Donald Sandford (Don) OPIE

Donald Sandford (Don) OPIE Update Details

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OPIE, Donald Sandford

Service Numbers:	S62852, SX32481
Enlisted:	5 February 1942
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	2nd/5th Field Regiment
Born:	Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 10 October 1911
Home Town:	Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Miner
Died:	Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 6 February 1981, aged 69 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Broken Hill Cemetery, New South Wales
Memorials:

5 Feb 1942:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, S62852, 48th Infantry Battalion
18 Aug 1942:	Transferred Private, 10th Infantry Battalion
29 Jul 1943:	Involvement Sapper, SX32481
29 Jul 1943:	Involvement Sapper, S62852
29 Jul 1943:	Enlisted Noonamah, NT
29 Jul 1943:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX32481
7 Nov 1944:	Transferred Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sapper, 2nd/5th Field Regiment
28 May 1945:	Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sapper, SX32481, 2nd/5th Field Regiment, embarked Cairns for Morotai per Portus H Ross
31 Jul 1945:	Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sapper, SX32481, 2nd/5th Field Regiment, embarked Morotai for Balikapan
25 Dec 1945:	Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sapper, SX32481, 2nd/5th Field Regiment, embarked Balikapan for RTA
11 Jan 1946:	Discharged
11 Jan 1946:	Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, SX32481

Biography contributed by Chris Buckley

Sapper Donald Sandford Opie (Service No:SX32481) initially enlisted in the ACMF on 5 February 1942 as a Private (Service No:S62852) with 48th Infantry Battalion. Private Opie transferred to 10th Battalion on 18 August 1942 and served in Darwin, NT (8 September 1942 - 22 March 1944). He was at Noonamah, NT when he enlisted 'in the field' with the AIF on 29 July 1943 and was attached to 19 Machine Gun Battalion as a Sapper before transferring to 2/5 Field Coy on 7 November 1944. Sapper Opie served in New Guinea and Borneo (28 May 1945 - 25 December 1945) and was Discharged on 11 January 1946.

The second of ten children, Don was born in 1911 in Broken Hill, NSW to Francis (Frank) Thomas Opie (b1871 in Kadina, South Australia) and Mary Kathleen Veronica Larkin (nee Irvin; b1888 in Macclesfield, South Australia). Frank (a Labourer) and Mary married in 1915 in Broken Hill, where they settled and raised their family and Frank worked as a Labourer.

Don was a Miner in Wentworth and Broken Hill, and following his service in WWII, returned to Broken Hill where he worked as a Miner. Don died in 1981.

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