DAVIDSON Robert Royston VX39217 B Coy B Force

Robert Davidson was born 19th August 1904 in South Yarra Victoria. He enlisted on 21st January 1941 when living in East Melbourne, Robert was married at that time.

Robert died a prisoner of war on 6th March 1945.

NSW. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of VX39217 Sergeant Robert Royston Davidson, 2/29th Battalion, Australian Infantry. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of B Force. The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Sergeant Davidson, aged 40, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 6 March 1945. He was the son of Robert and Clara Davidson, and the husband of Mavis Ida Davidson, of Strathfield, NSW. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 16. (Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)