Arthur Lloyd Brockwell

Arthur Lloyd Brockwell

Personal Information
Date of Birth	15 Oct 1914
Place of Birth	Subiaco, Western Australia
Death	2 Nov 1995, aged 81
Age at Enlistment	27 years, 9 months
Description	5'10" (1.78m) tall ; ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; black hair
Occupation	Brickmaker
Religion	Church of England
Address	Byford, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs. Dorothy May Brockwell
Military Information
Reg Number	WX21857
Date of Enlistment	20 Jul 1942
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	2/3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion
Post War Details
Fate	Wounded in action 1945
Monument(s)	ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford)
Medals	1939-45 Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

Pre War

Attended the Byford Primary School in 1920-1926. On the 1936 Electoral Roll - Byford, labourer. Married Dorothy May ?? in 1938

War Service

Arthur enlisted at Claremont on 20 Jul 1942 and was sent to Northam to train with the 35th Australian Infantry Training Battalion. He was granted leave from 18 - 26 Sep 1942, and remained in the Northam Camp until transferred to the 44th Australian Infantry Battalion reinforcements on 28 Jan 1943. On 4 Feb 1944 Arthur was admitted to the 118th Australian General Hospital before being discharged by them on 1 Mar 1944.

On 17 Mar 1944 Arthur was transferred to Queensland where on 7 Apr 1944 he joined the 44th Australian Infantry Battalion (West Australian Rifle Regiment) where his stay was short lived as on 5 Jul 1944 he was transferred to the 2/3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion as a Group II Carpenter. Arthur was granted leave from 20 Sep 1944 until 17 Oct 1944, rejoining his unit in time to embark in Townsville aboard USAT Sea Cat on 3 Apr 1945 for Morotai where he disembarked on 13 Apr 1945 at 'Red Beach'. Morotai was operating as the staging point for the liberation of Borneo. On 23 Apr 1945 the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion embarked aboard several LST's, including USS LST 743 at 'Blue Beach' Morotai as part of the convoy heading for a landing on Tarakan Island off the coast of North Borneo. The convoy sailed at 5:30pm on 27 Apr 1945, and arrived off 'Tarakan South' beach early in the morning of 1 May 1945 with 2/48th and 2/23rd Australian Infantry Battalions assualting the beach. The Pioneers landed at mid day, and while some of them were used to unload the LSTs, the rest occupied defensive positions on the beach perimeter and for some time operated as an infantry battalion.

Arthur was wounded in action on 17 May 1945 with a schrapnel wound (grenade) to his right temple, requiring him to be evacuated to the 110th Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He was transferred to the 2/11th Australian Field Ambulance on 22 May and returned to his unit on 26 May 1945. On 18 Aug 1945 Arthur was treated by the 110th Australian Casualty Clearing Station for dermatitis to his right foot. Transferred to the 2/11th Australian Field Ambulance on 28 Aug 1945, he was treated by them for dermatitis to both feet. He was released back to his unit on 4 Sep 1945. With hostilities at an end, he left the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion at Morotai on 29 Sep 1945 aboard HMAS Manoora for the Australian mainland, disembarking in Brisbane on 15 Oct 1945, and following a rail journey he arrived back in Western Australia on 29 Oct 1945. Arthur was discharged on 30 Oct 1945.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries: 1949 - 1972 Byford, labourer; 1977 - 1980 at 26 Helen crescent Byford.