Edward Joseph Butler was born in 1917 at Allora, QLD, the son of William Joseph and Johanna Mary Butler.
He enlisted in the Australian Army Militia on 09 Jun 1941 at Allora as a Private (Q103588) in the Australian Army Service Corps Petrol Coy, Northern Command. At the time he was single, a farm labourer at Berat, near Allora, QLD. He had black hair and blue eyes.
He was called to full time duty on 18 Sep 1941 and transferred to 8MD Headquarters. He embarked on the MV Macdhui on 27 Sep 1941 at Brisbane, QLD for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 08 Oct 1941 as part of the 8 Div Supply Column.
After the Japanese invasion of 23 Jan 1942, he was captured at the Warangoi River 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.
He was posthumously enrolled in the 2nd AIF as QX64932.
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Categories: Allora, Queensland | Australian Army Service Corps, Australian Army, World War II | Montevideo Maru Sinking, 1942 | Rabaul War Cemetery and Memorial, Papua New Guinea | Rabaul Montevideo Maru War Memorial, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea | Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Lake Wendouree, Victoria | Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Prisoners of War, Australia, World War II | Died while Prisoner of War, Australia, World War II