Cpl John Thomas William Dedman VX40791 15 Dec 1915 – 23 May 2008
1940 – July – enlisted. Signed on at Caulfield Racecourse and went into tents at Mt Martha for about 6 weeks.
Sent to new camp at Darley (near Bacchus Marsh) as reinforcements to 2/7th Battalion serving in Middle East.
December 1940 – 8th Division was formed at Bonegilla (near Wodonga). Became Corporal 9th Section, 18th Platoon, D Company 2/29th Brigade.
1941 – March – went to Bathurst for brigade training.
1941 – September - Embarked from Melbourne aboard Marnix Van St Aldegonde for Singapore then to Segamat in Malaya.
First in action near Gemas, withdrew to Singapore.
15/2/1942 – captured in Singapore in Tanglin Hill and taken to Selarang Barracks.
Work party building Japanese memorial at Bukit Timah / work party on the wharves in Singapore, camped at River Road
20/4/1943 – train to Ban Pong, Thailand. Rice Trucks / 28 men per truck / 5 trains (in train no. 5). Travelled for 5 days and 5 nights. F force.
Walked to Songkurai Lower camp at night (200 km) in 15 nights (walked 2 nights / rested for I night). Cholera very bad many died here.
Lived in huts constructed by natives. Tasks were building embankments for railway. (heading towards Burma).
Went on to Songkurai (River Camp). Worked on bridge for railway.
Washed in creek near camp. Tripped over obstacles in dark on the way back to camp – bodies of dead British soldiers.
Volunteered for job of getting wood for kitchen. Worked with elephant to drag logs. Worked 100 days straight to keep job. Rail line came through. Became too ill and weak to put chain under log, felt nudge from elephant which pushed log over chain.
1943 – Christmas - Travelled by train on flat topped trucks from Songkurai to Kanburi (Kanchanaburi)/ sparks from engine blew over trucks (and passengers) during trip. Extremely ill – left to die at Kanburi with other sick men while others returned to Singapore. Kanburi proved to be a good camp and recovered very well. Increase in food. Diagnosed with ‘Beri Beri of the Heart’ and was confined to quarters. Fed on peanuts and received extra ration.
25/4/1944 – left for Singapore – no recollection of how travelled back
Singapore – housed in Selarang barracks and worked on airfield at Changi
October 1944 – moved into Changi Prison but slept outside in huts. Still worked on Changi aerodrome
15/2/1945 – Shifted back to River Road camp and dug foxholes for Japanese in Oxley Road, between River Valley road and Orchard Road.
Returned to Sydney on Esperance Bay.
Excerpt from John Debman’s recollections/stories