Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 4500    SESSION 18 (2.30PM FRIDAY 31ST MARCH)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $2,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,300

GROUP OF FIVE TO POW DIED WORKING ON BURMA-SIAM RAILWAY: 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. QX10522 G.G.Morton. All medals impressed. Court mounted, extremely fine.

Together with Japanese POW postcard; souvenir photo of Malaya 1940 issue ten dollars featuring photos of George Morton and his wife; Parker gent's wristwatch, 1940s vintage, in excellent condition. This was given to George Morton by his wife when he left for overseas service. When it became obvious that Singapore would fall he posted the watch from the Singapore Post Office back to his wife in Queensland.^^Gunner George Gladstone Morton, labourer, age 33, born at Sale, Victoria; Enl.18Jun1940 at Maryborough, Queensland; Emb.02Feb1941; Disemb.18Feb1941 at Singapore; TOS 2/10 Field Regt 03Feb1942; MIA 16Feb1942 and then reported POW and interred at Thailand Camp; entrained with H Force (POWs used by Japanese to work on Burma-Siam Railway) 08May1943; died 27Jun1943 of cholera while POW working on Burma-Siam railway construction. Over a nine day period from 26Jun to 04Jul1943 72 men died of cholera (see The Japanese Thrust by Lionel Wigmore, p543); buried at Kannyu Jungle Cemetery (cremated), later moved to Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Thailand in collective grave 1, P.37-52.^^With research, photos and other documents.^