Elliott, Jack William Weir (Captain, b.1907 - d.1999)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of WX4506 Captain Jack William Weir Elliott, Australian Army Postal Corps, Singapore and Australia, 1940-1950. Captain Elliott was in charge of establishing and maintaining the Australian POW cemetery at Changi Goal and was part of the Australia Post Service in Changi Goal. This collection was compiled by the Ex-Prisoners of War Relatives Association (VIC) Inc.

Collection consists of:
1 x facsimile of a hand-drawn map of Changi Goal c.1945 showing the western part of the island, indicating Australian and British POW areas.
1 x pencil sketch of the entrance to the Australian cemetery at Changi.
1 x letter promoting Captain Elliott to the temporary rank of Major, dated 24 November 1950.
1 x 4 loose sheets of a diary noting various events such as the arrival of mail that arrived at the Goal, and notable people’s deaths.
1 x ‘Summary of postal arrangements and movements from 28 Jan. 42 to 7.3.42 (sic)’, describing the path that several members of the Postal Corps took to escape Singapore just prior to its fall, and the risks they faced on the journey back to Australia.
1 x 3 sheets from the ‘Postal Institute Magazine’, dated September 1949, with an article discussing the postal activities of soldiers in Changi, with several mentions of Captain Elliott in one article, and an article written by him entitled ‘Onward From Changi: Fine Work of Australian Postal Unit’.
1 x daily orders dated 15 February 1942 announcing Captain Elliott’s promotion to Captain.
1 x POW card from Changi Gaol from Captain Elliott addressed to his wife and mother, dated 9 August 1944.
1 x red ‘Japanese Red Cross prisoners of war mail Tokio, Japan’ tag for a parcel dated 1 September 1944.
1 x brown-covered Australian soldier’s pay book spanning the period 17 June 1940 to 29 March 1942.
1 x sheet relating to the numbers of parcels received in Brisbane in September 1942, with a hand-written roll of honour for the 8 Australian Postal Unit on the reverse with 30 names.
1 x facsimile of annotated notes relating to the Australian Army Postal Corps during the period 6 March 1943 to 30 May 1944.
1 x 3 sheets of embarkation records dated 10 September 1940, relating to the units HQ AIF Postal Unit, 1 Australian Corps Postal Unit, and Detachment Division Postal Unit UK.
1 x 8-page official report by Captain Elliott describing in detail the history of the postal service from within Changi Goal including issues such as what was censored and what the Japanese allowed both in and out.
1 x 6-page later account of Captain Elliott’s role as person in charge of the Australian cemetery at Changi.
1 x 2-page report dated 30 June 1943 on the construction of the cemetery at Changi written by Captain Elliott on scrap paper, one page of which is printed on the back of a notice advertising the sale of the possessions of a recently deceased Major LW Kennan, RASC.
1 x list of casualties from the Postal Corps, with 12 names listed, their cause, date, and place of deaths.
1 x 7-page booklet of lists of names of prisoners of Changi who had been taken to various working camps and a record of where they were sent. These were used in Captain Elliott’s role in the postal service for forwarding mail to prisoners.
1 x facsimile of the form (not filled out) that Japanese captors requested prisoners fill in, agreeing that they would not attempt escape.
1 x 5 pages describing the rations available each month to prisoners; the number of prisoners held at the camp each month from February 1942 to August 1945; the number of people from each unit represented by prisoners; and lists of casualties AIF from Malaya, Java and Timor forces, and deaths in working parties. Two of these pages are written on the back of Japanese POW cards belonging to British soldiers Sgt C Imrie and Dvr R H Smith
1 x table of ‘Australian mail received at Changi P.W. Camp: detailed record showing distribution of mail for A.I.F., R.A.A.F., and R.A.N, from 16 February ‘42'’.
1 x letter dated 5 October 1945 from a colonel of the Director Army Postal Service expressing a desire to keep Captain Elliott retained by the unit for post-war work.
1 x letter from Government House, Perth, dated 23 May 1949, inviting Captain Elliott to the ceremony where he was issued his MBE.
1 x letter from G T Chippindall, Director-General of the Postmaster-General’s Department congratulating Captain Elliott on his MBE.
1 x letter from the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood at St. James’ Palace informing Captain Elliott of his Warrant of Appointment to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
1 x copy of the citation awarding Captain Elliott his MBE on Governor-General of Australia’s letterhead.
1 x facsimile of a list of soldiers buried at Changi from the period 2 February 1942 to 29 October 1944, containing the names, service numbers, ranks, units, dates of death and causes of death of 143 buried prisoners.

Oversize items:
1 x certificate commissioning Captain Elliott to the rank of Lieutenant, dated 23 January 1942.
1 x facsimile of a map of the Changi Goal drawn by Frank Jackson
1 x two sheets (missing one) listing soldiers buried at Changi from the period 2 February 1942 to 29 October 1944, containing the names, service numbers, ranks, units, dates of death and causes of death of 143 buried prisoners (full facsimile in other folder)
1 x table of ‘Australian mail received at Changi P.W. Camp: detailed record showing distribution of mail for A.I.F., R.A.A.F., and R.A.N, from 16 February ‘42’ (facsimile in other folder).