Warrant Officer 1 Arthur Purdon

Depicts a portrait of Warrant Officer Class 1 Arthur Henry Mason Purdon DCM (NX67447), Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant, 2/30th Australian Infantry Battalion. Taken prisoner-of-war by the Japanese at the falll of Singapore.

Purdon was born in Sydney, NSW in 1900 and had served with the 3rd Battalion AIF during the First World War. He was almost 41 and working as a Health Inspector when he enlisted with the 2/AIF on 17 January 1941. Purdon was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his actions on the 16th January 1942 while the 2/30th battalion was under 'overwhelming' attack in a number of positions by Japanese forces in the Gemas area. During the action '...WO Purdon was the last person to leave the battlefield. He remained behind to ensure the evacuation of the wounded. He showed exceptional gallantry by repeatedly assisting wounded personnel while subject to heavy small arms and mortart fire from enemy in close contact at short range. WO Purdon consistently distinguished himself by his courage in taking ration parties forward daily despite severe bombing and shellilng and he always succeeded in getting through to the most forward troops. At all times during the whole of the operations in which his unit participated WO Purdon showed exceptional courage and devotion to duty under heavy enemy fire'.

Whilst at Changi prison camp Purdon established and supervised an artifical limb factory for other prisoners. His designs for artifical limbs made from scavanged materials were drawn by Murray Griffin (see ART26502). A movable joint, which allowed the artifical limb to move more naturally, became known as the Purdon joint. Purdon survived the war and returned to Australia in October 1945.