| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | PR05146 |
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | Extent: 1 cm; Wallet/s: 1 |
| Object type | Notebook, Certificate |
| Maker |
Australian Military Forces Beamsley, Harold William |
| Place made | China: Hainan Island |
| Date made | 1942 - 1945 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copying Provisions | Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction. |
Beamsley, Harold William (Private, b.1912 – d.1997)
Description
Collection relating to the Second World War service of VX28646 Private Harold William Beamsley, 2/21 Australian Infantry Battalion, Second Australian Imperial Force, Australia and Hainan Island, c 1942 – 1945.
Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of two notepads and one Certificate of Discharge, relating to Private Beamsley, c 1942 to 1945.
The two notebooks, hand-bound from Japanese cigarette packets, were hand-written by Private Beamsley during his internment as a prisoner of war at Ambon, Maluku Islands and Hainan Island, China, c 1942 to 1945. The first notebook, dated 25 August to 15 November, contains general life advice to be used upon his future release and a list of vitamins, macronutrients and their benefits. The latter part of this notebook contains various recipes given by fellow servicemen and additional culinary tips. The second notebook, [undated], contains numerous biblical quotes and a seven-part poem, ‘Appeal to Australia’, encouraging Australians to continue the fight in guarding Australian shores from enemy invasions.
The Certificate of Discharge [and associated envelope] relates to Private Beamsley, Royal Park, Victoria, dated 11 December 1945.
History / Summary
Private Harold William Beamsley enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force in Caulfield, Victoria, 1 July 1940. Private Beamsley served with the 2/21 Australian Infantry Battalion in Ambon, Maluku Islands. On 3 February 1942 he was taken as prisoner of war by the Japanese, and in October 1945 was transferred to be interned at Bakli Bay, Hainan Island. Following the surrender of the Japanese in August 1945, he was repatriated on 12 September 1945. Private Beamsley was discharged on 11 December 1945.