Len Malarkey

Len Malarkey

Personal Information
Date of Birth	11 Dec 1920
Place of Birth	Wandering, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	20 years
Description	5'6½" (1.67m) tall ; ; Medium complexion ; brown eyes ; dark hair
Occupation	Farm hand
Religion	Roman Catholic
Address	PO Byford, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Harry Malarkey
Military Information
Reg Number	WX10494
Date of Enlistment	20 Dec 1940
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	2nd/16th Australian Infantry Battalion
Date of Embarkation	9 Sep 1941
Date of Embarkation	6 Aug 1942
Date of Return	‒ 25 Mar 1942
Date of Return	‒ 24 Dec 1942
Fate	Wounded in Action 1942 Returned to Australia
Medals	1939-45 Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

War Service

Enlisted at Claremont on 20 Dec 1940, and on 3 Jan 1941 was transferred to the 2nd Training Battalion at Northam camp. Following training he was granted pre-embarkation leave from 24 Apr 1041 until 3 may 1941, and on his return from leave he was posted to the 9th Division Salvage Company. On 10 Jun 1941 Len was charged with being AWOL from midnight 9 Jun until 10:00pm 10 Jun 1941 for which he was reprimanded and lost the day's pay.

On 25 Jun 1941 Len was transferred to the 2nd/16th Australian Infantry Battalion reinforcements, and he embarked with them on 9 Sep 1941 on HMT Queen Mary in Fremantle for the Middle East, disembarking on 23 Sep 1941. The battalion had most recently been involved in fighting the Vichy French in Lebanon and Syria and was still there as part of the garrison forces. On 20 Dec 1941 Len was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital with measles, and was released to the 21st Australian Infantry Training Battalion before rejoining the 2/16th Battalion on 19 Jan 1942.

Len and the rest of the battalion boarded the Île de Paris at Suez for Adelaide, but transhipped to the SS Kosciusko at Adda Atoll in the Maldives on 11 Feb 1942. Originally the purpose was for them to reinforce the British in Burma (Myanmar) but on their way there they were turned around and sent to Australia by the Prime Minister following a confrontation with Churchill. Ln disembarked in Adelaide on 25 Mar 1942. During the voyage Len had failed to appear at a parade for which he was awarded 3 days Confined to Barracks (CB), or extra duties.

Soon after their arrival in Adelaide the battalion was placed on trains for Queensland and, soon after their arrival there, they on 6 Aug 1942 were embarked at Brisbane on [[ ]] for Port Moresby, disembarking on 13 Aug 1942. Sent immediately to the Kokoda Track where a desperate fighting withdrawal was under way against overwhelming Japanese forces. On 12 Sep 1942 Len was evacuated to the Infectious Diseases Hospital with Dysentery, before being released to the 113th Australian Convalescent Depot on 19 Sep 1942. He rejoined the battalion on 24 Sep 1942 as they prepared to attack the Japanese positions at Gona and Buna. On 8 Dec 1942 Len was wounded in action with a gun shot wound to the shoulder. Evacuated to the 2nd/9th Australian General Hospital at Port Moresby on 10 Dec 1942, he was embarked on [[HMAHS Ship Manunda], and on 24 Dec 1942 he was admitted to the 102nd Australian General Hospital at Holland Park in Brisbane. On 24 Jan 1943 he was placed on Ambulance Train No 2 for the 112th Australian Convalescent Depot in NSW. Discharged on 24 Feb 1943, and transferred to WA. While in WA he was charged with being AWOL from 5:00pm on 20 Apr 1943 until 10:30am on 23 Apr 1943, being fined £5 and the loss of three days pay. On 8 Aug 1943 he was back with his unit in Queensland, and on

Discharged 25 Feb 1946