John Patrick Dunne (1918)

Biography

John Patrick Dunne was born on 28th August 1918 at South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of Robert Dunne.

John enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force during the Second World War on 1st July 1940.^[1] He was posted to the 2/29th Australian Infantry Battalion, part of the 8th Division's 27th Brigade.

The battalion did its initial training at Bonegilla, Victoria before travelling to Bathurst, New South Wales at the end of February 1941; where it remained for the next five months. At the end of July it sailed with the rest of the brigade to Singapore, arriving on 15th August. In the second week of September the 2/29th travelled to Segament in Malaya, where it continued its training in the tropical 'sauna' conditions. They met the Japanese advance at Muar River, in northern Johore, on 18th January. Almost immediately being encircled, and constantly harried from the rear and the air, the force fought its way through a succession of Japanese roadblocks but was halted by strong positions around the bridge across the Simpang Kiri River at Parit Sulong. With its ammunition exhausted, casualties mounting, and no chance of relief, the combined Australian-Indian force struck out through the jungle for Yong Peng on the morning of 23rd January. Forced to leave their wounded behind - about 110 Australians and 40 Indians - almost all were massacred by the Japanese. Only 130 from the 2/29th made it. They were soon withdrawn to Johore Bahru and then Singapore Island where, despite their heavy losses, they were ordered to be ready for battle again within a few days. Reinforced with 500 men - many of whom had only recently arrived from Australia - they subsequently fought as part of the defence of Singapore.^[2]

Most of the unit's members, including John, became prisoners of war of the Japanese when Singapore fell on 15th February 1942. They would remain prisoners, working as slave labour on the infamous Burma-Thai railroad, until Japan's defeat in August 1945. Following repatriation to Australia and subsequent recuperation, John was discharged from the AIF on 14th January 1946.^[3]

John married Daphne Chowne nee Barton, widow of Albert Chowne VC MM, in 1955 at Sydney.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: VX42079 Corporal John Patrick Dunne; accessed 20 May 2019
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/29th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 20 May 2019
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial Prisoner of War: VX42079 Corporal John Patrick Dunne; accessed 20 May 2019
4. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #14722/1955