Douglas Fraser Gilfillan (1904 - 1942)

Born 26 Jan 1904 in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 38 in At Sea

Biography

Douglas Gilfillan was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Douglas Gilfillan died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Douglas was born in 1904 at St. Leonards, NSW, the only son of Douglas Hay Gilfillan and Portia Henrietta Old.

He married Helen Ellsmere Wickham at Chatswood, NSW in 1936. There was one child, Richard.^[1]

Douglas enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Paddington, NSW on 22 Jul 1940 as a Private (NX57187). At the time he was married, a manufacturer's representative and was living with his wife at Lindfield, NSW. He had fair hair and blue eyes.

He was posted to the 2/20th Bn at Wallgrove, NSW on 31 Jul 1940 and was transferred to the 22nd Anti Tank Coy, Royal Australian Artillery at Ingleburn, NSW as a Gunner on 09 Sep 1940.

He was transferred to 17th Anti Tank Battery at Holsworthy, NSW on 09 Aug 1941 and embarked on the "Zealandia" at Sydney on 09 Sep 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 30 Sep 1941. His unit became part of "Lark Force" to defend the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured on the Lassul Bay coast and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul.

He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Sources

1. ↑ Roll of Honour - Family Notices (1945, October 25). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 14. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27921295

• Birth - NSW BDM Birth index - GILFILLAN DOUGLAS F; 6994/1904; DOUGLAS H; PORTIA H B; ST LEONARDS

• Marriage - NSW BDM Marriage index - 6428/1936; GILFILLAN, DOUGLAS FRASER; WICKHAM, HELEN ELLSMERE; CHATSWOOD

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - GILFILLAN DOUGLAS FRASER : Service Number - NX57187 : Date of birth - 26 Jan 1904 : Place of birth - NTH SYDNEY NSW : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - GILFILLAN HELEN - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4616197

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1705875

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615691/gilfillan,-douglas-fraser/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/629388

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial: https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/gilfillan-douglas-fraser/