James Pryor Thatcher

James Pryor Thatcher

Personal Information
Date of Birth	27 Mar 1915
Place of Birth	Fremantle, Western Australia
Death	22 Nov 1943
Place of Death	Thailand
Age at Enlistment	25 years, 2 months
Occupation	Farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	'Wattle Creek', Byford, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Ernest Thomas Thatcher
Military Information
Reg Number	WX2848
Date of Enlistment	20 Dec 1940
Rank	Sergeant
Unit/Formation	2nd/3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion

War Service

Enlisted and initially taken on strength of the 2nd/2nd Machine Gun Battalion at Northam camp. On 22 Jun 1940 James had shown early signs of leadership and was made an Acting Corporal. From 4 - 18 Aug 1940 he attended a Machine Gun course, and then on 29 Oct 1940 he with his sub unit entrained for Adelaide, arriving there on 31 Oct 1940. On arrival they found that t hey had been transferred to the 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion. From 18 - 20 Feb 1941 James was in the Wayville Camp Hospital with Otitis Media (middle ear infection). Granted pre-embarkation leave I WA from 25 Mar until 4 Apr 1941 he reported to a holding unit until 16 Apr 1941 when he embarked on the SS Île de France a part of Convoy 10B which sailed to Port Tewfik in Egypt via Colombo in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where they disembarked on 14 May 1941. His rank of Corporal was confirmed just prior to embarkations.

On 4 Sep 1941

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  Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
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  Location of James' gravesite

Post War

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