Ronald Hamilton Cornish

Ronald Hamilton Cornish

Personal Information
Date of Birth	14 Dec 1915
Place of Birth	Perth, Western Australia
Death	22 Mar 1971, aged 55
Place of Death	Fremantle
Age at Enlistment	24 years, 10 months
Description	5'9½" (1.76m) tall ; ; fair complexion ; hazel eyes ; fair hair ; birthmark on left hip
Occupation	Farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Byford, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Bertram Hugo Cornish
Military Information
Reg Number	WX9035
Date of Enlistment	25 Oct 1940
Rank	Sergeant
Unit/Formation	5 Platoon, A Company, 2/4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion
Military Movement
1st Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	30 Dec 1941 ‒ 1 Jan 1942
Transfers
Journey Dates	4 Jan 1942 ‒ 20 Jan 1942
Transport Details	HMT Aquitania Port Moresby to Suda Strait via Sydney, Perth
Journey Dates	20Jan 1942 ‒ 24 Jan 1942
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	20 Aug 1945 ‒ 20 Aug 1945
Transport Details	Aircraft Thailand to Singapore
Journey Dates	15 Oct 1945 ‒ 24 Oct 1945
Transport Details	HMT Moreton Bay Singapore to Fremantle
Post War Details
Fate	POW (Singapore) Returned to Australia
Monument(s)	ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford) Byford WW2 Honour Roll
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

In a 1939 electoral roll for Canning, Ron is listed as living in Cardup and working as a Brickmaker. His parents Bertram and Eva were also living in Cardup. Ron was Married on 3 Aug 1940 to Aldwyn (yet he listed his father as NOK). Ron was a champion amateur wrestler at age 17, and he captained the Armadale football team for several years, as well as being a gymnasium instructor.

Ron was awarded the Royal Humane Society's Bronze Medal and Certificate for rescuing a miner

War Service

Enlisted full time on 25 Oct 1940 at Claremont camp. On 5 Nov 1940 Ron was appointed an Acting Lance Corporal, before being admitted on 12 Nov 1940 to the Camp Dressing Station until 15 Nov 1940. On the same day that he was discharged from hospital he was promoted Acting Corporal, and on 27 Nov 1940 he was transferred to No. 3 Depot Battalion. On 4 Dec 1940 Ron was transferred to the 2/4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion. Ron was promoted Acting Lance Sergeant on 27 May 1941, and he was granted pre-concentration leave from 1 - 8 Jul 1941. On 21 Jul 1941 he embarked in Fremantle on HMT Duntroon for Adelaide, disembarking on 25 Jul 1941. On 27 May 1941 Ron was appointed Acting Lance Sergeant.

Next day, 28 July in Woodside Camp, Ron was admitted to the Woodside Camp Hospital where he received treatment until 4 Aug 1941 when he rejoined his unit. On 11 Oct 1941 Ron entrained for the Northern Territory arriving there on 19 October. On 30 Dec 1941 Ron embarked on a small ship (either SS Marella or HMAS Westralia) in Darwin for the journey to Port Moresby where they boarded HMT Aquitania for Singapore via Sydney and Fremantle. On 20 Jan 1942 the troops transshipped from Aquitania to two smaller Dutch vessels which carried them to Singapore, disembarking on 24 January 1942

Promoted Sergeant on 7 Feb 1942

"Adam Park Camp - Singapore Johore Bahru, - Malaysia Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore 'S' Battalion of 'D' Force in Thailand POW Number 8717 - Konkoita camp Aungganaung,105Kilo - Burma Reptu, Retphaw, 30Kilo 385k - Burma Thanbyuzayat, 415k - Burma"

Evacuated from Thailand to Singapore by aircraft, and then from Singapore to Fremantle on HMT Moreton Bay Discharged 19 Dec 1945

Post War

External Links

• Ballarat POW Memorial