Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 4002    SESSION 18 (11.30AM FRIDAY 12TH APRIL)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $1,400
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $950

GROUP OF FOUR TO POW: 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. VX29504 T.B.McCaffrey. All medals impressed. Display mounted, very fine - extremely fine.

The display mounted group is set in a timber presentation box in a frame and with an oxidised brass Rising Sun hat badge and a gilt on black inscribed plaque that reads, 'VX295404 (sic, should be VX29504, lot includes another plaque with correct number) Pte. Thomas "Bernie" McCaffrey 2nd Convalescent Hospital. MaCaffrey was a member of the famous A.I.F. concert party at Changi P.O.W. camp in Singapore', on the inside of the box's lid is a framed b&w photo of Pte McCaffrey and also a framed 'The Fleet's In' The A.I.F. Concert Party card for Changi P.O.W. Camp dated 19th Oct. 1943.
Thomas Bernard McCaffrey, singer, age 30, born at Carlton, Melbourne, Vic; Enl.17Jul1940 at Town Hall, Melbourne, Vic in 8 Div AASC; Emb.10Apr1941 and to Singapore 24Apr1941; to 10AGH with diarrhoea 19Jun1941 Malaya; detached to AIF Concert Party GBD 10Oct1941; to A/Sgt 27Oct1941; reverted to Pte 13Dec1941; Missing 16Feb1942 and then declared POW in Malaya but actually at Changi, Singapore; suffered from malaria and dysentery while a POW; recovered from Japanese at Singapore 05Sep1945; RTA 12Sep1945; Disch.29Nov1945.
Part of an article in The Age published on 20 September 1945 reads as follows. 'Men of the Eighth Division prisoner-of-war concert party at Changi camp, Singapore, still laugh when they recall how they fooled the Japanese. Private T.B.McCaffrey, before the war, a professional singer with the Tivoli, who was a member of the party that arrived yesterday, said sufficient instruments were salvaged for a 15-piece band. The Japanese attended concerts, and often laughed unconsciously at jokes aimed at themselves. Pte "Slim" de Grey, Sydney, composed several topical songs. One was called Waiting for Something to Happen. A line in another song said, "Maybe the Japs will say scram." The Japanese ordered the substitution of the word "hosts" for "Japs". The concert party came to a sudden end one night, when some enemy Gestapo officers objected to an adagio dance, in which a Javanese burst the bonds of a cross and killed an Asiatic. "They could not see the humour of that, said Pte. McCaffrey.'
Thomas McCaffrey's wife, Mrs D.McCaffery, secured a Decree Nisi for divorce from her husband on 04Sep1940 and this was made absolute on 05Dec1940. He had sought a divorce from her for desertion but she denied this and sued for divorce on the grounds of her husband's misconduct.
Prior to his war service Thomas McCaffrey made his living as a professional singer and was predicted to have a very good future in the musical world but post war he was unable to continue in this occupation on account of nerves so he became a salesman for James Chocolates. In one article in The Telegraph, Brisbane, on Friday 20 May 1938, page 19 the following was reported. 'New Artist for Theatre Royal. Heading the programme at the Theatre Royal to-morrow night with Graham Mitchell's Serenaders Company will be Bernard McCaffrey who comes to Brisbane fresh from a season in the south. Mr McCaffrey has been featured in most of the leading musical productions in Sydney and Melbourne for some time past. One of his most recent appearances was with Miss Gladys Moncrieff. He will complete a season in Brisbane before returning to Sydney to appear in a new musical production in that city.'
With copy of Service File and other research.