SINCLAIR, Ivan Alfred David
| Service Number: | NX53074 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 June 1940, Sydney |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/10th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Sunny Corner, New South Wales, 20 September 1907 |
| Home Town: | Gilgandra, Gilgandra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Died of Illness, Sandakan POW Camp, Borneo, 5 August 1945, aged 37 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Labuan Memorial, Labuan, Malaysia |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Gilgandra War Memorial, Labuan Memorial, Labuan Federal Territory, Malaysia, Mendooran Memorial Wall |
World War 2 Service
| 20 Jun 1940: | Involvement Corporal, NX53074, 2nd/10th Field Ambulance , Enlistment/Embarkation WW2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Sydney | |
| 5 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Corporal, NX53074 | |
| 7 Dec 1941: | Involvement Corporal, NX53074, 2nd/10th Field Regiment, Malaya/Singapore | |
| 15 Feb 1942: | Involvement Corporal, NX53074, 2nd/10th Field Ambulance , Prisoners of War |
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Born in Sunny Corner (near Bathurst NSW) Ivan was the youngest son of John and Isabella Sinclair. Ivan had 2 younger sisters Ruby and Mona and an older brother Harold Äthol" Sinclair.
Before enlisting for WW2 Ivan worked numerous labouring jobs around the NSW Central West. 1930 saw him working as a labourer at Armatree NSW.
In 1931 Ivan married Edna Woods and commenced to raise a family in the small township of Gilgandra. Their children being Ivan Edward "John" Sinclair, Shirley & Alfred James "Pat" Sinclair.
Between the years 1931 to 1939 Ivan worked at numerous jobs ranging from farm labouring,to working for NSW railways, to running a Butchery enterprise in another nearby township of Eumungerie.
Ivan enlisted from Martin Place Sydney on 20Jun1940 and after initial training became a member of the 2/10 Field Ambulance. Ivan was deployed to Singapore as part of the 8th Division. On 07Jul 1942 Ivan was transported on board the Ubi Maru to Borneo as part of B force, arriving Sandakan on 18Jul; where he was held as a POW for the remainder of the war.
Ivan is documented as being one of the last 5 remaining soldiers alive at Sandakan. Being too ill to be included in the infamous Sandakan death marches, he was basically left behind when the more able bodied men were taken from the camps.
Ivan lost his battle to survive and passed away on 05Aug 1945.
The books "Sandakan"by Paul Ham (pg 432) "A conspiracy of Silence" by Lynette Ramsay Silver (page 237) both document the last days of Ivan and his few remaining associates.
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