Thomas Malarkey
From Our Contribution
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 5 Dec 1917 |
| Place of Birth | Jitarning, Western Australia (between Wickepin and Kulin) |
| Death | 1 Jul 1985 |
| Place of Death | Dalkeith, Western Australia (Hollywood Repatriation Hospital?) |
| Age at Enlistment | 23 years, 4 months |
| Description | 5'6" (1.m) tall ; ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; black hair ; gunshot wound left arm |
| Occupation | Farm labourer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Post Office Byford |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr Harry Malarkey |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | WX13810 |
| Date of Enlistment | 2 Jun 1941 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Military Movement | |
| 1st Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 9 Sep 1941 ‒ 23 Sep 1941 |
| Transport Details | HMT Queen Mary Fremantle to Port Tewfik, Egypt |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 16 Feb 1942 ‒ 17 Mar 1942 |
| Transport Details | HMT Durban Castle Middle East to Adelaide |
| 2nd Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 5 Nov 1944 ‒ 13 Nov 1944 |
| Transport Details | HMT Katoomba Townsville to Aitape, New Guinea |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 20 Feb 1945 |
| Transport Details | by aircraft Aitape, New Guinea to Sydney |
| Post War Details | |
| Fate | Returned to Australia |
| Monument(s) |
ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford) Byford WW2 Honour Roll |
| Medals |
1939-45 Star Pacific Star War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45 |
Pre War
1943 Electoral Roll (drawn up pre war?) has him at Byford, no occupation.
War Service
Enlisted at Claremont camp on 2 Jun 1941, and on 6 Jun 1941 he was transferred to the Naval Base Training Depot.. Here on 7 Jun 1941 he was transferred to the No 1 Training Battalion as a reinforcement for the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion. Tom was granted pre-embarkation leave from 6 - 14 Aug 1941 before embarking for overseas on 9 Sep 1941 aboard HMT Queen Mary which with Queen Elizabeth comprised Convoy US12A, disembarking on 23 Sep 1941.
On 3 Oct 1941 Tom was evacuated to the 2/1st Australian General Hospital with dysentery. He returned to camp on 20 Oct 1941, and joined the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion on 13 Nov 1941 which at the time was rebuilding while performing garrison duties in Syria. On 16 Feb 1942 he embarked on the HMT Durban Castle for Adelaide, arriving there on 17 Mar 1942.
On 23 Jun 1942 Tom was charged with being AWOL from midnight 20 Jun until 10:30pm on 21 Jun 1942. Fined 10/- ($1), and automatic forfeiture of 1 days pay. On 17 Aug 1942 Tom sought assistance from the 2/2nd Australian Field Ambulance who treated him for measles, and he was released back to his unit on 31 Aug 1942. Tom was granted efficiency pay from 1 Jul 1943. Then on 16 Jul 1943 he and the battalion entrained in Perth for Queensland. Here, from 19 - 29 Dec 1943 he was treated for appendicitis by the 2/6th Australian General Hospital.
Tom and the rest of his unit boarded the HMT Katoomba in Townsville on 5 Nov 1944 for New Guinea, disembarking in Aitape on 13 Nov 1944. in late 1944 the 2/11th Battalion was committed to the Aitape–Wewak campaign. A mopping up operation, the campaign was one of a series of patrolling and small advances. At the start of the campaign in January 1945, the 2/11th Battalion was assigned to an area on the eastern bank of the Danmap River and as the campaign progressed they advanced south of Wewak. Tom was a member of 'D' Company, and was wounded in action on 21 Jan 1945, his wounds caused by a grenade to his left side of his trunk, and a gunshot wound to his left elbow. An alternative explanation of his injury in his records was that a bullet had fractured his left arm before lodging in his chest. [1]Treated by the 2/7th Australian Field Ambulance on 25 Jan 1945, he was evacuated to the 104th Australian Casualty Clearing Station the same day and then on to the 2/11th Australian General Hospital. On 8 Feb 1945 he was transferred to the 2/7th Australian General Hospital, who on 15 Feb 1945 decided to evacuated him to the mainland via aircraft under the care of the 18th Australian Field Ambulance.
On 20 Feb 1945 this occurred courtesy of the 'NADZAB 20 2/US' to Brisbane and there he entered the 112th Australian General Hospital in (Brisbane). On 1 Mar 1945 he boarded 3rd Australian Ambulance Train for Sydney and then Melbourne where on 3 Mar 1945 he entered the 115th Australian General Hospital at Heidelberg for overnight care before he transferred to Adelaide's 121st Australian General Hospital. On 14 Mar 1945 Thomas was released to the 110th Australian Base Hospital in Perth. On 20 Apr 1945 he was transferred from the 110th Australian Base Hospital Perth to the 109th Australian Convalescent Depot, but on 7 Jun 1945 he reversed this transfer to be treated for malaria by the 110th Australian Base Hospital. On 17 Jul 1945 he was transferred to Western Command in Perth and was classified as unfit for heavy lifting with his left arm. This resulted in a posting on 17 Aug 1945 to the 26th Australian Works Company, but then detached to the 109th Australian Convalescent Depot at Point Walter. Apart from another relapse of malaria, it appears that he remained in the convalescent depot until two days before his discharge by Western Command on 24 Oct 1945.
Post War
From 18 Jun 1946 until 5 Oct 1948 Tom was employed as a Casual worker by the West Australian Government Railways at Yealering. Electoral Roll entries: 1949 Yealering, repairer; 1954 at Wittenoom, mill hand; 1958 Yearlering, farm hand; 1963 Koolan Island, wharf hand; 1968 at Miling, unemployed; 1977 at 126 Toorak road, Rivervale, no occupation; 1980 at 162 Royal street, East Perth.
Notes
Three brothers also served. Clarence WX2165 born 7 Jul 1906; Francis WX3211 born 5 Nov 1913; and Len WX10494 born 11 Dec 1920.
- ↑ Battalion into Battle - The history of the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1939-45 Wes Olsen 2011