front, spine and back. Illustrated in colour, sky and jungle in silhouette. 356 pages - cut, plain, off white paper. Illustrated - black and white photographs. End papers - on back of front and back - illustrated, hand writing - in colour yellow.biography, ww2, history, books

Refers to service of 51964 L.A.C. Hicks RAAF. Refer Cat No 1363.1. Handwritten permission to stand down for LAC Hicks 28/9/45 (written in pencil). 2. Victorian railway single ticket. Issued at Elmore. NR 2646 5/10/45. Melbourne to Mildura. 3. RAAF leave pass No 2 Op Trg Unit for 51964 LAC Hicks dated 24 Oct 1945. 4. RAAF leave pass for above, dated 7/11/45. permission to proceed to Elmore.leave passes, raaf, train ticket

see. Cat no 5445.2photograph- black and white, curved wooden trestle bridge, on the bridge is a steam loco pulling freight cars with humans sitting atop. The bridge is set in a jungle clad valley, down in The Valley are unused logs and poles. This is a copyRear of photograph- “THAILAND BURMA RLW BRIDGE MADE BY POWS” “ “I believe was between WAMPO and Kin SIA OK” 122309ww2, pow, burma railway

REFER TO CAT 5445.2Photograph black and white. River, jungle covered hills. In the centre of the photo is a rail trestle bridge set against the steep hillside. The trestle bridge is made from timber On the rear of the photograph in ink. - 122326 WAMPO BRIDGE THAILAND- BURMARAILWAYww2, pow, burma railway

Refer Cat no. 5445.2Photo shows flat, uninhibited land. A river (low tide) snakes through the photo. In the centre is a trestle bridge crossing the river. A bomb ( water and smoke) blast is rising from the side of bridge Photograph rear in ink. “Tamaram bridge" being bombed. Bridge built by POWS. The span was never rebuilt. Trains stopping both sides and goods carried along foot of bridge, on a narrow bridge by POWs.ww2, pow, tamaran bridge, burma railway

Loin cloth worn by Capt D.F.V. Hufer who was a P.O.W. on the Burma Railway during WW2. See Catalogue no. 2725 for medal details and his service record.Navy coloured cotton cloth with two cotton strings for tying around a person's waist. The item is displayed over green card under glass in a rectangular metal frame.On a rectangular white card inside the frame: 'Loin cloth worn by Capt D.F.V. Hufer Burma Railway WW2'prisoner of war, burma railway, world war two, capt d.f.v. hufer

Train ticket re Albert Corrie VX47191, refer Cat No 4847 for service historyPalestine Train ticket, card grey colour, print in English and Arabic, hand written in pencil, Ticket “K54774”.In pencil, “Gaza 15020 - 20.4.42, AIF - reg No 71749, One 1 - 2nd class & seventeen 17, 3rd class Gaza to tel El Kibir” Pencil at bottom, “20.7.42 - 3 - 11 & 111 - Gaza Tel el Kibir”palestine, railways, tickets

.1) Ticket into the “Palace Theatre on a Wednesday. .2) rail ticket from “Spencer street to McLeod”. Alan Mason collection, refer 3979.2.1) Ticket, off white paper, print in black, stamped in purple,, hand written in blue pencil, ticket No 4172. .2) Ticket, Railway, card, reddish colour, 2nd class, all print in black & red, ticket No 02236, stamped on rear.>1) purple stamped, “9 Dec 1944”, in blue, “W 14”.tickets, rail, theatre

