Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Jack was the fifth (and first born in WA) of eight children of Thomas Gorringe (b1877 in Surrey, England) and Eleanor Bugden (b1877 in Surrey, England). Thomas (a Labourer) and Eleanor (a Laundry Maid) married in 1901 in Copthorne, Sussex. Thomas had started work at 13 years as a Hooper/Cooper with his father and by 1911 was a House Painter. Thomas and Eleanor emigrated with their four children, arriving in January 1912 in Fremantle WA on board the Armadale. The family settled in Fremantle and then Perth, and Thomas worked as a House Painter. By the early 1940s Thomas and Eleanor had separated - Thomas lived briefly in Kalgoorlie/Boulder before returning to Perth, and Eleanor settled in Hyden near Beverley WA.

Jack was working in Kondinin WA as a Butcher/Slaughterman in October 1940 when he and younger brother Syd enlisted in the Australian Army, Jack (Private; Service No:WX9336) served with2/4 Machine Gun Battalion and was promoted to Corporal in January 1942, shortly before being taken PoW by the Japanese. Jack was 'hospitalised' on several occasions as a PoW for Beri Beri, Eczema, Dysentery and Malaria and ' ... despite which disabilities was scarcely off his feet from daylight to dusk (as a volunteer nurse). Sergeant Gorringe was of great value to his fellow Australians and was instrumental in helping to save many good Australian lives' (Major Bruce Hunt; 28 August 1945). Major Hunt further writes ' After a long and most exhausting march (of 200 miles) through monsoon rain, 2000 Australians were quartered in the working camp of Shimo Sonkurai ... Sergeant Gorringe was one of the earliest volunteers for the arduous and dangerous task of nursing the many hundreds of highly infectious patients'. 

Writing a recommendation for the British Empire Medal, Major General CA Callaghan stated '... his conduct and behaviour was an inspiration to all ranks ... He was cheerful under most difficult and trying conditions and his example and firmness was the means of maintaining discipline and morale', (National Archives Australia).

Recovered from the Japanese on 23 September 1945, Jack returned to Australia and in February 1946 was promoted to Sergeant. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1947 'for valuable services and devotion as a PoW in Burma and Siam'. (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 6 March 1947; p 759). Brothers Alfred Thomas, Stanley Clarence, Maurice George and Sydney also served in WWII.

In October 1945 Jack married Joyce Owen Margaret Dunn (b1913 in Perth WA) - Joyce worked as a Clerk. The couple lived in Boyup Brook, Duraniilan via Collie and Fremantle WA where Jack was a Farmer. He died in 1994 and Margaret in 1998.