The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (TX5117) Private Stanley Vivian Beardwood 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Richad Cruise, the story for this day was on (TX5117) Private Stanley Vivian Beardwood 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

TX5117 Private Stanley Vivian Beardwood 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion
Died of illness 11 October 1943

Today we remember and pay tribute to Stanley Vivian Beardwood.

Stanley Beardwood was born on 18 March 1909 in Launceston, Tasmania, the third son of Matthew and Henriette Beardwood.

Young Stanley grew up with his siblings Jack, Doris, Les, and Bob at Prospect at the southern end of Launceston. After receiving his qualifying certificate from Wellington Square Practising School in 1924, he went on to work as a dairy farmer with his father. He also served with the cadets for two years.

By the beginning of the Second World War, Beardwood had married Louisa Alice Creedy.

He enlisted on 17 December 1940 and was allotted to the 2/40th Battalion, the only battalion in the Australian Imperial Force recruited almost entirely from Tasmania.
In early January 1941, Beardwood and his battalion went to Bonegilla Camp, near Wodonga on the Victoria-New South Wales border, to join its parent brigade.
In February 1941 the battalion was earmarked for deployment to Dutch West Timor to protect the airfields in the event of a Japanese attack. However, it was thought premature deployment might provoke Japanese action, and the battalion was held back in the Northern Territory. During this time, Beardwood was absent without leave for two days and forfeited three days’ pay as a result.
Once Japan attacks began in early December 1941, the 2/40th was rushed to Timor. Leaving Darwin on the 10th of December, the battalion formed the bulk of “Sparrow Force”, which defended the airfield at Penfui, the operational base for the Hudson bombers of 2 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Like the other “bird forces” deployed across the islands to Australia's north, Sparrow Force was ill-equipped. The commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Leggatt, made repeated requests for greater reinforcement, artillery, and supplies, which were never met.

Japanese air attacks on Timor began in late-January and increased in intensity over the next month. 2 Squadron withdrew to Australia on 19 February, leaving doubts about the role of Sparrow Force. The Japanese attack on Dutch Timor began the following morning. Faced with a strong advance from the south and paratroopers on the only road running inland to the Allied supply dump, Sparrow Force destroyed the airfield and began to move inland. Over the following days the small force battled its way along the road overcoming several Japanese positions. By the morning of 23 February, however, the odds against Sparrow Force were mounting: food, water, and ammunition were running out; casualties were growing; and the large Japanese force was closing on its rear.

After Japanese delivered Legatt an ultimatum to surrender or be bombed, the bulk of the 2/40th, including Private Beardwood, became prisoners of war. The prisoners spent the first seven months of their captivity interned in a camp at Usapa Besar on Timor. A small party of senior officers was shipped to Java in late July and the rest of the prisoners on Timor followed in September. From Java the 2/40th prisoners were dispersed throughout Japan’s conquered territory.

In Australia, Beardwood’s family waited anxiously for news. Initially reported as missing, it wasn’t until August 1943 that he was reported as being interned at Java. It would be almost another two years until Beardwood’s death was confirmed, with reports that he had died of malaria on 11 October at Tarsoe, in Thailand, a Japanese staging camp for prisoners moving north to work on railway construction.

Stanley Beardwood was 34 years old. Today, his remains lie buried at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand, underneath the inscription “Age 34 Dearly loved & sadly missed by loving wife Louie.”

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Stanley Vivian Beardwood, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section