The diaries belonged to Horace S. GIBSON, clerk with the Victorian Railways, Camberwell, No. 1817, 4th Div. Signal Coy. He enlisted on 6.7.1915 in the 12th reinforcements 1st Div Signal Coy. Embarked for Egypt 9.11.1915. Transferred to 4th Div Signal Coy 9.3.16. Embarked for France 2.6.1916. KIA Zonnebeke Belgium 23.9.1917. Horace Gibson was born in Bendigo. Diaries Volume 1 and Volume 2 are written in pen & ink, also contains sketches, names & addresses. Detailed account by day of the weather & what was eaten for each meal, as well as training, the war up to the morning he is killed in action.Inside cover of Volume 1: Horace Stanley Gibson, Clerk, Camberwell Victorian Railways Australia. Private address, c/o Mrs S E Gibson Barrell Street Eaglehawk, Victoria Australia. documents, diaries, personal notes, records, military history

This item was souvenired by Brian PATTEN on the Burma Railway when visiting as a tourist.Square steel nut with section of 3/4 inch dia bolt thread. Rusted.railway, souvenir, burma

Horace Stanley GIBSON No 1817 4th Div Sig Coy. KIA. Refer Reg No 34.2 for his service details & war diaries. These diaries were found under a house during a clean up..1) & .2) Both diaries relate to Horace Stanley GIBSON No 1817 AIF when he worked on the Vic Railways prior to the War. Entries are in pen & ink re details of work etc. diaries, gibson

Reconquest. An Official Record of the Australian Army's successes .... New Guinea 1943 - 1944. Not for public sale.Soft cover, lightweight cardboard, black / beige print front & back. Red / beige background, illustrated with small Rising Sun badge. 160 pages, cut, plain, beige. Illustrated black / white photos & maps.Front cover: “Reconquest New Guinea 1943 - 1944”book, new guinea

Holder was entitled to enter the platform but not board a train at Lincoln (UK) station. Cost of the ticket was 1d (1 penny). Item re Frederick Gardner DAVEY DFC No 410533 RAAF. Refer Reg No 3536P for his service details.Cream, cardboard railway platform ticket with red printing front / back. One edge has been clipped.railways, platform, england

The photos belonged to Alf MASHELL VX25221 POW. They were given to Alf by a mate in Alf's unit, Sergeant D T MOORE who was also a POW & worked on the railway. Refer Reg No 2485 for Alf MASKELL's service history.Photos, black / white, copies of originals. The photos are a mixture taken during the building of the Burma Railway, DR's at work on the railway, the surrender in Singapore & the search after the War.pow’s, military, burma railway

Item re Frederick Gardner DAVEY DFC No 410533 RAAF. Refer Reg No 3536P for his service details.Combination Leave Pass from 29.7.1945 - 6.9.1945 & First Class Railway Ticket available until 6.9.1945, for a trip from Melbourne to Bendigo, issued to Frederick Gardner DAVEY DFC No 410533 RAAF. Cream paper, black / orange print with space for personal details to be inserted on front. Instructions for use in black type on back.Stamped in blue on front: DISEM LEAVE NO 1 PERSONNEL DEPT RAAF RANSFORD VIC Handwritten in pencil: Details of leave & Railway Ticketleave pass, railway ticket, military

The ticket is signed for use by Spr Mason A.W by the issuing Officer who appears to “DAWSON MAJOR”. Alan Mason VX 140967, refer Cat No 3979.2 for his service details.Railway Ticket NSW, cardboard, black printed, entries in black pen, double sided No 12243, large letter “30” on both sides, 2nd class.For Soldiers in uniform only, expires 31 December 1942, Military fortnightly ticket.tickets railways, military, alan walter mason

The story of Japanese Prisoners of War by Rohan Rivett “War Correspondent, POW on the Burma Siam Railway”Hard cover, buckram, dark fawn colour, blue print on spine, red print symbol on front cover, 400 pages, plain off white, illustrated B & W, colour and maps.Front fly leaf, hand written in grey lead pencil, “8a A.E. Lockwood 12/6”. Front end paper bottom right, book shop label in blue print intelligible.books, military history, pow’s

All objects supposedly brought from somebody near the site of the Thai Burma Railway..1) Rusted metal bolt. .2) Rusted metal spike. .3) Rusted bent piece of metal with pointed ends.equipment, railway, burma