| Accession Number | P02468.724 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Film copy negative |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
WA. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of WX9017 Private Charles Roland Bird, 2/4th Machine ...
Description
WA. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of WX9017 Private Charles Roland Bird, 2/4th Machine Gun 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. Private Bird, aged 28, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 26 July 1945. He was the son of Roland and Beatrice Agnes Bird, of East Fremantle, WA. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 18. (Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)