William Albert Arthur Parkin
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 3 May 1906 |
| Place of Birth | Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Death | 3 Jan 1989 aged 82 |
| Place of Death | Albany, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 34 years, 2 months |
| Occupation | orchardist |
| Address | Roleystone, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Mother , Mrs Margaret Parkin |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | WX5020 |
| Date of Enlistment | 23 Jul 1940 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit/Formation | 8th Australian Division Signals Company |
| Post War Details | |
| Fate |
POW Malaya Returned to Australia |
| External Monument(s) | The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial Ballarat, Victoria |
| Medals |
1939-45 Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45 |
Pre War
Between 1932 and 1939 he spent some time in Victoria working in a news agency before returning to Perth.
War Service
Mobilised into the Militia as a motor transport driver in January 1940 at the Claremont Camp for recruits. In July he changed his enlistment to the 2nd AIF and was posted to the 8th Division Signals, embarking for Malaya in April 1941. He was listed as Missing in February 1942, before it was confirmed during 1943 that he was a POW, in Thailand where he spent 2½ years in Kanchanaburi near the Burma Railway. According to him, he had it easier than many others as he drove for a Japanese doctor. Retrieved from the POW camp in Thailand in August 1945. He spent three weeks in hospital in Singapore before being shipped to Fremantle where he stayed in the 110th Australian Base Hospital until the end of May 1946. Margaret Long was one of his nurses. Discharged from the AIF in October 1946.
Post War
Prior to July 1946 Bill married Margaret Long (1917 - 1956) in Perth. Margaret died from cancer in 1956, and Bill remarried in 1958, to Mary (Mollie) Pannett (1910 - 1992). He died from Leukaemia in 1989
Electoral Roll entries: 1949 - 1954 at Carmel, orchard manager; in Wagin in 1950s, working in a bakehouse, and Albany in 1955 working for Hunt's Canning factory
Notes
External Links
- Ballarat POW Memorial[[Category:]]