John Andrew Edward Cameron (1910 - 1942)

Born 15 Jul 1910 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 31 in At Sea

Biography

John Cameron was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

John Cameron died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

John Andrew Edward Cameron was born in 1910 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, the son of James and Margaret Cameron.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, Victoria on 14 Jun 1940 as a Private (VX26803), having completed his attestation form in Shepparton, VIC on 29 May 1940. At the time he was single, a labourer and horse driver and was living at Barooga, NSW via Cobram, VIC. While he gave his correct age, the year of birth that he stated was out by 1 year. His mother was his next of kin and was living at East Wemyss, Fife, Scotland. He had dark hair and blue eyes.

At the time he enlisted he had been serving in the Militia with 57/60 Bn for 8 months.

He was posted to 2/22nd Bn on 31 Jul 1940.

He entrained from Victoria for Sydney on 11 Mar 1941, embarking there on HMT "Katoomba" on 12 Mar 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea and disembarking there on 28 Mar 1941. His Battalion was to form the core of "Lark Force" for the defence of the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion of 23 Jan 1942 he was captured on the Lassul Bay coast and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as a part of B Coy.

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

• Birth - ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk - Statutory Registers - Births - CAMERON JOHN ANDREW EDW; M; 1910; 442/ 356; Kirkcaldy and Abbotshall

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - CAMERON JOHN ANDREW EDWARD : Service Number - VX26803 : Date of birth - 15 Jul 1911 : Place of birth - KIRKCALDY SCOTLAND : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - CAMERON MARGARET - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6215770

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1692774

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615462/cameron,-john-andrew-edward/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/622322

• John Andrew Edward Cameron (The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/ : accessed 16 Mar 2024)