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VX34455
Private
Donald McKenzie
From Kilmore Victoria, Australia
Australian Imperial Force
2/2 Pioneer Battalion
Service
The 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion was raised in Puckapunyal in Victoria in May 1940. After completing its initial training at Pucka, the battalion sailed for the Middle East aboard the Queen Mary in April 1941.
The battalion arrived in Port Tewfik, the port of Suez, in May and travelled by train to Palestine and camped at Hill 95. It began preparing for its first action supporting the 7th Division in Syria.
Following the surrender of the Vichy French the battalion concentrated first at Damour and then near Tripoli, bivouacking in the olive groves opposite Fort Legout. For the next four months the battalion trained and conducted garrison duties, with each company sent to different locations as needed. In November the pioneers moved to Qatana.
In early 1942 the 6th and 7th Divisions returned to Australia and the 2/2nd began the voyage home on the troopship Orcades. The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, 2/6th Field Company, and other support units were also on board. However, the Orcades was about to be caught in the Japanese thrust.
British forces in Singapore surrendered on the 15th February. Two days later the Orcades reached Oosthaven in Sumatra before going to Batavia in Java.
The troops aboard Orcades, as well as a battery of American artillery and a squadron from the 3rd King's Own Hussars, combined to defend Java. They became known as the "Blackforce". Their directive was political rather than strategic and ultimately futile.
The Japanese landed on Java on 28th February. Blackforce went into action at Leuwiliang near Buitenzorg on the 4th March. It fought against the Japanese for two days but was ordered to lay down arms the day after Dutch surrender on 8 March.
Japanese PoW
1942/03/08 - Captured Java
PoW No. J-8175
1942/10/08 - Transported oversea in Kenkon Maru to Singapore
with Java Party 4, with 1499 Australian PoWs
1942/10/14 - Transported oversea to Burma in Maebashi Maru with Williams Force, with 1414 Australian PoWs
New PoW No. 4401
Working on the Burma end of the Railway
Then Thailand and and back Singapore
1944/12/23 - Transported oversea in the Awa Maru to Japan
1945/01/15 - Arrived Moji, Japan
Transported to Fukuoka 24B.
New PoW No. 13070
Worked for Sumitomo Coal Mining Company, Senryu Mine for the next eight months
1945/03/10 - 134 British and 1 American arrive from Taiwan on Taiko Maru
1945/08/15 On Fukuoka Camp Roll
Donald is reading the Newspaper in the photo
Liberated Fukuoka 24 B
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Pacific Star - 1939 to 1945 War Medal - Service Medal 1939 to 1945
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Australian Pacific War Medals
Information
Belinda McKenzie - Granddaughter
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burm Railway Centre
Thailand Burma Railway
Australian War Memorial
KEW Files:- WO 361/2005, WO 361/1978, WO 361/ 2210, WO 361/1254,
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