Francis William JACOBS

JACOBS, Francis William

Service Number: VX67873
Enlisted: 13 December 1941
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd/10th Ordnance Workshop
Born: Melbourne, Victoria, 6 March 1922
Home Town: Richmond (V), Yarra, Victoria
Schooling: Yarra Park State School and Richmond Technical School
Occupation: Apprentice motor mechanic
Died: Died of Illness (POW of Japan), Borneo, 6 July 1945, aged 23 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
(CWGC) Official Commemoration - Memorial Location: Panel 29, at the Labuan Memorial (within Labuan War Cemetery)., Labuan Memorial, Labuan, Malaysia
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
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World War 2 Service

13 Dec 1941: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, VX67873, Royal Park, Victoria
13 Dec 1941: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, VX67873
15 Feb 1942: Imprisoned Malaya/Singapore
6 Jul 1945: Involvement Private, VX67873, 2nd/10th Ordnance Workshop, Prisoners of War

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Biography contributed by John Edwards

"...VX67873 Private Francis William Jacobs, 2/10th Ordnance Workshops, Australian Corps of Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of E Force. The 500 Australian and 500 British POW's who made up E Force, left Changi on 28 March 1943, on board the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15 April 1943. The POW's were held there until 5 June, when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The next day they were transferred to the 8 Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. Private Jacobs, aged 22, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 6 July 1945. He was the son of Francis William and Ethel Alice Jacobs, of North Richmond, Vic. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 29..." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

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